Top Rustic Wedding Trends Of 2017
For the last three years, the Wedding Academy has released a trend report full of the…
For the last three years, the Wedding Academy has released a trend report full of the hottest bridal ideas for the upcoming year. The 2017 report has us looking forward to a very exciting wedding season. Rustic brides will find plenty of trends to choose from in the 2017 report: found object decor, blush accents, and lots of lace. People are even adding DIY doughnut stations to their receptions now. These are our favorite rustic trends from the 2017 International Wedding Trend Report.
Lots of greenery – Get ready for a green wedding season. Florals were huge in 2016, but they're taking a spot on the back burner this year, allowing greenery to take center stage. Expect to see foliage covering the walls or hanging from the ceiling, with cascading floral accents completing the look. Succulents, smilax, petrified wood, and moss will be everywhere you turn.
Lace and embroidery – Not only was lace big on bridal runways this season, but it also covered the catwalks at major events like New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. This classic pattern is trending, keeping intricate detail on the map for 2017.
Engaging food stations – Many couples are transforming food into a social event, requesting family-style catering and setting up DIY food stations. Whether you're big on banquet tables or a fan of a good "Build your own ice cream cookie" stand, this trend is sure to shake things up at weddings this year.
Warm metallics and blush accents – Metallics are a great go-to for any wedding, but this season the focus is shifting away from silver to gold and rose gold. Warm tones will complement the greenery showing up at more weddings, and blush pinks will serve as a stunning accent, as well.
Natural textures – Organic elements, like wood and geode stones, are trending in 2017. And for good reason: These natural accents combine to create stunning, unique decor for any rustic wedding.
Hygge – Hygge, a Danish word loosely translating to "comfort" or "coziness," is on top this year. As we look ahead toward spring, people are filling their homes with candles, blankets, and furs, and decorating their weddings accordingly. These cozy accents pair well with greenery and they'll keep wedding guests feeling calm and peaceful.
Smaller weddings and wedding parties – Weddings, and wedding parties, are shrinking. Many couples are opting for events with fewer than 30 guests, and their wedding parties are becoming smaller as a result. Lots of brides are sticking with siblings or very close friends, opening the party up to two or three bridesmaids.
Laser-cut stationery and menus – Laser-cut stationery gives rustic brides an opportunity to embrace technology without sacrificing their aesthetic. Lacy, cut-out menus and invitations give couples an avenue to embrace sharp, detail-oriented designs that fit their rustic vibe. Plus, intricate invitations pair well with lace dresses and accents.
Opulent simplicity – Many couples are looking to dress up their rustic theme with historical venues. One example: Buying out a ranch for the weekend and giving guests exclusive access to an experience that's both rustic and opulent.
Unconventional residential accents – Found objects are becoming increasingly trendy in the wedding scene. Couples can bring furniture from thrift shops, or right from their own homes, to dress up an outdoor space and make it feel homey. Each accent has its own unique character, making every found object curation totally, charmingly personalized.
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Polyamorous relationships are not everyone's cup of tea. However, there are some couples who find it better to have a so-called third wheel. Others discover that having multiple partners work best for them.
Polyamory is not a popular lifestyle choice. Most people opt to enter monogamous relationships, preferring to have one partner at a time. In fact, individuals who opt to have multiple partners are usually frowned upon. To better understand why some people adopt—and perpetuate—polyamory, we collated several reasons:
They're not the jealous type.
Dr Elisabeth Sheff, author of the book entitled "Polyamorists Next Door" asserts that people with multiple partners do not easily get jealous. Additionally, polyamorists assert that opting to be in a polyamorous relationship even helps overcome that natural predilection. They mention that being in a relationship with multiple partners allows you to ease too much focus on a single partner and distribute your affection to accommodate all the other partners you have.
The relationship isn't purely about sex.
Sheff claims that people with multiple partners do not merely opt for the said lifestyle due to their need for physical intimacy. However, it is still one of the major reasons. Sheff shares that polyamory also works for her and her wife, especially since she travels a lot and they rarely have time for their relationship.
"We have a lot of flexibility, but we don't tend to act on it very much. Me because I don't have a very high sex drive, and her because she's been working like a fiend. She's very serious about her career, and spends zero time trying to date. It's only happened the once, where she met someone she really connected with," she explains.
For some, having multiple partners helps provide the intimacy that may sometimes be lacking in a purely monogamous arrangement, as well.
People fall into this lifestyle.
Sometimes, couples choose to try the lifestyle and find out that it makes their relationship better. "We learned a lot about how poly worked…and soon it was quite a normal thing in our social circle," mentions Alex who also practices polyamory together with his wife. He narrates that, at first, he and his wife were reluctant to adopt the lifestyle. "It did make us more relaxed about other things, we became more comfortable telling each other when we found someone else attractive or had fun flirting with someone or whatever," he explains.
It requires constant and open communication.
To maintain the beneficial effects of having multiple partners, Alex and his wife adopted the necessity of having constant and open communication. He says that they make it a point to prioritize their relationship even as they practice polyamory. He shares that it isn't always easy. "…we found we were able to work things out for ourselves through lots of honesty and conversation and being loving and considerate in a way that has also made our relationship much deeper and stronger," Alex explains.
Study Says Lockdown Helped Make More People Happy
According to the Bennet Institute for Public Policy in Cambridge University, about half of the people who previously reported feelings of happiness decreased in the 3 weeks right after the lockdown. Data from various platforms mention that only about 51% of Britons declared feelings of joy before the report of the first COVID-19 death in the UK and only 25% were feeling happy after the declaration of lockdown on 23 March.
When the lockdown eased a bit, however, numbers started improving as around 47% started saying that they were happy by the end of May.
The same research also mentions that there is a relative difference between the rich and the poor in terms of happiness levels in relation to the lockdown. Those who were well-off in life mention the dwindling levels of joy while the poorest sector asserts a rise in hopefulness and satisfaction.
Dr Robert Foa of YouGov-Cambridge Centre for Public Opinion Research and Cambridge's Department of Politics and International Studies mentions, "It was the pandemic, not the lockdown, that depressed people's wellbeing. Mental health concerns are often cited as a reason to avoid lockdown."
"In fact, when combined with employment and income support, lockdown may be the single most effective action a government can take during a pandemic to maintain psychological welfare," Foa adds.
In many parts of the world, there is a huge outcry for aid especially because the widespread declaration of lockdowns caused many people to lose their jobs. Many people were also cut off from their loved ones due to the social distancing requirement that is still in effect today. People who were used to freely mingling and going out daily were suddenly left with nothing to do and no one to be with. The sudden need to stay indoors greatly affected the different aspects of living, causing huge impacts on both physical and mental well-being.
With the news of various attempts to discover an effective vaccine for the coronavirus and the increasing improvement in contract tracing and testing, many people are feeling hopeful once again. The need to go back to various jobs and reconnect with loved ones allow more people to regain the positivity that was lost during the height of the pandemic.
The sudden onset of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis heavily affected the whole world. Various countries around the world were forced to enact hard lockdowns and require social distancing protocols to stop the rapid spread of the deadly virus. The general feelings of happiness decreased during the onset of the pandemic as the report of the first UK death made people realize the seriousness of the issue at hand. With the attempts to discover a vaccine for the disease, however, and the gradual easing of lockdown in the country, more and more Britons are now claiming feelings of hopefulness and joy. Around the world, the clamor for a definite covid-19 cure is heard.