Wedding Web Guru on the Biggest Trend in Weddings Right Now and the One Thing Not to Scrimp On

By Lexi Green
June 1, 2011

Emily NewMan Celebrity brides—not to mention royal ones—may have teams of experts to help them get ready for their weddings. But for us mere mortals, coming up with clever wedding planning ideas to make the big day a memorable one can be a challenge. Enter Once Wed, one of our favorites of the innumerable wedding sites on the web. Filled with photos of real weddings, inspirational ideas for everything from bridesmaids dresses to wedding reception desserts, vendor suggestions and DIY wedding projects—not to mention its own online marketplace for pre-owned wedding dresses—it practically negates the need for a wedding planner. (Unfortunately, this wedding blog can do everything but coordinate the caterer and florists, and even the site's founder recommends a day-of coordinator to keep the peace.) left: Emily Newman (Photo Credit: Solstice Images)

Once Wed was founded by Emily Newman, whose journey to becoming a wedding guru began immediately after her own wedding day was over. In March 2008, after buying her beloved wedding dress from eBay and eloping with her husband, Newman wanted to give her second-hand frock life yet again by selling it to another eager bride. Unable to find a commission-free bridal venue where she could resell her own used wedding dress, Emily Newman started the Once Wed bridal blog as a place to help herself and other brides sell their wedding dresses. She successfully sold her dress and since then, has helped other brides unload countless more.

Realizing that her buyers were looking not only for dresses, but also for creative inspiration and wedding planning ideas, she expanded the site to include wedding ideas and photos, a detailed vendor guide and even an ecommerce boutique. Now, three years and over 4.4 million monthly page views later, the Once Wed bridal blog has turned into one of the top online wedding and wedding dress resources.

Once Wed

Boy Scout Camp Wedding: Once Wed often highlights real weddings, like this one that took place at a Boy Scout camp in Southern California.

With wedding season upon us and many brides-to-be in the final countdown, we asked Emily Newman to share some wedding planning tips.

The Inside Source: Hi Emily! Since you are such a big advocate of unique wedding dresses, we’d love to hear the best advice you can give when it comes to finding the perfect wedding dress?

Emily Newman: When I bought my dress, buying a wedding dress second-hand or online was not the norm! Now there are so many more options and I really love when brides think outside of the box. You can even rent a dress now! I love vintage wedding dresses and you find them all over eBay! Selling your dress afterwards can also help you open up your budget. There are so many choices, and I recommend looking at them all!

The Inside Source: What is one of the most asked questions you get from brides?

Emily Newman: We get a lot of questions about photography. Brides ask us for suggestions on finding photographers who will fit their budgets and who will capture their day just as they see it.

Once Wed: A Sampler

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Very Colorful Wedding Roundup: Product round-ups are popular feature on the site.
Photo Credit: Once Wed/Jose Villa photography
Bright Berry Lips: Beauty round-ups feature the latest trends and how-to's.
DIY : Once Wed's DIY guide covers everything from paper wedding cones to peach wedding ideas.
Used Wedding Dresses: Once Wed began as an online marketplace for used wedding dresses and still offers the service.
Wedding Super8: Newman says using Super 8 cameras for filming wedding videos is a big trend right now.

The Inside Source: What kind of advice do you recommend for brides trying to figure out how to work wedding décor into their budget?

Emily Newman: I really encourage brides to invest a little more in the venue or the location because that can often take care of the décor. If you have a great venue, you won’t have to bring in lighting or draping. The venue will serve as a backdrop and there will be little need to spend on extra décor items.

The Inside Source: What is an easy aesthetic for any bride to capture?

Emily Newman: When I first got into weddings three years ago, there was a really heavy do-it-yourself, crafty, theme going on. I see this trend veering more into the classic, simple, understated celebration. I am seeing lots of simple bouquets and simple color palettes. I love this look. We recently did a piece on Once Wed where we created a completely white tablescape. However, for pops of color we took all white napkins and dip-dyed them. I love the idea of mixing this blend of do-it-yourself with an overall simple and elegant aesthetic.

Once Wed

DIY: Ombre Wedding Napkins: "We recently did a piece on Once Wed where we created a completely white tablescape," says wedding blog founder Emily Newman. "However, for pops of color we took all white napkins and dip-dyed them. I love the idea of mixing this blend of do-it-yourself with an overall simple and elegant aesthetic."

The Inside Source: What is the one thing you wish you could do over for your own wedding and would recommend to other brides?

Emily Newman: Because my husband and I eloped, our families were not there. I wish we had hired a videographer to capture us saying our vows. My nieces and nephews love watching their parents wedding videos. I even hear this wish from other brides who have had big weddings—even though they loved their photographers and their photographs, they really wish they had made room in their budget for video. Super8 film is really popular right now too.

The Inside Source: What is one thing you would tell brides to make sure they do or have on the day of their wedding?

Emily Newman: Have a day-of coordinator! Make sure someone other than you is in charge of all the details so that you do not worry! Having someone to wrangle stray family members for photographs and to make sure the caterer has arrived will make the day so much more enjoyable.

The Inside Source: What is one wedding trend you would recommend to brides right now?

Emily Newman: I’ve seen a lot of brides veering away from traditional dresses. Many brides find dresses from eveningwear lines and many aren’t even looking at wedding designers at all. I’ve seen a lot of non-white wedding dress options as well. There have been a lot of blushes, ivories, dove greys, blues and creams. I love that brides are thinking outside of the box when it comes to what they wear.

Once Wed

Flowers in her Hair: "Go natural! Hair pieces and veils have always been big, and always will be. However, we recently did a story where we put fresh flowers in a bride's hair and our readers loved it," says Newman, who also told us non-white wedding dress options (like this—gasp!—black one) are having a moment.

The Inside Source: Any other unexpected elements you would tell a bride to incorporate into her outfit?

Emily Newman: Go natural! Hair pieces and veils have always been big, and always will be. However, we recently did a story where we put fresh flowers in a bride’s hair and our readers loved it. There is something beautiful about wearing something natural on your wedding day. I’d love to see more brides wear this trend.

“If you need anything vintage, there is no other place online that has the selection that eBay does!” says Newman, who often uses eBay as a resource for DIY projects she produces for her site.

Vintage White Lace Tablecloth

(buy it now price, $9 )

Newman says she loves both vintage items and a clean, all white tablescape. This 36" vintage lace tablecloth covers both bases. Best of all, there are 10 available, so you can buy a bunch and use them to cover cocktail tables.
Set of Vintage Milk White Vases

(buy it now price, $12)

Vintage milk white vases add a homey touch. This set features 33 different styles.
Vintage Wedding Dress

(buy it now price, $465)

Newman bought her own wedding dress on eBay and still recommends it for anything vintage.
Vintage Wedding Gown

(buy it now price, $795)

Newman also says non-white shades, such as this pale peach, are a big trend right now for wedding dresses.
Zac Posen White Gown

(buy it now price, $1,960)

Brides are also wearing dresses that weren't specifically designed for weddings, such as this one by designer Zac Posen.
Super 8 Movie Camera

(buy it now price, $563.50)

According to Newman, using an old-school Super 8 camera to film a wedding videos is another big trend.