2020 Wedding Trends that are Here to Stay
There were a lot of predictions about what weddings in 2020 were going to look like. None of us in the wedding industry could have predicted the shift in trends. Covid-19 came in like a hurricane and left all of those predictions in 2019 where they will remain for the foreseeable future. The reality is that weddings and all events have changed more in the last year than ever before. While this pandemic has made planning weddings difficult, there have been some really creative trends that developed that are here to stay. Let's look at a few:
This post may include affiliate links. Disclaimer.
Strict Guest Lists
2020 might have been the end of wedding crashers and plus ones. At least for a while. For obvious reasons, guest lists were strict this year. Venues had lower capacities, and social distancing protocols. Before 2020 some weddings were “all are welcome” but now, if you weren’t invited, you’re not truly welcome. I myself am quite thrilled with this new development. Wedding crashers or uninvited plus ones can be awkward if there isn’t enough seating of food for the extra guest count. This can really save a budget as you don’t have to plan to have enough for an unknown number of crashers. What a relief!
Sustainable Weddings
Definitely my favorite trend of 2020. I myself try to live as sustainably as possible so this new wedding trend makes my heart happy. There are so many creative ways to make your wedding more sustainable. In 2020 we saw lots of electronic invitations, local and wild flower arrangements, dried flowers or bird seed toss instead of confetti, vegetarian and vegan menus, donating leftovers, rented dresses, compostable disposables, and lots of DIY crafts (because we had nothing but time). In the coming weeks I will be publishing an entire post on sustainable weddings ideas that I will link HERE.
Backyard Weddings
Some people find backyard weddings tacky, but how memorable would it be to sit on your back patio and be reminded of the day you said “I do” everyday. Backyard weddings are back, and I think we will see them continue in popularity throughout 2021. Let’s face it, venues are expensive and come with lots of rules about what vendors you can use, how many times you can visit in advance, and even how many hours you get the venue for set up and clean up. The easiest way to save money when it comes to location, is ditch the venue and look out the window.
Micro Weddings
Micro wedding is a relatively new term in the wedding industry that not many people are aware of yet. A micro wedding is a wedding with 50 or less people. Crazy right?!? This trend isn’t for everyone. Small weddings have always been an option, but not many wedding planners have offered micro wedding packages in the past. Clearly if you or your sweetie have big families, a micro wedding isn’t going to be practical for you, but if you have small families and a small circle of mutual friends; a micro wedding is perfect for you. There can be a lot of pressure to have a big wedding and invite all of your cousins, great aunts, and church congregation, but having all of these extra people that you aren’t close with or only see once a year might take away from the intimacy of your wedding experience. Micro weddings can allow you to reclaim that intimacy and have time to spend with the people you hold dearest on your wedding day. I intend to write a blog post all about micro weddings soon and I will link it HERE.
Elopements
We saw more elopements in 2020 than ever before! With so many wedding celebrations this year, a lot of couples found themselves wanting to ditch the party (for now) and get hitched. The fun part about eloping, is you can do it anywhere. All you need is a certified officiant and one witness (aka a photographer). The four of you can meet in your living room, backyard, city hall, at a park, on a cliff, or in a boat. There’s no need to make reservations or book a venue. All you need to do is show up, say your vows, get a few pictures, and you just eloped! Many of the couples who eloped this year have planned their wedding reception’s for later in 2021 when it is safe to gather with their families and friends to celebrate their marriage. Just because you elope, doesn’t mean you can’t throw a huge celebration afterwards. In fact as soon as social distancing is a thing of the past, I highly encourage everyone who eloped or cancelled their weddings in 2020 to finally celebrate!!
With COVID and social distancing still a reality, it may be awhile before we see a return to big 300 person weddings. We saw a huge change in how weddings are planned and executed, we saw smaller guest lists, smaller budgets, and more sustainable decisions. I predict that a log of these trends are here and they are here to stay for the foreseeable future. 2021 will be another year of small, intimate, and personal weddings. While many brides are waiting to throw their big parties, I am excited for these smaller projects. Give this post a comment and subscribe below to keep up with the latest wedding trends, vendors, and hot tips for planning your next big event.
Cheers,
