You've landed your Prince Charming, you've got the ring, and you've set the date. Now comes the fun part: planning your wedding! We scoped out the latest trends to help you plan your big day.

Colour
Forget a sea of white – colour is a huge wedding trend, whether you choose a bright cake or go all-out with bright and colourful flower arrangements. To keep things modern, stick with a colour palette of one or two co-ordinating shades. Don't want to stray too far from the classic white palette? Flowers in shades of white, ivory and cream can be used to create texture and modernize your flower arrangements.

Purple
From palest lavender to deep plum, purple is a hot colour. Popping up in ribbons, cakes, flower arrangements, stationary and bridesmaid dresses, the colour once reserved for royalty is an excellent way to add a sophisticated touch of colour to your big day.

The dress
Colour extends beyond flowers and decor these days: brides who want to avoid the traditional all-white wedding dress will love designs featuring prints, coloured ribbons, jewelled bodices and coloured skirts. For brides determined to wear traditional white, there are now plenty of modern options: refined silhouettes (mermaid and tea-length skirts are hot), lace overlay and textured fabrics are easy and elegant ways to wear white without looking like a cotton ball.

Sourcing local eats
Many brides are planning more environmentally friendly celebrations these days, even when it comes to catering. "Brides and grooms come to us and they're conscientious about sustainability," says Jodi McBurney of Jamie Kennedy Kitchens. "They don't want to go to a caterer just for the name or the reputation, they actually care about what's happening in terms of where the food is sourced from, how the animals are raised, and that it's supporting local community."

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Made by you
The days of leaving the details to your wedding planner are over. Joanna Stern, graphic designer at Smudge Ink Designs in Toronto, has noticed more of her clients are enjoying getting involved with designing their invitations. "It's fun for them because they really get to plan their whole wedding around the invitation," she says. "It's the first thing that comes out to people, and it sets the tone."

Working closely with artisans, from florists to caterers, is an easy way to personalize your wedding without having to hand-make 50 centrepieces. With their guidance, not only will you end up having an amazing wedding, but it will be one that reflects your personal tastes.

Scaling back
In the past, it wasn't uncommon to hear of weddings with 200-plus attendees. Lately, the trend is towards quality over quantity. Many couples are choosing to have smaller, more intimate ceremonies. This is especially true for brides on a budget: catering is a huge expense when planning a wedding. Fewer mouths to feed means more money for flowers, a venue and that fabulous tropical honeymoon you've been dying to take.

Single-statement weddings
Picking a single item to make a statement at your wedding can help you manage your budget. The trend is to pick one thing to go big on, and scale back the rest. Fabulous flowers will make a less-expensive venue look amazing, or alternately, booking an upscale venue will probably require less in terms of flowers and decor to look polished. Pick one item to splurge on that you think will make the biggest impact, be it fabulous catering or an outstanding DJ, then use budget-friendly options for everything else.

Let go of traditions
One of the biggest stressors brides face is the expectations of others. Catherine Lash, creative director of The Wedding Co. in Toronto, is experienced with brides who are pressured into spending beyond their means: "I had a woman say to me, 'I only have $9,000 for my wedding. Can I do this?' I said 'Yes – but you have to be creative.'" The woman then said she had already booked two limos for the big day, at the urging of her parents and her in-laws. "I said, 'You just spent over a thousand dollars on something you don't need,'" Lash says.

The latest wedding trends are all about breaking the rules. Whether you choose to install a photo booth at the reception instead of hiring a photographer or you pick a lavender wedding dress instead of traditional white, weddings are now all about being creative, being original and, above all, having fun.

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