This week Vows continues to look at wedding trends for 2018, with men’s fashion the focus.

Men’s wedding fashion this year is about three-piece suits. That’s according to CEO of Helen G Event Planning & Design Helen Hutchinson Graham. They are back and making bolder statements with colour. “For 2017 we saw many grooms taking a laid-back approach. This year, however, we will see a return to formality, and suits will be luxurious. It’s back to three-piece suits with vests. Fashion trends for 2018 also offer selections of vests in varying tints or fabrics, all in the same colour; this way grooms will be more elegant,” Hutchinson Graham explained.

Kara Anderson, creative director for Petals and Promises, reckons that grooms and their party can expect a lot of changes, too, ranging from a revisiting of black-tie elegance and lighter colours.

“Black tie is returning. It’s always timeless; they are not just for formal events anymore or cocktail parties, and they are returning with studs and cufflinks.”

“We’ll see an increase in colours, too, as we move away from traditional greys, whites and ivories to colours like light blue and salmon,” Anderson explained.

Prints are going to make bold statements as well, and they’ll do so on jackets, she pointed out.

“They are coming back and will be in chequered patterns on jackets, linens and tweeds and men will also move away from floral boutonnières to non-floral lapel pins,” Anderson said.

Meanwhile. Shikima Hinds, director of sales at Tai Flora Luxe, predicts navy blue and burgundy being the colour of choice for men this year, with some mismatching.

“Navy or burgundy are the new alternatives to black or grey suits. Mismatched groomsmen are also an upcoming trend. This allows the groomsmen to show their individual style. Their attire, however — usually complementing each other and the groom — should always be coordinated with the bridal party,” she note.

The aute will also most certainly be upped food and dining. That’s is because, according to Hutchinson Graham, media influence, through shows like Top Chef, has brought sophistication to the palate.

“No one wants to go to a formal event and eat what they had for lunch the day before or during that week. Gastronomy is big now, so chefs will be creating unique sauces and food will colour-code and seek to wow diners. Some meals will be more interactive. For example, you may make your own salad or roll your own sushi for the cocktail hour.

“For dinner, you may see a rise in popularity of family-style services. We eat with our eyes and today’s guests want to be constantly intrigued, and it will be even more important in 2018,” Hutchinson

Graham disclosed.

Anderson also explained that unique and interactive food selections are a definite priority.

“I always tell my couples that their food and food service should match their personal style. On the menu for 2018, wedding trends are about interactive appetiser stations, including a roll-your-own-sushi option, the use of family recipes, farm-to-table dinners, creative dessert stations and after-party food trucks,” Anderson said.

Light meals with coffee, after dinner, will be gaining traction, too — for weddings that end late — but this of course will be determined by budget, according to Hutchinson Graham.

Food will be local, now more than ever, Hinds declared, and food stations will dominate.

“Comfort and local foods are big. Couples are putting a spin on their wedding meals by focusing on elegant locally inspired menus.

“We can expect a help-yourself approach. Traditional buffets and

plated menus have also taken the back seat to the growing popularity of food stations,” Hinds explained.

And Anderson predicts a sweet update for wedding cakes.

“We will see, in lieu of large wedding cakes, couples including a range of smaller cakes in different flavours and sweet treats like doughnuts to their 2018 dessert bars.”

Hinds also shares similar sentiments, pointing out that cakes will not be the only thing bringing the drama this year.

“Any and everything goes! 2018 couples are now keen on sharing their favourite desserts with their friends and family… from doughnuts to crêpes. It’s not just about cake anymore,” Hinds noted.

Weddings this year are sure to take off and they will do so with the trends that are about to unfold: the colour choices, décor ideas, to the gown updates and delectable and interactive food options. 2018’s wedding trends will be about creating “incredible experiences for guests” in addition to interactive options to keep guests entertained, according to Anderson. Hutchinson Graham, meanwhile, believes they will be going back to “tradition and formality with an 80s wild child twist”, and what that means is you can expect to see bold statements with modern reinterpretations and more formality than we have seen in years. Hinds believes it’s all about the after-parties and celeb pop-ups. But you won’t miss a thing: Vows will be documenting fabulous wedding moments throughout the year.