The ceremony was over, and my brand new 🌟husband🌟 and I got in the limo with our whole bridal party to CELEBRATE on the way to the reception.
It was so full of excitement and joy.
But when we got to the reception, we were ushered into a private room where our kind wedding planner had a champagne toast prepared for us — and only us.
It was the sweetest gift we never knew we needed.
A moment of calm in the beautiful chaos.
A moment to enjoy and celebrate — to toast 🥂 just the two of us to our exciting adventures to come.
It was short and sweet, but it’s a moment that has stuck out to me over the last 9 years. ❤️
So…
It wasn’t trending, but it was ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS about our wedding day.
But that story did get me thinking on how it IS trending now – and there’s some other trends I just LOVE that I don’t want you to miss!
In this post, you’ll learn about 5 of the TOP wedding trends I can’t get enough of.
Wedding weekends + Destination Events
Wedding weekends filled with intentional guest experiences (Blue Chalk Events) are one of the TOP trends to come out of the pandemic. After two years of not celebrating quite enough, couples are eager to step into their wedding weekend ready to PARTY.
And they’re taking their guests along with them for the entire experience.
Planner Lyndsey Hamilton, of her namesake events company, assures us that wedding weekends still span four days, from Thursday to Sunday, but each day will have more of a meaningful component to a couple’s marriage story. “There is still the traditional welcome event on day one, an intimate ceremony and dinner on day two, and the cocktail party—or another dinner—and dancing on the third night,” Hamilton shares. “Finally, the farewell brunch brings everyone together again on day four.” Brides often recall how quickly the wedding day passes, and this new format allows the pressure to diffuse and the couple to be as present as possible. (Over the Moon)
And, while some argue that minimonies and micro-weddings are a thing of the past, I tend to disagree.
These mini weddings are happily turning into purposeful wedding weekends or destination events for couples and guests to celebrate the wedding in a much longer and (dare I say it again?) more intentional way.
I think there are some couples who feel excited to have a lengthier but smaller intimate gathering of friends and family that’s intentional rather than a large group of people.
Also – micro ceremonies don’t have to be any less grand than a large wedding. In fact, sometimes they can be GRANDER because budgets can be allocated differently.
“Our clients want to stretch their wedding weekend out with different kinds of events throughout three to four days, from a large welcome party, a rehearsal dinner, and something active to do during the day, whether it’s a red robin tennis tournament or a group hike/walk/run, all sprinkled into the long wedding weekend. And why not end your wedding weekend with a ‘detox to retox’ event or a day party to send your guests off?” -Bryan Rafanelli (Vogue)
Bridal Details
Intricate bridal details of all kinds are ALL OVER THE PLACE (literally and figuratively) for 2022. As I’ve watched trends, I’m seeing basically this – GIRL DO WHAT YOU WANT!
You want veil wings (Valentine Bridal)? Go for it! You want to wear pearls? (Emily Nicole Photo) We’re here for it. Headbands and earrings with personality? (Harper Mae Events) YUP – there’s an op[tion for that! Pearl Veils and gloves? (Harper Mae Events) Absolutely.
Brides – the world is quite literally your oyster and this trend is hoppin’ – and the trend of “feel what you feel” is something I’m definitely here for.
“According to Sharon Sever, Galia Lahav Couture’s head designer, 2022 will be a year of powerful and bold changes when it comes to bridal fashion. Sever shares that there will likely be an emphasis on sustainable and environmentally-friendly designs. “Even more, we’ll notice a continued shift towards bold and statement-making pieces, for both gowns and accessories. “We are expecting to see fashion which is flamboyant and non-apologetic,” the designer tells Brides. And as we begin to leave another year of uncertainties behind us, the designer believes that one thing is guaranteed—2022 will be a year full of fun, innovative and exciting looks down the runway and aisle.” (Brides)
Brides have an unprecedented opportunity here – to be THEMSELVES. You can find your own bridal style – your own things you love and enjoy. Maybe it’s a dress you’ll wear again, maybe it’s those heels you’ve been eyeing. Maybe it’s all of the bove.
Whatever it is, bridal fashion is aiming to please brides of all shapes, all sizes, all backgrounds, and all personalities. And I’m here for it.
Legendary Entertainment
Truly, I can’t get through a single wedding blog without reading about some form of entertainment – which is amazing! If we’re being intentional with our time, money, and energy, then of COURSE we want to make sure our guests feel excited and entertained. It’s part of creating a legendary experience.
“Couples are moving toward putting on a show for their guests.” (Over the Moon)
Couples are looking to nuanced ideas like a live champagne wall (Brit Vid Co), live wedding painting (Courtney Kibby Designs) and live entertainment to ensure they’re keeping their guests delighted and charmed with their unique wedding.
“The entire room becomes part of the experience. Clients are thinking about custom ways to fill (or add to) empty spaces, creating complex signature graphic or artistic branding into their details. For example, we contracted an artist to paint the couple through his abstract style. While we prominently hung the painting, we also incorporated the artwork in other ways, from the small scale of food to-go boxes to an oversized rendering on a custom dance floor.” -Mindy Weiss (Vogue)
Ode to Tradition with a Modern TWIST
I’m going to play this one close to the vest – I’m reading a lot about anti-tradition and doing things differently – but here’s my take:
Couples aren’t just *not doing tradition*…
Read: think totally CUSTOM touches that make their wedding UNIQUE.
“We’ve gotten so many requests for “themed” weddings or welcome parties—think Monte Cristo, disco nights, Old Hollywood. These are just a few. It feels like clients want an entire concept from start to finish, but executed in a way that doesn’t feel trite but rather modern and fun. We have actually really loved this and welcomed any non-traditional viewpoints on celebration.” -Francie Dorman and Britt Cole, 42 North (Vogue)
Now, while I’d argue this isn’t necessarily *non-traditional*, it is quite different and a definite twist on the old sorts of celebrations.
Couples are using common traditions as their inspiration and creating their OWN unique experience for their wedding day. This may be an unpopular opinion, but, every idea comes from somewhere and even trying to go against tradition looks back at it in some way.
First, they’re adding fine art experiences to the wedding event in many ways. I go into detail on that here.
Second, let’s talk about how this plays into bridal style. I went into it above but here’s the kicker:
Bridal style is all about YOU – but while I’m seeing alternatives to classic gowns, there’s a familiar element to them.
Traditional silhouettes in untraditional colors like here and here.
Traditional white dresses but with unusual necklines or lengths.
Other traditions that are moving away or towards something NEW are garter and bouquet tosses. Couples are choosing more customized timelines and activities (again – it’s about YOU) which make their wedding totally unique and one-of-a-kind.
“I’m seeing fewer requests for traditional, muted palettes and more interest in brighter pops of color,” Buzaid assures us. “Clients want something unique that can differentiate their wedding. Our clients are investing in custom tabletop elements like linens, napkins, and placemats they can keep after the wedding.” (over the moon)
Florals – florals will always be traditional at weddings. No matter how you spin it – florals have been a part of weddings for a LONG time.
Couples are looking to use these florals in NEW ways that speak to their own love story and are uniquely THEM.
“Couples want to celebrate in technicolor! They want to sit at a living table, resplendent in florals and dine under ceilings of florals and lights.” –Tara Fay (Vogue)
And let me say – the technicolor trend? I’m HERE FOR IT.
Last – I’m not sure if this goes under the traditional but modern twist, but SNEAK AWAY. HAVE A MOMENT with your spouse alone.
Your guests won’t even notice, I promise.
And your future self will thank you for the memories.
Sustainability
“Brides today are more interested in sustainability than ever before; they look for pieces that are versatile enough to be styled differently, worn repeatedly, and translate to post-wedding life seamlessly,” says Bundziak. For NDS The Label, the designer adds that the main focus for her upcoming collections is answering the question: “Can she wear it again?”. This means that for 2022, we will see more eco-conscious bridal designers take off in a new way—and in some cases—collections that are simpler and more wearable. (Brides)
According to Insider, and my own watching of wedding blogs and wedding instagram posts (of which I’m obsessed with Over the Moon, Wedding Sparrow, and Carats and Cake) sustainability is one of the most important things to couples getting married in 2022.
“Sustainability will gain even more popularity in 2022 with more to-be-weds pursuing deeper conversations about their environmental footprint with their planning team,” Lee told Insider.
Couples are making memories with experiences and live entertainment (like live wedding painting) as opposed to meaningless favors that get tossed as soon as guests get home (Insider).
For one thing – a live wedding painting is something all the guests can enjoy, but the bride and groom get to take it home and love the painting forever.
Insider shared that wedding registries are not only featuring physical items like china and flatware – couples are favoring intangible items like (again) a live wedding painter, honeymoons, and experiences.
Couples are now MORE THAN EVER choosing to hire all different people to commemorate their day – because we’re seeing that the memory is more important than the things. Couples are hiring videographers, live painters, AND photographers to capture the memory of their love story.
For couples interested in sustainability, all three of these wedding professionals should be a non negotiable to REMEMBER your perfectly imperfect wedding day. I assure you, you’ll cherish the video, photos, and painting in different ways forever.
WOW – so we just traveled through 5 of the wedding trends I can’t get enough of!
And the bottom line? Couples are choosing to be intentional with their time, details, and the people they choose to celebrate with.
That’s FOR SURE the best way to enjoy your wedding — so I think these *trends* are absolutely here to stay.
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Now you know the 5 trends I can’t get enough of for 2022 – but still curious about live wedding painting?
I’ve got Live Wedding Painting For Any Venue teed up for you to read next
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