Samantha Hazard, Catering Sales Manager at the Wild Dunes Resort offered us these fabulous tips and trends for outdoor weddings in 2008.

For the ceremony, casual and natural outdoor settings are going to be a huge trend in 2008 for all weddings. Well manicured lawns or beach side boardwalks, often with nothing more than chairs and flower petals, are becoming attractive as beautiful, simple settings. They bring the focus to the couple and the simple fact that a bond is being formed in the presence of family, friends and nature.

Bringing a bit of class to outdoor receptions is also at the top of recent trends. As with the ceremony, many couples are requesting settings that allow the natural and existing beauty of the setting to enhance the experience.

Expect to see more outdoor tents decorated with a few simple touches like specialty linen colors, simple floral arrangements, and twinkle lights or lanterns. Butlered hors d’oeuvres and specialty drinks, action stations and interactive food presentations help create a high-class wedding without the stress of a multi coursed dinner and place settings.

Some increasingly popular action stations at Wild Dunes, for instance, include an onsite chef preparing made to order items such as freshly seared pork tenderloin medallions and risotto made to order. One of the most popular interactive food presentations is a potato bar with topping options including everything from blue cheese to pancetta.

The cake remains a focal point. In 2008, I expect to see a lot of  less formal, very “cute” cupcakes. These are a huge trend, as are more decorative or color matching cakes.

Wild Dunes Resort is a 1,600-acre oceanfront paradise on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. It’s a very hot spot for destination weddings. You can learn more about the resort at wilddunes.com.

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