Getting married this year? What about next year? Wouldn’t it be cool to discover the latest wedding tips, tricks and trends before your planning gets underway? Know how much couples are spending on flowers, how to find the right vendors, etc.?

Well, you’re in luck! The online wedding resource, Wedding Wire, has just published the wedding trends of 2017. They surveyed more than 13,000 couples who married in 2016 to get the scoop, just for you. Here are some of the results:

1. Technology matters: Couples now spend 50% of their time planning from a smartphone (up from 30% last year). 87% read reviews and ten 60% reach out by email.

2. Uniformity is out: Bridesmaids are more likely to wear non-matching than in previous years, a trend we’ve seen continue to grow.

3. While the average wedding price tag hasn’t grown, millennials spend a bit more: $31,000 on average. However, overall, the average price of a wedding is still about $28,000. Spend on honeymoons ($4,000) and engagement rings ($5,000) is also about the same as last year.

4. 42% of couples pick out the engagement ring together.

5. 56% of couples only consider booking vendors they can find on social media. (Find my page on Instagram at @insanacollins)

6. 71% of couples marry between May and October.

7. 62% of couples take professional engagement photos.

8. 65% send traditional Save-the-Date cards.

9. When searching for vendors, most couples hire an average of 13 vendors from the venue to the florist to catering and the DJ, with photographers 4th on their list.

10. More than 60% of the wedding budget goes towards catering, the venue, music and photography/videography.

It’s great to know what’s trending, but for your big day, what’s most important to you? Most of my clients say photography is most important, because for all of the time and money spent, it’s the one thing that lasts longer than anything else. While you’re planning, discuss and prioritize as a couple. Save. Search. Budget. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. Shoot me an email at insana@insanacollins.com and I can help answer your questions and cross at least one thing off your list!

Good luck! Until next time,

-Insana

Hello!

I’ve got another stunning wedding for you guys today! The happy couple consists of Tanya and Stanley, two people that anyone would love to meet.

Their wedding ceremony and reception took place on Memorial Day weekend at Rockville, Maryland’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. Their big day was truly big, with over 250 guests! Family and friends arrived from as far as London, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, and the imaginative decorations were only bested by Tanya’s beautiful dress—and I’m not just saying that!

Tanya was kind enough to share a list of the people or companies that helped their wedding go off without a hitch:

Dress: Lotus Bridal Boutique
Caterer: Crowne Plaza
Decorator: BCG events
Lighting: Showtime Events INC
Wedding Planner: Althea Williams
Hair: Trenice Brown
Make-up: Deya

Okay, let’s get to the pictures! Tanya and Stanley were such a delight to work with and I wish them many wonderful years to come.

We meet again, loyal blog readers!

I recently photographed a beautiful, stylish couple: Ty (Tyisha) and Jamaal, at Yards Park near Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC. This soon-to-be wedded couple will marry next April and, lucky me, I get to take their wedding pictures too! I can’t wait to photograph them on their wedding day based on the awesome session we had!

Best of luck to the happy couple! Check for the wedding photos from these two next April! :)-Insana