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Ask A Wedding Expert: Yifat Oren’s Anticipated Trends

A celebrity event planner predicts top décor, food and theme choices for upcoming nuptial celebrations

When asked what Yifat Oren’s favorite wedding she has ever planned was, Oren fell silent. The concept that eventually came to mind was memorable collaborations. As a tastemaker in the luxury events industry and founder of Oren Co, one of the world’s leading firms, you’d think she would claim a favorite moment of her own. Instead, Oren simplifies her trend-pioneering expertise and roster of celebrity clients by saying, “Really it’s the collaboration and connection between the people, and that’s it.”

Oren sits in an elite class of event planners sought out by everyone from Anne Hathaway to Cameron Diaz, but somehow, she finds the time, scarce and far between, to make personal connections with clients to deliver thoughtful events. With roughly 60% of Oren Co events being weddings and the remaining 40% other events, the Oren team provides expert service to a discerning clientele across the globe.

In fact, Oren recently received an email from a previous client saying, “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you ten years ago.” The image attached showed a loving couple with two kids. Oren says passionately, “Sometimes you go through this intimate process with people and they let you–they feel comfortable with you and let you in. They tell you about their families and what they’re going through and sometimes there are intricate things going on with their families. They feel really safe with you. By the time the process is over, there’s sort of a bond that doesn’t go away. You get to create a moment in their lives that you never forget. It just doesn’t go away.”

Courtesy of @orenco.co

Photo courtesy of @orenco.co

Although Oren now has a family of her own while running a masterful luxury event company, the personal connections made are the connections that produce the most authentic moments within the unforgettable events that her team creates.

It may seem obvious that Oren’s events are personalized with the aforementioned collaborative power, but it’s clear after speaking with Oren that these events don’t just run on that type of inspiration. The precise communication skills and attention to detail needed are what can make or break an event’s execution.

Oren spoke on the precision of each detail while discussing the possible big wedding trends she expects for this season. “It’s understated. It’s when you’ve thought of everything, you’ve really crossed your t’s and dotted your i’s. It’s caring for your guests. It’s handling the touches that money can’t buy. It’s that thoughtfulness in your wedding. It’s designing in a way that takes more effort. It’s being design-minded.” And with that, we’d be remiss if we said we weren’t interested in hearing more anticipated wedding trends from the acclaimed planner.

Courtesy of Leia Scarfiotti, Florence, Italy

Below, find Yifat Oren’s top trends she expects for upcoming weddings.

1.Formality. I think people are actually dressing up again. They’re not having super casual weddings anymore.”

2. “Food trucks are out. Not really out, but the fad is over. People will keep doing the late night food trucks though.”

3. “I see more experiential things at weddings. Whether people are asking or more open, but it’s things to do. It’s not unheard of to see a really good strolling magician at a cocktail hour. Or a really cool guy painting people, as long as it isn’t cheesy!”

4. “I think massively over the top flowers are completely out. That means overdoing it on tables and beyond that. Wedding structures where you can’t even see the bride and groom.”

5. “Elegance. I’m not seeing that look that’s overly layered, furniture-y, overly eclectic… But a little cool and a little restrained is probably the next thing to start looking at. That’s going to be the next look. And whatever genre it is you’re doing, whether you’re doing it in a rustic way or you’re doing it in a modern way, it’s still restrained.”

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