Couples who plan their wedding day at Schlitz Audubon often ask what the latest trends are. We always give a simple answer: Each wedding is different, and each couple is unique. Let your personalities shine – that is a big trend in 2023. Here are some ideas for personalizing that special day while keeping it green.
Wedding Desserts
Personalizing the sweetest part of your day is a wonderful touch! Desserts can showcase a special recipe from your family’s heritage, or perhaps your childhood favorite. Mini flavored cupcakes, such as the ones Stephanie and Chris served from Cupcakes by Jordan James featured their favorite maple bacon flavor combination.
While some couples adore the traditional cake route, they continue to get creative with decorative touches. Recently, Mirielle and Kenn and Raena and JJ both featured their beloved four-legged friends on their cutting cakes – what a sweet wait to share your special day with pets!
Sustainable tip: Offering mini versions of desserts can prove to be cost effective and also appeal to a wider variety of flavor preferences and dietary restrictions, thus reducing waste. Plus, you can put out take-home boxes for your guests to sneak an additional treat either later during dancing or to take with them at the end of the night.
Floral and Décor
Your decorations can speak volumes about what you love and what is important to you. This could be disco balls or collectible maps from around the world. Add café string lights to showcase your mystical side or select uplights with hundreds of color tones shining on the wooden pillars to set the mood.
If you like simplicity, our Great Hall space provides the perfect neutral backdrop filled with soft earth tones. You can fill our reception space with a few florals or wooden tree cookie accents as centerpieces, using small touches to kick it up a notch, such colorful goblets or thematically colored linens!
Sustainable tip: Rent lights, decorative pieces, and glassware to add a touch of class and extra style. They’re cost-effective and will be re-used.
Tangible Take-Home Memories
For many couples, their wedding day flies by in the blink of an eye! Therefore, you’ll want ways to capture memories of your day that will last forever.
You can get creative with your take home items! We offer a sustainable alternative to the traditional guest book – a hand-made Aldo Leopold bench. It will be displayed, ready for your guests to sign and leave sentimental notes and fond memories. At the end of the night, take it home as a special keepsake that you can use daily.
Another popular trend is an audio guest book. Companies like After the Tone will supply you with an old-fashioned rotary phone that your guests can call during your reception to leave you voicemails. These will be compiled into an audio recording with the option of a vinyl addition, so you can listen anytime to loving messages from friends and families.
A professional photographer/videographer familiar with the Center can be the key to capturing memorable moments in photos and video. We offer a recommended vendor list of area photographers who know our trails and hot spots, with whom many of our couples have enjoyed working. In addition to beautiful backdrops during daylight, if you are a fan of evening views, ask your photographer to include some couple’s photos at sunset or after dark. In addition, create a shot list for your photographer to best use your limited time.
Sustainable tip: For each addition to your wedding day, ask yourselves if it’s good for the environment. Select a few things that you are reused or recycled and give yourself grace on new items that are important to you. For photo memories, request digital files of your photo and video footage.
You can create the wedding of your dreams with these ideas and include your own inspirations to further personalize your day. Our rentals staff looks forward to helping you plan your event.
Feature image: Brian Slawson Photography
