The hottest trends in weddings

Rachel Egbert of Bethlehem is having a fake cake at her wedding in March, but her guests should have no fear that they might be biting into Styrofoam.

Partly as a cost-saving measure, Egbert plans to have the fake cake just for photos and then an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery for her guests.

“It ends up being so much cheaper, and Cold Stone makes delicious cakes,” Egbert said.

She and her sister, Marie Claire, who is also her maid of honor, attended Sunday evening’s Winter Wonderland Wedding Showcase at the Hotel Bethlehem, where more than 40 bridal vendors had displays highlighting some of the hottest trends in weddings — from cocktail dresses uk and cakes to music, flowers and photography.

Egbert and her fiance, Jonathan Horwath of Bethlehem, are having their wedding and reception at the Hotel Bethlehem, in part because many of their guests are coming from out of town and will be able to book rooms at the hotel to avoid driving after the reception.

But for those who do need a lift home, Egbert is putting a card on each table at the reception that lists a promo code for Uber, so guests can call for ride.

Kaitlin Boland and her fiance, Charles Pierce, both of New York City, plan to get married at Allentown Symphony Hall before holding the reception at the Hotel Bethlehem.

Boland and Pierce brought their mothers to the showcase, which offered samples of hors d’oeuvres — such as petite crab cakes and potato latke with creme fraiche — and Champagne.

Kaitlin’s mother, Rosanne Boland of Sellersville, said these days grooms are a little more involved in the wedding planning than in previous eras.

Barbara Joy Kavchok, owner of Eugenia Couture in Bethlehem, said many brides are choosing gowns that are fitted at the waist and then looser in the skirt

She’s also seeing demand for dresses with high necks and shear bodices.

“It’s a very sexy version of conservative,” Kavchok said. Lace and beading are “strategically placed” to avoid revealing too much.

Doug Benedict, owner of Douglas Benedict Photography in Bethlehem, said he’s seeing more couples opting for single-venue events where the ceremony and reception are at the same place.

More couples are abandoning the tradition that the bride and groom don’t see each other on their wedding day until the bride walks down the aisle. Instead, they are opting to have a more private “reveal” in a pretty spot before the ceremony.

“The great thing about this is it calms the nerves a lot,” Benedict said. Plus, it’s better for getting candid photos of the groom when he sees his bride.

“The power of the visual of the wedding dress is so strong,” Benedict said.

Fewer couples are choosing to get married in church or other house of worship.

That’s why Donna Forsythe, owner of Lehigh Valley Celebrants, is seeing an uptick in demand for her services.

She took a course run by the Humanist Society that enables participants to perform secular marriage ceremonies. Forsythe said she enables couples to personalize their ceremony and helps those who come from different religious backgrounds to plan weddings that make each side comfortable.

DJs have to do more than spin records at receptions. Mike Kresch, owner of Gruvin Enterprises in Easton, said DJs also provide custom lighting to help create atmosphere conducive for dinner or dancing or other events.

His DJs customize their playlists to meet each couples’ wishes. But Kresch said he finds that for the cocktail hour and dinner, classic crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett are still popular.

Near the main entrance of the Hotel Bethlehem, Penn Strings, a string quartet from Stroudsburg, was providing live music, an elegant version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”

Most of the vendors emphasized that couples need to book early to reserve their services for the big day.

Brittany Rogers, owner of Intrigued Salon in Bethlehem, said brides should try to reserve a salon like hers a year in advance to make sure they don’t lose the date to another wedding party. Two months before the wedding, they can come out for a trial run to make sure the bride and bridesmaids are happy with the styles they’ve picked out.

Rogers said her staff often try to tailor the hairstyle to the cheap prom dresses, so if the dress is a more traditional lace gown, they suggest a vintage hairstyle. These days, brides seem to be going for a more natural look, “nothing that’s too perfect.” Braids are also big.

Other wedding trends:

•Suits, rather than tuxes, are hot right now for men in the wedding party, according to Mike Moran, assistant manager of C.E. Roth in Allentown.

•Wildflowers with baby’s breath are popular, according to Richard Morrissey, owner of Rich Mar Florist in Allentown, but plenty of brides still choose more traditional bouquets.

•Bigger earrings and layered necklaces are in, according to Cheryl LaBar, sales associate for Sorrelli of Allentown. LaBar showed off some handcrafted Swarvoski “satin blush” crystal earrings from an heirloom jewelry collection.