As with every industry from food to fashion, wedding trends are constantly changing and evolving with each passing year. While it’s true that your wedding is all about expressing the unique styles and personalities of you and your other half, you may also want to keep an eye on the latest trends to get inspiration while planning the best wedding of the year (yours!). Keep reading to discover the wedding trends that are in – and out – right now.
IN: Color
From the moment that one of you says yes and the engagement ring is slipped on, you’re both thrown into the big, wide world of wedding planning. In your search, there’s likely one thing that keeps coming up: the idea of a white wedding. White wedding dresses, white wedding cakes, and decor in shades of white, cream, and ivory. While that may be the tradition, it’s not the trend! Modern couples are no longer shying away from color, and instead are embracing color in their textiles, custom decor and cakes, florals, and yes – wedding fashion. From custom tuxedos to printed wedding dresses, playful palettes are in.
IN: Intimate Ceremonies
Gone are the days of inviting hundreds of guests to attend your wedding. Couples are foregoing extravagant guest lists and opting for a pared-down list of 60 to 120 people. Why the intimate affair? Many are choosing a minimalist lifestyle and spending their big day with their closest friends and family, so they can have a more personal celebration. You can always save the larger atmosphere for the reception!
IN: Non-Traditional Entrances
Just because weddings are typically formal events doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with them! Thanks in large part to social media, non-traditional wedding party entrances are now on-trend. Why have a flower girl when you could have a flower groomsman, friend, or adult family member? It puts a unique, personal spin on your wedding that’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. This trend isn’t limited to the wedding party. Couples are also choosing non-traditional entrances like walking in together, dancing, or walking their dogs in with them!
IN: Non-Traditional Guest Books
Signing your name or writing a sweet note for the newly married couple is a wedding classic. But there are plenty of other ways for guests to make their mark other than good ‘ol pen and paper in a guest book. On-trend alternatives include audio messages using an old-fashioned rotary telephone or even video messages. If you love a handwritten message, try creative and trendy versions of a guest book like messages on vintage photos, quilts, or acrylic signs.
OUT: Garter/Bouquet Toss
The tradition we all know as the bouquet toss dates all the way back to the 1800s in England. Unmarried women would try and get the bride’s flowers in the hopes of getting some of her luck in the hopes that she’d be married next. Today, however, many couples consider both the bouquet and garter toss to be an antiquated, out-of-date tradition – especially considering that not everyone wants to get married nowadays. Others are simply uncomfortable with the display of jumping for the bouquet. As such, fewer and fewer people are deciding to incorporate the garter and bouquet tosses into their weddings.
OUT: Uniform Bridesmaid Dresses
We get it. You want your wedding look to be cohesive and the pictures of the wedding party to be stunning. But that can still be achieved without matching, uniform bridesmaid dresses. Allowing bridesmaids to pick their own dresses for the wedding within their chosen color palette is becoming the new norm and for good reason. Each bridesmaid can wear a dress that expresses their style with a silhouette that fits them perfectly. This is one trend that even your bridesmaids will agree with you on.
OUT: Wedding Favors
Though well-intentioned, wedding favors often go unnoticed by guests. Unless you have a creative, meaningful favor idea, wedding favors are on their way out with contemporary weddings. Rather than spending part of your budget on favors that guests leave at the table on their way home, allocate it towards something fun or useful like adding to the food budget to accommodate guests with dietary restrictions, offering individual desserts, or having a fun photobooth.
OUT: Wedding Hashtags
Clever hashtags used to be all the rage, designed so guests could post their pictures from the wedding on social media, couples could track and consolidate their wedding pics, and those that couldn’t attend the wedding could still feel like part of the experience. Not so much anymore. Now, it’s all about posting your stories instead – or not using social media at all.
Planning Your Wedding
Even though certain trends are in and out with weddings, keep in mind that your planning decisions are ultimately up to you. Give yourself permission to stick with the traditions, try the trends, or start your own trend that aligns with what you envision for your wedding. Don’t stress about what’s in and out. Have fun with your wedding planning – you are throwing a party, after all!
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