Wedding Trends: To Follow or Not to Follow

A current trend is fruit and vegetables as decor.

Every day, it seems we are waking up to a new trend. There are the fashion trends that tell us what to wear and what pieces from our wardrobe to retire, the home trends that tell us what color we should paint our walls, the beauty trends that fill us in on the hottest haircuts and manicures. And just the same, there are the wedding trends. There’s the trend of smaller desserts as opposed to the towering cake, centerpieces out of fruits and vegetables, the branded wedding with a personalized crest. The list is long and winding and as always when it comes to what’s en vogue, ever-changing. 

So now, as you are at work, planning your big day, the question looms: Do I follow the trends or do I not? It may not be an automatic yes for you, and it certainly doesn’t have to be. Here are a few points to consider when the topic of trends comes up. 

If I don’t follow the latest trends, will my wedding feel out of date?

The simple answer is no. The best news on this topic is that one of the biggest overall trends right now is intentionality. The way we see it, this should never go out of style! It’s about making selections for every aspect of your celebration that are really authentic to you. 

Let’s look at the popular trend in modern weddings of placing a special focus on the guest experience. Think the portrait station with a thematic mural or planned guest activities like wedding-themed betting or curated entertainment like an appearance by a performer especially chosen for your crowd. These are all thoughtful enhancements that will certainly keep your guests in high spirits, but if none of them appeal to you, or if, in your opinion, your guests simply being in attendance is experience enough, it’s completely fine to leave these additions out. 

Then of course, there are the aesthetics of a wedding which are often directly tied to trends. But what if your vision includes more traditional elements, because that’s what you’ve always pictured and frankly, you don’t really care about what’s trending. You love the look, feel and experience of the paper wedding invitation suite with all its components, stamped and sent via snail mail. Digital is clean and simple, but it’s not for you, not for this occasion. You want your bridesmaids all in the same dress and you want timeless bouquets made of roses instead of the trendier styles out of whimsical flowers of varied shapes with cascading leaves. You want the classic, multi-tiered cake and actually can’t wait for the cake cutting ceremony. If this is your vision, run with it and believe in it. But if you want to be sure your day doesn’t feel out of date, we, as wedding planning pros, recommend you weave in a few modern touches that offer fresh vibes without going overboard. Think documentary-style photography, a color palette that is of the moment, classic hair and makeup. And if adding in even just a few of these has you feeling uneasy, remember, modern doesn’t have to be trendy!  

I like some of the trends but my fiancé feels differently. 

You’ve just finished studying the lists of what’s hot and what’s not and you see that the day-after brunch is viewed as a thing of the past. Great! You like some of the more casual options like grab-and-go breakfast boxes or a coffee and pastry bar. Quick and easy! The problem is, your fiancé has a lot of out-of-town guests coming and sees the morning after brunch as one more chance for people to visit and say their goodbyes without rushing. It’s not uncommon for couples to disagree on what trends to follow or whether or not to follow any at all. What’s most important is that the decisions you land on make sense for your situation. So having a sit-down, day-after brunch may not be the most current approach to feeding everyone before they head home, but if it’s the best answer to your guests’ needs, worry not about the trend. And think: leaning in to your partner’s view on the subject is great practice for some of the bigger decisions you’ll have to make as a married couple later on down the line!  

All these trends are expensive. How can I afford them? 

A lot of trends are indeed extras, which means they are not necessary. And extras of course mean added cost. If you are interested in incorporating trends into your day, think about which are most important to you and go with one or two as opposed to doing every single one that landed on your short list. A custom pattern for use on invitations and decorations could incur an additional cost if you hire an artist to create one. But figure it might be a worthwhile expense if you can apply it to your website and all of your printed materials. The cost of a variety of smaller desserts as opposed to a designer cake that is three plus tiers may not save you much in the long run. But you may feel better about not wasting a ton of cake and instead giving guests an opportunity to pack a small selection of sweets to go. 

If the trend that’s catching your eye is the souvenir table in place of favors, you’ll have to really evaluate your budget and what’s possible for you. Offering a variety of take-aways is fun, but ordering small batches of a lot of different items will generally cost you more than a larger order of one item. 

And if you really don’t have room for any of the “extras” in your budget, that’s ok too. There are plenty of trends that won’t cost you, the couple, any more money. You could have your bridal party wear shades of a certain color or select a general theme like muted floral prints for something unique and fresh, or you could ask your attendees to dress in a certain style like "Old Hollywood Glamour" or "Bridgerton-Inspired." Neither of these will impact your budget. And one trend that may actually save you money is to opt for a small, immediate family-only ceremony one day and the party for everyone the next. In this scenario you have reduced costs for the ceremony. Think: no need for extravagant decorations or flowers in a church or at a ceremony venue, no bouquets and boutonnières for a bridal party and only a small run of printed programs that don’t require a stationer. 

So, to follow trends or not… What it really boils down to is creating a day that is right for you. Trends will always come and go. They’re there if you want them and they can just as easily be pushed to the side. The key is putting together a celebration that aligns with your and your partner’s vision considering your personal style and budget and what will really shine in your memory when years down the road, you look back on your big day. And who knows, by not following the most up-to-date trends and going your own way, you actually may be setting new trends, whether you mean to or not!