by Hanami Dream | 3, December, 2015 | blog, trends
The Pantone® Color of the Year 2016 is Rose Quartz AND Serenity. Yes, we get two colours for the price of one next year. It’s the first time Pantone® have ever announced two colours and a long time since a pastel colour has hit the top spot. They are a nice calm change to the recent bold jewel colours of the last ten years. We can already see these colours featuring singly in couples’ colour schemes and look forward to seeing people using them in tandem too.
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
Our guess for the Color of the Year 2016 was for Peach Echo, Buttercup or a great neutral colour like Iced Coffee. However we we didn’t see two colours coming! Nor a pastel colour. What we have got is something more relaxing and more choice.
by Hanami Dream | 26, November, 2015 | blog, traditions
Imagine planning your wedding without the internet, without your smart phone, or without Pinterest! Goodness, imagine if you didn’t even have a ball point pen to quickly jot down ideas in a notebook! Rewind a hundred years and you’d be planning a wedding without technology and the advancements we are lucky to have nowadays.
However the 1910s did see the invention of some amazing things that we now take for granted like the bras that we wear and anything with a zip. Thanks to the inventions of that decade we don’t have to be without electricity in our homes, telephones, fridges, vacuum cleaners, plasters, stainless steel, tea bags, instant coffee, pyrex and pop up toasters. Transport wise the 1910s saw amazing firsts for flying machines and motor cars becoming more widespread. Plus for entertainment the first crossword puzzle came about in the 1910s as well as hand cranked movie cameras, neon lighting and fortune cookies.
I’ve recently been thinking about this era as my mother has been researching our family history and came across an amazing photograph of my grandfather’s parent’s wedding from 1911. We were amazed at the grandeur of their wedding considering that they both worked in service and so wouldn’t have been able to afford such a grand wedding.
Think Downtown Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs. My ancestors would have definitely been the ‘downstairs’! The 1911 census said that one out of every seven employed persons was a domestic servant. Yet despite their position, their wedding was quite a lavish affair. My Grandad often said he thought that the ‘upstairs’ helped with the wedding and also that the chief bridesmaid’s employer helped too.
Their wedding certificate said that they lived in Scott Ellis Gardens. This was a stone’s throw away from St John’s Wood in London, home of Lord’s Cricket Ground and near the famous Abbey Road studio. Scott Ellis Gardens was built on land owned by Lord Howard de Walden.
Their wedding took place on 5th June 1911 at St Mark’s Church, Hamilton Terrace, NW8. It was on a Monday, which according to the traditional rhyme was said to mean the bride would be healthy (watch out for more on wedding traditions and superstitions in future blog posts) and the bride was driven there by coach and pair (a coach drawn by a pair of horses). What struck me about the date is that it is almost exactly 100 years before my own wedding on 5th August of 2011.
1911 was a time before any world wars, when there was no NHS, no vote for women and you could’ve gone out to work at 13 years old. It saw the launch of the ocean liner RMS Titanic in Belfast (which we know didn’t enjoy the happiest of voyages), there was a big heatwave, as well as the Coronation of George V in June.
My Great Grandad, Albert Edward Wagstaff was 20 at the time of his wedding and worked as a woollen warehouseman at a large firm called Holland and Sherry in London. He married my Great Nan, Sophie Elizabeth Piggott who was 22. They were at least a decade younger than the age I was when I walked down the aisle, although they were relatively old to marry in those days.
How different my dress looked compared to my Great Nan’s. Hers was a long sleeved, high necked and flowing gown versus my strapless, sleeveless, tight fitting dress. Her bridesmaids wore flowers on broad brimmed hats and wore their own Sunday best outfits, versus my bridesmaids with sophisticated chignons and custom made dresses for the day. My Great Nan had a floral crown, which wasn’t a trend when I got married 4 years ago, but is already having a revival now. One thing that I was keen to mirror was to have a big bouquet which my Nan in the 1940s also had on her big day.
The men were wearing their best suits (which didn’t match with each other) and we can see that the tradition of buttonholes hasn’t altered much in 100 years. However my Great Grandad does look particularly dapper. He handled very good quality materials at work (mostly in suitings for gentlemen and ladies costumes) and was often able to buy remnants. So he always had very good suits made for himself and beautiful costumes for his wife. Perhaps this is why they look so smart on their wedding day.
I love looking at how weddings have changed over the years and also how some traditions have continued to be upheld. (Take a look at our Wedding time capsule post for details of other trends.) Despite the technology and tools we have nowadays, our wedding photos don’t look too dissimilar to those of a hundred years ago and weddings remain constant events in our society with many common and recurring features. Maybe things haven’t changed too much in the last 100 years after all.
Back row (left to right): William (Albert’s older brother), the groom Albert Edward, William (Albert’s father), 2 ladies unknown, Frank (Albert’s youngest brother who went missing in the war)
Middle row: Avis (Albert’s sister), Jinny (Albert’s sister), the bride Sophie Elizabeth, Ruth (best friend and chief bridesmaid who was a cook at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton), Avis (Albert’s mother who my own Grandad was terrified of her and called the Countess!)
Front row: children unknown
This post is dedicated to my Grandfather who sadly passed away this month aged nearly 92. He was an inspirational man and played an important and influential part of my life. He was kind, generous, wise, fun loving and always thinking of others.
Over the years, Grandad’s moving speeches (and bright orange shirts) were always so poignant and he would always end a speech by saying how proud we had made him. On this occasion, I feel I’m allowed to say that Grandad did us proud.
by Hanami Dream | 29, September, 2015 | blog, trends
At this time of year Spring seems a long way off – we’ve just entered the Autumn Equinox, the leaves are changing colour, nights are drawing in and the mornings are bitterly cold (thankfully we’ve had some lovely sunny days though!).
However those lovely folks at Pantone® have just announced their colour report for Spring 2016, released to coincide with New York Fashion Week. And this palette of ten fresh and vibrant colours gives us hope for the Spring time when everything will come back to life again.
The colours seem full of sunshine and are really vibrant rather than just subtle pastels. There seems a real cohesion and they blend together in harmony. There’s not a colour that jars amongst them and we can already imagine some nifty colour partnerships amongst them.
We love the combination of the navy Snorkel Blue, yellow Buttercup and aqua Limpet Shell which transports us right to a tropical beach in the summer time – representing the sky, sand and sea respectively. Which is just the desired outcome by the Pantone Color Institute™ who say that ‘Colors this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.’
These colours are intended to be calming, soothing, relaxing and have a sense of escapism. This is a chilled out vacation in Cuba with days spent relaxing by the sea and nights full of fiestas.
The top ten colours for Spring 2016 are:
- PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz
- PANTONE 16-1548 Peach Echo
- PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity
- PANTONE 19-4049 Snorkel Blue
- PANTONE 12-0752 Buttercup
- PANTONE 13-4810 Limpet Shell
- PANTONE 16-3905 Lilac Gray
- PANTONE 17-1564 Fiesta
- PANTONE 15-1040 Iced Coffee
- PANTONE 15-0146 Green Flash
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
We wait with baited breath for the release of the 2016 news. Could it be the turn of an orange colour to be the Color of the Year such as Peach Echo? Or perhaps a strong neutral like Iced Coffee that will blend with Spring as well as Fall colours? Or our particular favourite is Buttercup. Let’s wait for December to find out!
by Hanami Dream | 13, February, 2015 | blog, trends
Released to coincide with New York Fashion Week, Pantone® have announced their colour report for Fall 2015. Titled ‘Evolving Color Landscape’, this autumn’s colours are a nice mix of earthy neutrals with some statement pops of colour.
- Dried Herb
- Desert Sage
- Stormy Weather
- Oak Buff
- Marsala
- Biscay Bay
- Reflecting Pond
- Cadmium Orange
- Cashmere Rose
- Amethyst Orchid
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
For us, Marsala (the Pantone® Color of the Year 2015) sits much better with these earthy tones than the pastels of Spring 2015. It looks like Marsala is totally at home with these natural colours, complimenting but standing out proudly.
We also love the rich teal colour of Biscay Bay and can’t wait to see it and these autumnal colours featuring in couples’ colour schemes.
See some of our trend predictions for weddings in 2015.
by Hanami Dream | 4, December, 2014 | blog, trends
The Pantone® Color of the Year 2015 is Marsala. A wonderful earthy, reddy brown that we can’t wait to see featuring in couples’ colour schemes.
I remember getting a much-coveted Pantone® reference guide in one of my first marketing jobs. It was my ‘go to’ swatch of all the colours under the sun and I couldn’t live without it especially when talking with designers. Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
Our guess for the Color of the Year 2015 was a bronze or a mustard colour to make the top spot next year – well at least we were in the right colour palette!
See some of our other trend predictions for weddings in 2015.
by Hanami Dream | 19, November, 2014 | blog, trends
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour, and with the live-action film of Cinderella set for release next year we’re sure the romantic fairy tale theme will continue to be strong.
So what will next year bring for us? The second of the Back to the Future movies (which incidentally is my favourite film of all time) is actually set in 2015. Released over 25 years earlier in 1989, the film predicted that in the ‘future’ we’d be riding on hover boards, driving flying cars, we’d have shiny, colour-shifting, automatic clothing (like power laces, size adjusting and auto-drying clothes), wearing trousers inside out and men would be wearing multiple ties. Whilst we’re a little way off flying cars, Nike have at least mastered the power laces (albeit a one off pair to sell for charity), the graphics of the 3D shark from Jaws 19 seem basic, video phoning is in common every day use and there is definitely a trend for shiny clothing.
Fashion definitely goes in cycles with trends of the past getting modern twists. So will Back to the Future correctly predict 1980’s fashion trends merging with the style of the 2010’s? There’s already luminous and iridescent colours along with off-the shoulder styles around, so we’ll have to wait and see if brides will be going down the aisle on hover boards by the end of the year!
Take a look at some of our slightly less futuristic, and probably more realistic, curation of predictions for wedding trends to look out for in 2015 (and see more of our inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/):
• Colours
I remember getting a much-coveted Pantone® reference guide in one of my first marketing jobs. It was my ‘go to’ swatch of all the colours under the sun and I couldn’t live without it especially when talking with designers. Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Colour of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
The 2014 Pantone® Colour of the Year, Radiant Orchid, has made a big impact this year. Other popular colours have been coral, sage, sand, teal, cranberry, navy blue and varying shades of purple that have come out of the influence of Radiant Orchid. Plus emerald (the Pantone® Colour of the Year in 2013) has still hung around this year too.
We wait with baited breath for Pantone® to announce the colour of the year for 2015, but there’s not long left as they usually announce it in December for the following year. Our guess would be for bronze or a mustard colour to make the top spot next year. Watch this space and we’ll report on what Pantone® reveal to be their choice and see if our prediction is right. Other colours that are also predicted to be popular include misted, neutral and powder colours plus different hues of blue (aquamarine, scuba, classic), toasted almond, tangerine, burgundy, sage and lavender. And, with the release of a film version of a notorious book, surely fifty shades of grey will also be prevalent next year!
Thankfully the beautiful trend for ombré (where a colour graduates in tone) is still going strong. Along with subtle colour washes, watercolour effects and pastel colours, the mood is definitely delicate and romantic. On the other end of the spectrum is a splash of bold colours with rainbow themes and geometric shapes.
Finally, the crowning glory is the decadent trend for metallic and iridescent colours, and all things shiny. We can’t wait for stunning copper, rose gold and yellow gold to be foremost in couples’ colour schemes.
• Cakes & catering
Rustic styling has been prevalent and we envisage more Medieval inspired décor and outdoor banqueting to be on trend especially with the popularity of Game of Thrones. Next year also celebrates the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede in 1215. Think Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and you’ll see why things like naked cakes (not iced maybe with lots of fresh fruit) will sit nicely with this theme.
Meanwhile, for a more tradition style, individual cupcakes and cake pops will be replaced by more elaborate macaroon and croquembouche towers. Whilst the plain white traditional cake will see a return it will be covered in buttercream rather than fondant.
For the glitz and glamour of the 1920s, with Great Gatsby and Downton Abbey trends, cakes will be adorned with ruffles, be metallic or smothered in sequins and accompanied by some sophisticated cocktails.
Finally a sense of British nostalgia will be high next year with the impending General Election and the birth of another royal baby. So the food will follow suit with British food like fish & chips from snack trucks and food from childhood memories such as traditional desserts like sticky toffee pudding (which was a firm favourite at our wedding by young and old even on a hot summer day).
• Clothing
Lots of the bridal catwalk shows previewing next year’s dresses had strong undertones of current fashion trends – think really high Hollywood splits in skirts, tiered skirts and crop tops (who knew that this style would translate in the bridal world!)
Then forget strapless dresses, now it’s in with off the shoulder numbers, spaghetti straps, lace sleeves and even full length sleeves (yes, there’s that nod to the Medieval theme again). Whilst the arms will be covered up, it’s all about showing off your back either with a plunging design or an illusion back.
Dresses will be adorned with big bows or pearls and accessorised with floral crowns (to pay homage to Maid Marion again). Coloured and patterned dresses won’t just be reserved for the bridesmaids and we expect to see some wedding dresses in pastel colours such as pink, mint and grey, plus some brides taking inspiration from Angelina Jolie’s decorated veil.
For the guys, we think that tweed will increase in popularity, perfect for rustic and Wind in the Willows styling. Maybe two ties like in Back to the Future 2? Okay maybe not, instead more ruches and cravats rather than traditional Windsor knots.
• Venue
Despite the unpredictability of the British weather, there is still a trend towards celebrating in the great outdoors. Whilst it’s not legal to get married in the open air in the UK, you’d be able to witness the solar eclipse in March if you hold your reception outside. More and more venues are gaining approval such as stately homes, hotels and civic buildings, allowing more scope to have your big day somewhere a bit different (as long as it is a permanent built structure).
Supporting the popularity of the rustic theme is the use of converted barns with long wooden tables and benches providing an informal and country inspired style. Eco chic weddings are also on the rise with green suppliers focusing on environmentally friendly and fun celebrations, such as luxury organic wedding dresses, in season flower, conflict free eco wedding rings and sustainable invitations.
Or perhaps you’d prefer a destination wedding like George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin who enjoyed their relaxed nuptials in Venice earlier this year. Or a jungle themed wedding complete with bush tucker trials in homage to the recently engaged Declan Donnelly, presenter of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and his fiancée, Ali Astall. Or maybe a sport inspired celebration at a big stadium influenced by the Rugby World Cup coming to England in the Autumn next year.
• Décor
Backdrops are still high on the ‘must have’ list for decoration statements from the big impact (and expense) of a floral wall, like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had at their Italian wedding, to the more affordable ribbon drapes, pompoms or fan bunting. Plus feature arch ways will still provide stunning focal points as well as balloon displays and even umbrellas as decorations rather than just a necessity to fend off the great British weather.
For the popular rustic styling, decorated mason jars filled with flowers that look like they’ve been picked straight from the field alongside decorative elements that nod to the season (such as pumpkins in Autumn or pine cones in Winter) will feature at many wedding breakfast tables.
Meanwhile, for the wonderful art deco styling alongside Great Gatsby themes, thinking lighting to make a big impression – large illuminated letters, neon or hanging light bulbs will fit in perfectly.
These are a few of our predictions for wedding trends in 2015. Not too futuristic, unless the influence of the new Star Wars film filters through to the wedding industry. See more of our curation and inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/. We’d love to hear what you think is going to be popular next year. Email us at info@www.hanamidream.co.uk with your predictions.
-
-
-
-
Photography by Farrow Photography
-
-
by Hanami Dream | 14, October, 2014 | blog, trends
Children deserve a good party just like the rest of us. We know the importance of giving children memorable occasions to look back on in years to come.
Popularity of children’s party themes often follow the latest trends based on current films and children’s television programmes. Then there are some timeless themes that never seem to go out of favour. Take a look at some themes that have been popular recently and our predictions for some themes we think will be on trend next year.
Current trends
- Frozen – Disney princess themes are classics and always prove popular. Frozen is no exception and whilst the film came out at the end of 2013, Frozen fever still continues especially with the DVD release this year and impending cold weather. Even Elsa inspired wedding dresses are appearing giving brides the option to have this theme at their wedding too.
- Lego Movie – ‘everything is awesome’ with this theme. The building bricks might have been around since 1949 but there’s nothing old fashioned about these interlocking toys and they lend themselves very well for primary coloured, simple yet innovative decorations, favours, activities and food at any child’s party. The 2014 film certainly has increased construction based children’s parties. ‘Everything is cool when you work as a team!’
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – another classic theme that is currently having a revival with another new film. Cowabunga! Get your masks on, join these heroes in a half shell and make your own pizzas.
- Postman Pat – ‘everybody knows his bright red van’ and his black and white cat. This children’s television programme always gives lots of ideas for great themed parties – there’s always room for classic games like pass the parcel but the recent film has also seen integration of singing or talent contests in to the theme.
- How to Train a Dragon 2 – loosely based on a British book series, these films have seen a trend for viking parties. Decorating shields, donning a Viking helmet and competing in training exercises to qualify as Toothless dragon trainers with (or without) any ‘Hiccups’.
- Minecraft – initially a game about breaking and placing blocks but has now grown to include really imaginative things. The simple graphics in this game certainly make decorating a Minecraft party easy – pixelate, cut things into cubes or make them green! Plus the basic player activities of exploring, digging, cooking, crafting, brewing and farming make it easy to incorporate lots of activities to this theme.
- Rainbow Loom bands – jewellery parties to weave rubber bands into bracelets or charms give loads of opportunities to have rainbow coloured décor and food (like an amazing rainbow layer cake).
- Junior Bake Off – the spin off to the Great British Bake Off has not only seen a ‘rise’ in home baking but also in baking and cooking themed parties. Compete to impress the judges and then enjoy eating the end product.
- Bob the Builder – can he still fix it? ‘Yes, he can!’ Popularity for construction parties is growing and with a refreshed version of this children’s programme they will continue to gain favour further.
Timeless trends
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar – it might have been published in 1969 but Eric Carle’s book still provides inspiration for children’s parties 45 years on. The catering is easy – just use the book as inspiration and think bright colours and butterflies for the décor.
- Mr Men and Little Miss – there are nearly 100 colourful characters in this amazing set of children’s books (originally written by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971). What a great theme to incorporate into a fancy dress party with maybe a Mr Bounce-y castle, Little Miss Somersault circus skills, driving Mr Bump-er cars or learning Little Miss Magic tricks.
- Thomas the Tank Engine – this theme was good enough for Kim Kardashian’s nephew, Mason, recently and The Railway Series characters (originally written by Rev Wilbert Awdry) still provide inspiration nearly 70 years after they were first published. All aboard for some fun train races!
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – next year will be 150 years since Lewis Carroll’s book was first published. Follow the White Rabbit with hearts, red roses, tea cups and clocks. See how we organised our own Alice in Wonderland tea party.
- Wizard of Oz – this year marked the 75th anniversary of the film release of the Wizard of Oz. Follow the yellow brick road with sunflowers, rainbow colours and balloons when dressed for the emerald city. See how we went over the rainbow with our Wizard of Oz party.
- Wild West – cowboy parties are always popular with activities like panning for gold, lassoing, buckaroo, pony rides, sack races, horse shoe tossing and boot scootin.
Our predictions for future trends
- Paddington – there’s a new film coming out at the end of this year featuring Paddington Bear, the fictional character in children’s literature created by Michael Bond. This could influence trends next year such as travel themes, teddy bear picnics complete with duffle coats, marmalade sandwiches and love of all things British.
- Into the Woods – this is another film coming out in 2014. It stars James Corden and depicts a number of characters from popular children’s stories including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel. Plenty of autumnal adventures, toffee apples, gingerbread houses and other woodland fairy tale inspiration will spin off from this theme.
- Gotham – there’s a new American crime television series just started on Channel 5 based on characters appearing in the Batman stories. It focuses on the early days of Detective James Gordon but also includes Bruce Wayne and several of the Batman villains. The show is a bit too gritty for children but will certainly influence interest in more Batman themed parties along with Penguin, Riddler, Joker and Mr Freeze.
- Minions – these yellow henchmen will be enjoying a spin off film after the success of the Despicable Me films. Perhaps this will see an increase in villain based parties or perhaps more Antarctica inspired décor.
- Cinderella – without a doubt, princess parties will always be popular. We are sure that the live-action film set for release next year with Helena Bonham-Carter as the Fairy Godmother will continue to keep the magic and romantic fairy tale alive.
- The SpongeBob Movie and new 3D Popeye film – these new films will inspire under the sea, pirate, beach and sailor themes aplenty next summer.
- Star Wars VII – the long awaited sequel will surely mean that space travel, aliens and robots are popular choices for parties as the end of 2015 approaches.
- Rugby World Cup – England will be hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup so we envisage this will ignite and inspire more people to play and support the game.
- Art parties – crafting is big business at the moment and this will spill over even more into children’s parties with painting, creating a magazine, pottery, sewing and movie making activities.
These are a few of our predictions for popular children’s party themes in 2015. We’d love to hear what you think are going to be big trends next year. Email us at info@www.hanamidream.co.uk with your predictions.
