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Wedding trends spring forward in 2016

Gabriella Perez-Mesa thumbed through endless bridal magazines, addressed bottomless piles of invitations and tried on countless dresses in preparation for her upcoming wedding. Perez-Mesa and fiancé Patrick Meek are set to tie the knot this spring along with many other BYU students.

Gabriella Perez-Mesa chose a wedding dress with a form fitting top and flowing skirt for her spring wedding. (India Earl)

Fresh, unconventional trends hitting Provo this wedding season include gold accents, extensive greenery and soft, romantic lighting, according to wedding designers Emily Wilson and Alexandria Jaramillo.

Metallics
Wilson, owner of Wildflower Weddings and Events said traditional spring color palettes remain popular this season.

'People stick to pastels and cream in the spring,' Wilson said. 'As for accent colors, metallics are definitely big. You'll also see a lot more gold and rose gold this season.'

Flowing, lace wedding dresses
Brides are choosing loose, flowing dresses this spring, a break from the tight, form-fitting dresses that have been popular in the past, according to Wilson. 

Perez-Mesa said she noticed that lace wedding dresses are still in style this season, but they include a bit of twist.

'Something I've noticed with dresses is that bigger lace patterns are in,' Perez-Mesa said. 'Dresses now include bigger floral designs and not as delicate of lace.'

Sugar Rush Custom Cakes created a naked drip cake for a wedding designed by Alexandria Jaramillo. (Emilie Ann Photography)

Drip cakes
Drip cakes are a popular choice this season, although 'naked wedding cakes,' or cakes without frosting, were trending last year, according to Alexandria Jaramillo, owner of Alexandria Wedding and Design

'Now I’m seeing a lot of drip cakes,' Jaramillo said. 'Basically a naked cake with a layer of frosting that looks like it has just been poured on and then it stops. It has some flowers, maybe some fruit, almost as if it was randomly placed.'

Large, open reception venues
Most brides want an outdoor venue, although spring weather in Utah can make it difficult to plan, according to Wilson. She said this season brides are choosing large, open atmospheres when it comes to outdoor reception venues.

Greenery
Flowers are always a main focus at a wedding. However, Wilson says many brides are choosing foliage over flowers.

'A lot of times the main focus are the flowers and the smaller accents are the greenery,' Wilson said. 'We are starting to see the greenery as the main focus with a few smaller flowers as the accent, especially in bouquets.'

Brides commonly string bistro lights from the ceiling of the reception venue. (Claire Anderson)

Bistro lighting
'Lighting makes or breaks a wedding,' Jaramillo said. 'It really adds to the mood.'

Bistro lights are the hottest wedding trend this season, according to Jaramillo. She said bistro lights give a wedding an 'urban and romantic feel.'

Wedding trends are always evolving, but certain wedding styles remain popular for years.

'With wedding trends there are things that change from year to year, but there are also things that stay the same,' Jaramillo said.