By Ray Subs

Every year, certain trends define the wedding season. Some years are dominated by strapless gowns, others, by shimmering ivory or flowing silk trains. This year trends may have less to do with style, and more with substance. In fact, two of the major themes that are dominating headlines around the world will have a strong impact on 2009 wedding trends.

The first impact can be seen in the incorporation of green features into weddings. While environmental friendliness has been gaining popularity over the last several years, expect it to be more of a driving consideration rather than an afterthought for couples tying the knot in 2009.

Vendors around the country are already aware of this and have rolled out some amazing green products that couples can incorporate into their weddings. One popular and easy green product to incorporate into your wedding is invitations made from recycled or organic products.

Companies such as Papyrus offer a number of choices for invitations that are made of recycled or partially recycled paper. Sweet Invitations has several collections of handmade invitations made from discarded and shredded cloth, using petals, flowers, silk, grass, colors and glitters. Couples can also forego paper invitations altogether and simply use email or any of a number of free wedding websites available online to communicate with their guests.

Another way that brides are becoming more earth-friendly is by recycling their dresses. Rather than preserving a dress in a box in the back of a closet, dresses are being transformed into a variety of personal items such as pillows, blankets and christening gowns. Many brides also are choosing to donate their dresses to charities who use the dresses either for fundraising, or simply to provide to women who cannot afford to buy their own.

Another trend that we will likely see increase in 2009 is the non-traditional gift registry. Driven in part by the worsening economy and in part by couples getting married later in life, non-traditional registries are becoming increasingly popular.

For couples that are having a hard time affording the wedding of their dreams or those couples who simply don”t want more stuff, these registries combine the optionality of cash with a registry that reflects the personality of the couple and the character of the event. For instance, for couples who could use some help with fixing up their home, both Home Depot and Loews provide registries.

Registries gives couples the option to register for cash gifts directed toward specific items, such as a dream honeymoon, a donation to a favorite charity, even traditional items, like home furnishings. Look for a great online site that provides couples with a customized webpage and event management tools.

For new home buyers, there are online Home Down Payment Registries that allows couples to register for a home down-payment through their Banking Bridal Registry Account. These and other non-traditional registries maintain the look and feel of traditional registries while offering couples a personal twist.

In today’’s challenging economy, 2009 weddings will be marked with the less is more philosophy. While the wedding day has historically been a day of great extravagance, expect weddings in 2009 to be simpler and less over the top.

Rather than gifting wedding favors, we”ll see more couples opting to make a donation to their favorite charity. Flowers and other decor will be downplayed to a simple elegant theme. Weddings in 2009 will be just as special as years before, but expect them to be more about the sanctity of the union and less about the lavishness of the event.

About The Author

Ray Subs is a public relations specialist working with agreataffair.com. More information about this product can be found at agreataffair.com