WeddingChannel.com Predicts What’s in (and out!) for 2012 Weddings

Which wedding trends should you wave good-bye to in 2012? Dare-to-bare necklines, towering cake tiers and reckless registries, to name a few! Have no fear—WeddingChannel.com (www.weddingchannel.com), the number-one wedding and gift registry website, has created a list of wedding details not to skip during wedding planning this year.

Clark + Walker (Photo: Business Wire)

To help couples get inspired for their own nuptials, WeddingChannel.com recruited the most sought-after pros, who have worked with some of Hollywood’s top A-listers like Katie Holmes, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Katherine Heigl, Jim Carrey and Billy Joel, to give an insider’s look at what’s in (and out) for 2012.

WeddingChannel.com 2012 Wedding Trends: What’s In and Out

Wedding Dress
In: Coy coverage
Out: Dare-to-bare necklines
Although designers have been creating dresses with sleeves for years, Kate Middleton has brought the trend mainstream. Don’t consider long sleeves your only option. Think: capelets, illusion sleeves, sheer backs and even a bolero for a demure wedding day look that’s all your own. "Every bride wants a gown and wedding that is uniquely ‘theirs,’” says Randy Fenoli, star of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and fashion director at Kleinfeld Bridal New York. "They no longer desire to be that cookie-cutter bride, but wish to express their individual style and taste.”

Wedding Style
In: Country-chic, waterfront weddings and Napa nuptials
Out: Vintage everything
Some of the most recent celeb weddings offer style ideas that step away from the overdone vintage theme. Be inspired by Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth’s country-chic wedding that took place at her rustic ranch, where guests were seated at long wooden tables, served mustard-grilled chicken and herb-roasted lamb and danced to the sounds of a bluegrass band. Reese even donned a pair of cowboy boots when it was time to hit the dance floor. If water and sun are your wedding day must-haves, take a cue from Brooke Burke and David Charvet, who exchanged vows on a 77-foot yacht in St. Barts with an intimate guest list and ended the night by sending a handwritten message in a bottle out to sea. Wine lovers? Look to the Napa nuptials of Seth Rogen, Tamera Mowry and Nikki Reed for influence.

Wedding Food
In: Global meats
Out: Bacon, bacon, bacon
2012 is all about expanding meat options beyond steak and chicken, and while bacon is a flavor classic that showed up in a ton of weddings last year, it’s time to move on. "Lean global meats like goat, kangaroo, antelope and horse will be big,” predicts Peter Callahan, creative director of Peter Callahan Catering, whose clients include Will Smith, Kelly Ripa and Regis Philbin. "Nothing takes on Moroccan, Mexican, Greek and Middle-Eastern flavors better than goat!”

Wedding Cake
In: Hand-painted designs
Out: Towering tiers
Having an over-the-top wedding cake actually tower over the bride à la Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries is so 2011. Skip the desire to break a Guinness world record for the tallest cake and concentrate on the detailing. Buddy Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bakery and star of TLC’s Cake Boss predicts, "In 2012, hand painted designs will give brides a new medium to add detail and personality to their cakes. Whimsical designs can be painted on top of fondant, and can be as subdued or as bold as the bride wants.”

Wedding Flowers
In: Textural, leafy bouquets
Out: Giant colorful bouquets
When it comes to bouquets, don’t be afraid of green. Think: mixed greenery with lots of texture such as bupleurum, hellebores, green hydrangeas and green dianthus for a monochromatic arrangement of lush foliage that differs from the traditional floral bouquet. Even incorporate greenery into your bridal party look like Kate Moss did with lush, green head wreaths worn by her bridesmaids. "Bouquets that are textural and interesting, yet not busy are in for 2012. Remember, it’s about you, then the dress, then the flowers. Not the other way around,” says Todd Fiscus, owner/creative director of Todd Events, whose clients include Tony Romo, Eli Mannng and Jay-Z.

Wedding Invitations
In: Dual-purpose interactive invitations
Out: Ribbon and buckle embellishments
Thanks in part to Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo’s airplane ticket wedding invitation to their Necker Island nuptials, dual-purpose interactive invitations are on the rise. "Airline ticket invites for destination weddings, invites that double as fans for an outdoor affair and comic book save-the-dates that tell the engaged couple’s story are definitely in for 2012,” predicts Ceci Johnson, founder and creative director of Ceci New York, who’s designed invitations for Diddy and Katherine Heigl.

Wedding Photography
In: Stylized postwedding shoots
Out: Trash the dress sessions
Trash the dress photo sessions where a bride steps back into her gown postwedding to swim in the ocean or play paintball with her husband have definitely run their course. In for 2012 is the stylized postwedding dress session—a photo shoot wearing your dress, but this time restyling your look with chunky colorful jewelry, sultry makeup, wild hair or any completely different look than what you walked down the aisle in. "Maybe it’s the accessories that didn’t make the wedding day cut, or the hairstyle your mom didn’t approve of that you’re now able to rock in a restylized postwedding shoot,” says Robert Evans, celebrity photographer for Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise and cofounder of WeddingPhotography411.com. "It’s like the bride gets to style and star in her own magazine spread.”

Wedding Videos
In: Bride-to-be roast videos
Out: Choreographed bridal dance videos
Definitely out in wedding videos this year? The choreographed bridal party dances we’ve seen time and time again to Michael Jackson’s "Thriller,” Chris Brown’s "Forever” and even Justin Bieber. Expanding beyond the popular "Sh*t Brides Say” YouTube video, brides are having a blast making fun of the silly (and sometimes ridiculous) things they’ve said and done during their wedding planning via Comedy Central-style roast videos. We won’t be surprised if more of these videos pop up at bachelorette parties where bridesmaids have the opportunity to "roast” the bride-to-be as a fun send-off before her big day.

Wedding Registry
In: Charity registries
Out: Reckless registries
If your registry includes things like a $1,200 serving spoon, $500 teapot and nothing under $100, you’re sure to upset more than a few of your guests. Instead of registering for the most expensive items you can find and not considering your guests, take a cue from Kate and Wills and create a charity registry. "At a time when most couples are feelings so thankful for what they have, the Charity Donation Program on WeddingChannel.com provides the perfect opportunity to give back to those who are less fortunate,” says Amy Eisinger, associate editor of WeddingChannel.com.

About WeddingChannel.com
WeddingChannel.com is the leading wedding and gift registry website, offering comprehensive wedding planning content, interactive wedding tools and a central location for couples to manage their gift registries. The patented registry system on WeddingChannel.com brings together registries from the nation’s leading retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Crate and Barrel and Target, allowing guests to search one easy site to find a wedding gift.

WeddingChannel.com is based in Los Angeles and is a part of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), formerly The Knot Inc., a global media and technology company.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50136663&lang=en