Since the coronavirus took hold of our world, more and more 2020 weddings are turning into 2020 elopements. Couples are opting for private wedding ceremonies at memorable and romantic locations. This means you can avoid the traditional paper goods like save the dates, invitations, rsvps, seating charts, etc. So what kinds of stationery and signage should be on your elopement checklist? I have some ideas below…

1. ELOPEMENT SIGN
A small “we eloped!” sign is a great item to have for elopement pictures. It can be a simple poster print mounted on foam core with your names, wedding date, and location. This makes for the perfect image to post all over social media. My pick is the “just married”sign. Go old-school and have a fabric sign made to hang on the back of your getaway car. Then you can enjoy all of the congratulatory honks on the highway after you say, “I do”!

2. VOW BOOKS
These are the absolute best keepsakes from your wedding! Visit a local stationery store to inquire about handmade notebooks for you and your partner to write your vows in. Maybe ask a calligrapher to inscribe your vows on a scroll, handkerchief, or an antique mirror; or hire a graphic artist to design and print booklets that reflect your elopement day theme.

3. ELOPEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Share your beautiful wedding day with the friends and family who couldn’t be there to celebrate with you. Hire an invitation designer to create custom elopement announcements for you. This ensures your own personality and style will be included into the overall design. You could show off an image or drawing of your elopement site on the card or write a little story about the special day.

4. THANK YOU CARDS
Even though you didn’t have a big fancy wedding with tons of guests, you may still receive gifts when everyone finds out you eloped. Have a handful of thank you cards created with your favorite wedding day pic on the front. Leave the back of the cards blank so you can write personalized messages.

I asked some of the top wedding planners in Colorado to share the wedding trends they are loving this year.

• Sustainability is top of mind
  From things like recycled paper invitations with a digital RSVP, compostable china and flatware, reusable silk florals, and locally sourced catering, the future of the world can start to be saved with one event at a time!
• ​Color, color, color! Don't be afraid of color!
  While we still swoon over a blush and pink and greenery filled design, we love it when our couples really want to bring in some personality to their wedding with bright and bold colors. We are thrilled that a few of our couples this year have embraced the happy and warm classic blue Pantone Color of the Year for their celebrations!

Aimee Palifroni  |  Owner, Prisma Events
​​prismaeventsllc.com

• Floral wedding gowns
  Some brides are choosing to wear dresses that are completely floral, while others are wearing white dresses with colorful flower appliques.
• Adding bold textures and colors to your decor
  The days of basic color palettes like the standard white and green, all blush, or neutrals-plus-metallic weddings are GONE! 2020 is expected to bring pops of color, new palettes, print mixing, and statement hues that weddings haven't seen before. This is really tapping into couples' personal style and not what everyone else is choosing. You will start to see a wide range of shades and tones get highlighted and mixed. If you love one particular color, go for it and bring in patterns, colored glassware, linens, etc.​

Kelly Karli  |  Owner, Kelly Karli Weddings + Events
kellykarliweddingsandevents.com
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• Mixing table size, shape and type
  Couples are creating far more interesting floor plans, mixing wood farm tables with rounds covered with tablecloths, or arranging the head table in the shape of an X or a "winding" table.​
• Micro Weddings
  ​I am booking more and more small, intimate weddings of 40 or less guests. Brides are spending more on the guest experience by providing a custom upscale menu, fine wines, a champagne wall and gorgeous centerpieces.​

Wanda Bonner  |  Owner + Founder, Blue Linden Weddings + Events
bluelindenweddings.com

• Cocktail style receptions
  ​We are seeing weddings that feature open seating and casual food service. Guests are still having dinner portions, but in a variety of foods served over a longer period of time—combining passed hors d’oeuvres, themed food stations, and late-night snacks.

• Variety with guest seating options
  In addition to a standard dinner table, you can play with cocktail tables, lounge setups, and even cool floor seating with rugs, low tables, and floor pillows. This is for the couple that is really into the experience of the reception by allowing guests to dance, mingle and have a good time all night.

Natasha Tuccitto  |  Owner + Creative Director, Sugar Willow Events
sugarwillowevents.com

• Out-of-the-Box Tosses
  ​Want a more modern or fun version of the bouquet and garter toss? In 2020, look to see fun alternatives to these traditions, like a garter or bouquet pinata (garter/bouquet inside the pinata, first person to break the pinata gets it!), football garter (instead of taking the garter off of the bride, it's on a football that the groom throws into the crowd), or a scattering bouquet (instead of being tightly wrapped, the bouquet scatters into the crowd, allowing multiple flower recipients!)
• Pop-of-Color Bridal Wear and Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses
  ​In 2020 we expect to see a lot more color, and not just in the flower arrangements! Whether the bride has colorful details on her dress (or veil!) or the bridesmaids are rockin' bright floral or vivid geometric patterned dresses, 2020 is sure to be a treat for the eyes!

Adrienne Coffey  |  Owner, A Touch of Bliss Events
touchofblissevents.com

• Charity Donations in lieu of a gift registry
  A lot of our couples are choosing to give back through their registry versus receiving wedding gifts. 
• No wedding party
  We have seen an increased trend of our couples choosing to not have bridesmaids and groomsmen or just having one person stand up with them on either side (usually a sibling).

Meghan Sibert  |  Owner, The Collective Events
thecollectivevents.com

• Funky florals
  Couples are ditching the traditional rose bouquet to incorporate funky florals that allow for more texture and create a really fun look. This even extends to incorporating grasses, greenery, and even feathers.
• Dessert alternative that reflects your own personal style
  If you're not a fan of cake, why serve it at your wedding? From handheld fruit pies to donut walls, assorted dessert bites (ranging from sweet to savory, or even ice cream (be it rolled or scooped)—providing something that YOU enjoy as a couple s a way to easily personalize your event and be an easy crowd-pleaser.

Patricia Zutman  |  Owner, All Four Seasons Events
allfourseasonsevents.com

Offset Printing uses etched metal plates (one plate for each color being printed is created) that apply ink onto a sheet of paper. The metal plates are secured to rollers that transfer the ink onto the paper. Color matching is more precise compared to digital printing because flat and metallic ink colors are custom formulated. ​

Letterpress is one of the oldest forms of printing and has become one of the most popular printing techniques used for wedding invitations. The ink is pressed into the surface of the paper so you can see and feel the indentation of the text or image. Each piece is individually pressed, which helps to create a timeless look and feel for your wedding day.​

Foil Stamping is a similar printing process to letterpress, but where metallic colors or foils are applied to the surface using heat. The heat causes the foil to adhere onto the paper, creating a decorative finish. The most commonly used colors used in this technique are gold and silver. ​
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After the design is selected, there are an additional three rounds of revisions to ensure everything is perfect (if necessary). ​