Wedding Trends 2021-2022

It’s that time of year again where I explore current and upcoming wedding trends from 2021 and into 2022. These are some wedding trends that I’ve seen this year that are becoming very popular.

How The Pandemic Has Affected Wedding Trends

Something that can’t be ignored is how much the corona virus pandemic has had an impact on the wedding industry. When I wrote last year’s wedding trends blog post in April 2020 I never imagined we would still be in a similar position a year on! Luckily we seem to have emerged on the other side now and things are gradually turning back to normal, but I am certain the pandemic will leave a lasting impact on how most couples approach wedding planning from now on.

o   Smaller Weddings- As I predicted last year, more intimate weddings have  become very popular as well as smaller, alternative venues. Due to the previous guest restrictions, couples are starting to consider whether they actually want a huge wedding or not, especially as the guest count is the biggest cost factor in most weddings. I’ve seen a huge rise in bookings for smaller wedding packages, particularly my two-hour and half-day packages, and I’m certain this will continue.

o DIY It- The do-it-yourself trend will likely continue to retain its popularity and more of your family and friends will come together to help out with various aspects- the time we all spent in isolation away from family and friends will make any time spent with them more precious. Doing everything DIY will also mean you have less vendors to deal with which will save you a lot of stress should anything need to be postponed again.

o Pass It Down- Couples will likely be a bit more cautious financially too, so we will likely continue to see a rise in second-hand items, especially those passed down through family such as dresses, veils and jewellery.

o Insurance!- Once a boring, sometimes overlooked part of wedding planning that is now an absolute necessity. Previously most couples had a ‘it probably wont happen to me’attitude, but the pandemic has highlighted how anything can happen unexpectedly!

Of course not all upcoming wedding trends will derive from the pandemic though as we will see below!

 Stepping Away From The Norm

As I mentioned last year, brides and grooms are increasingly choosing to opt out of tradition and go for something a little more unique. This will no doubt continue as we go into 2022.

o   Gender mixed bridal parties- who says you can’t have a man of honour instead of a maid? And what about a Best Woman instead of Best Man? While tradition dictates that the groom has groomsMEN and the the bride has bridesMAIDS, a lot of couples are scrapping this. The point of having a bridal party is to have those closest to you involved in your big day and to have them by your side through it all. In real life we don’t pick our friends based on their gender, so why should your bridal party be any different? Pick the people you want most to be there with you, that’s all that matters! Or alternatively don’t have a bridal party at all. You do what makes you happy!

o   Alternative bouquets- just because it’s tradition to have a flower bouquet doesn’t mean you must have it. Some brides are doing away with the bouquet altogether, whilst others are finding creative alternatives (great if you have hay fever!). You can have brooch bouquets, or fake flowers. I’ve even seen bouquets of donuts! Or maybe hold something instead, like a candle each? I’m sure most people have seen photos of the wedding where the bridal party took puppies down the aisle instead of bouquets!

Table Layouts

The first tradition to go in the bin is round tables, now its all about banquet tables and sweetheart tables

·       Banquet tables- With the rise of smaller, more intimate weddings, complicated table charts can now be a thing of the past. A lot of couples are choosing long banquet tables; this enables all the guests to be facing each other creating a more intimate atmosphere which allows you to socialise with all your guests at once.

Quirky Venues

Lots of venues are branching out and getting marriage licences so you have a lot more choice of venue than before, and with the price of larger wedding venues becoming increasingly high, you can save a lot of money going with a smaller, more quirky venue.

Dresses

Dresses go through trends seasonally, not just annually, and often wedding dress choices can be dictated by the fashion of the current time. There are a few trends this year that are becoming popular and will no doubt become commonplace.

o   Contemporary styles- according to Suzanne Neville (wedding dress designer), we are looking at unusual sleeves and varying dress lengths becoming popular in the coming year.

·       Budget- Thanks to the pandemic, brides are becoming more frugal with their dress choices. Sites such as ASOS have seen a big rise in wedding dress purchases as couples re-evaluate their spending priorities.

·       TV Inspiration- we’ve all spent a lot of time at home watching TV this last year, so it’s not surprising that we are all inspired by what we have been watching on the screen. In particular the popular Netflix show ‘Bridgerton’ has made cap-sleeves and squarer necklines very popular recently.

Photography and Videography

Not only are smaller photography packages (such as half-day or two-hour coverage) becoming more popular, but also couples are looking for photographers that also provide videography services too. As smaller weddings have become more popular, couples are finding more value in videography so they can share their day with those family and friends who could not attend. Live-streaming wedding ceremonies are also a huge trend at the moment for the same reasons.

Going Digital

Flexibility is the main thing on most couple’s minds now. No one wants to spend loads of money on beautiful invites and then have to change their wedding date and redo them all. Whilst we hope that the risk of having to change your wedding date is now a thing of the past, digital still seems to be the way forward. Wedding websites that can be updated at any time, virtual save the dates and any other way to go paperless is not only more environmentally friendly, but also a lot more budget friendly too!

The main thing we can take away from these trends is that, due to the pandemic, couples are beginning to see that they can still have an incredible wedding day for a lot less money and effort, without having to compromise on what they want most! Hopefully this guide into wedding trends has been a useful tool in your wedding planning and I wish you all the best of luck in the months to come. Happy Planning!!

All images in this post are copyright (c) of Aby-Joanne Photography.