We’re all about doing your own thing and creating a wedding day that feels personal to you. Wedding trends come and go, so ultimately we say choose your own adventure: opt for a venue you want to spend time in, styling that will make you happy and fashion that makes you feel good.
But.
Let’s face it, we all love to know what’s trending. And unless you’re spending every second of every day trawling through bridal blogs, magazines and Pinterest, it’s difficult to know what the next ‘big thing’ will be in this industry.
So we figured ‘why not ask the experts’, i.e. our amazing wedding vendors? After all, they’re privy to a great deal of celebrations and get to experience (and create) many of these trends first-hand.
Read on to find out what our vendors are predicting for 2016. We’ve weighed in with some of our observations and conjectures at the end too.
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CASUAL, OUTDOOR WEDDINGS
Image by Studio Something
I just think the more casual the better these days. – Justine Rose
Weddings are becoming more and more relaxed with that casual vibe taking centre stage. – Garnish Creative Catering
The more casual the better. – Love Seat
Outdoor weddings. – Hi-Yo Silver
Cocktail wedding dresses, and a less formal approach to the day. – Marry Me Megan
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MINIMALISM
Sign from The Super Styler
A swing back to timeless, classic elegance. – Blooms by Bethan
Understated elegance and awesome signage. – Ruby Tree Creative
Clean, tailored lines and structured gowns. – Karen Willis Holmes
Back to classic and timeless journalistic images. – John Benavente
Minimalism, really stripping back on each element of the day and not over-styling. Choosing the pieces that ‘make the cut” with such care and thought so that it’s really bespoke with high impact and loads of detail. – The Butcher, The Baker, The Stylist and Creator
Pared back styling with bold, luxe elements and lots of texture. – Pippin & Otto
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NEW RULES
Photo credit: Justin Aaron
Friends performing more ceremonies with celebrants just doing the legalities. – Julia’s Celebrant Agency
Black (or any colour other than white) wedding dresses. – The Canavan
Live streaming the day with apps like Periscope. – Lionheart Photography
Coffee caravans at every reception (this may be a projection of personal desires). – Katherine Wilson Photography
Continued movement towards less traditional wedding spaces/all-in-one ceremony + reception venues. – Marry Me Nicky
B.Y.P – Bring Your Pet? – Bless Photography
Spending the day together before the ceremony. – Michael Briggs Photography
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FESTIVAL VIBES
Photo by She Takes Pictures He Makes Films
Wedfest. – Gathering Events
Coachella/festival type wedding feel. – Oomph Booth
Festival weddings with multiple bands. – Dot and Herbie
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MOTHER NATURE OVERLOAD
Image by John Benavente
A focus on being eco-friendly. – Wild at Heart
Green, green, green! – Duüet Wedding Photography and Videography
It’s all about the foliage – here, there and everywhere. – Bespoke Country weddings
Even more sustainable / eco-friendly. – One Day Collective
Nature, nature, nature. Flora, natural materials, simplicity, back to basics. – Mrs Ink & Co
Clean modern lines with pops of colour and greenery. – Ivory Lane Styling and Events
A muted palette with nature explosions. – George & Smee
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UNPLUGGED CEREMONIES
Image by Through The Woods We Ran
Couples are asking their guests to put away their cameras during the ceremony, which means everyone can relax and enjoy the wedding. We’ve got the photos and film covered! – Anthea and Lyndon
No phones allowed. – Raise Your Glass Ceremonies
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ELOPEMENTS
Image by Izo Photography, elopement arranged by The Elopement Collective
Elopements. – Mitch Pohl Photography
Elopement as the new norm. Completely intimate, incredibly personal, genuinely all about your commitment to each other, with only each other. – Daniel Ferris Photography
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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Image by Lara Hotz. Also a little note: we recognise same-sex marriage is an equal right rather than a trend but we also feel it deserves as much public recognition as possible. Hence – inclusion in this article.
Fingers crossed for legal gay marriages in Aus! – Chasing Brightness
Equal marriage rights for all – hopefully! – Red Berry Photography
Same sex marriage (hopefully). – Luke Going Photography
Tailored, white tuxedo suits and equality – yeehah! – Hoorah Events
And some of our own personal predictions include:
- Any-day-of-the-week-weddings: stuff work, get married instead.
- Wedding fun and games taken to new heights: hoop toss and Jenga move over for table tennis and organised Zumba sessions on the dance floor.
- The anti-arrival: no need to splash cash on a fancy car – arrive instead on the back of a ute/on a tractor/in a bus/via a regular car. This coincides with the fact that many couples are already staying at their venue and may not even need transport at all.
- Capitalising on public holidays for destination weddings: this isn’t new but should definitely continue.
- Both bride and groom doing speeches: trust us, your guests want to hear from both of you. You could do your speech together if you’d prefer not to speak solo too.
- Integrating your views on same-sex marriage into your ceremony: legally, your celebrant needs to state that marriage is between a man and a woman. But it doesn’t mean that they can’t follow that statement up with a disclaimer that you believe it should be for everyone.
- Wedding itineraries: the rise in destination weddings means that weddings become more than just a single day – couples can extend the fun times by organising pre and post-wedding activities. Some examples (tried and successfully tested by us at our weddings) include a wine tour, a post-wedding BBQ, a pub lunch and a water-slide day.
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Article photo credit: Mitch Pohl.
