Destination weddings. Friends and family officiating ceremonies. Smaller weddings. These are just a few of the trends some wedding industry experts say they have noticed in recent years – but especially in 2024. Four years ago when the Covid-19 pandemic began, couples across the globe started to get creative with safe ways to still celebrate their big day – and while the days of Zoom weddings appear to be firmly a thing of the past – the experts we spoke to say smaller weddings seem to be here to stay. Here’s what they’ve noticed this year.
Couples are having smaller weddings.
Amber Massey, who runs a full-service wedding planning company, Epic Elopements, has noticed that increasingly, “couples want intimacy on their day.” Leore Oren and her sister Karen, who run the wedding stationary and accessories brand, The Ceremony Club, have also noticed that “couples are gravitating towards smaller weddings that foster meaningful connections with their friends and family.” Leore told us, “overall, weddings are becoming less about the spectacle and more about the real moments.”
And they’re generally spending less.
Perhaps, part of the reason couples are generally having smaller weddings is because of inflation. Massey noted, “costs are a major factor and companies are now charging for their services appropriately, since things are costing so much more.” Which generally means, “couples are realizing the costs are wild and grossly beyond what they are willing to spend.” Though Massey told us that this could ultimately be a good thing for some couples, since “Covid gave them the permission they needed to have the scaled back wedding they want.”
But couples are spending on food. And photography.
Oren has noticed that, “it seems couples are willing to invest more in meaningful experiences and memorable moments, particularly in areas like food and photography.” Mandi Young, who operates two wedding venues in Missouri, has seen this with an increase in interactive food experiences, like a build-your-own pizza that’s cooked on site. Massey agreed, telling us, “I’m definitely seeing that couples are wanting to spend money on the decor, food and photography. I feel like Millenials and Gen Z are very focused on photography and videography because those things will last their entire life. They are willing to cut back on cake and the bar. At times, the venue as well.”
Destination weddings are in.
While destination weddings can sometimes be controversial (it can definitely make the experience pricier for the guests), Oren says that for the couple, “they often provide a more luxurious experience at a better price. Plus, they offer a great excuse to take a vacation with your closest friends and family.” Massey added, “I think if you are planning on spending $30k on a wedding… [a destination wedding] costs pretty much the same as a large wedding and it isn’t for ‘one day.’ There is so much more value in a weekend-long wedding than one big day.” Adding, it allows everyone to have, “real and intimate time with family and friends.” Young has seen couples adding on additional activities to the wedding weekend as well – particularly in the form of “wellness retreats.” Young told us, “I’m seeing this happen on a variety of budgets – from backyard picnics where the wedding party is making their own face masks, or more elaborate spa trips.”
And new trends are emerging.
Young says she’s seen more dry weddings recently, where instead of a traditional bar couples have coffee carts or mocktail bars for their guests. When we asked Massey if she’d had any strange requests from couples she’s worked with, she told us, “I don’t even think they are weird anymore. I had someone who wanted a drag performer. I just had a couple that had a henna artist and it was a huge hit. I also had someone recently who was going to do their reception as a murder mystery.”
But there are some trends these industry experts would be happy to say goodbye to.
Oren told us that one trend she would not miss is “having too many posed photos on your wedding day,” adding that candid shots “capture the essence of the day in such a meaningful way,” while “posed photos can be time-consuming and often turn the wedding into a photo shoot.”
Massey didn’t skip a beat when asked what wedding trends she would wave goodbye to: “Sparkler exits. Any exit. It just takes away from the party and it’s forced memories. The pictures are great, but at what cost.” She added, “to me, these can go away with signature drinks. Guests do not want the signature drink unless it’s something they are already familiar with.”
Finally, Young shared with us that she hopes couples will worry less about making everyone else happy “to the point they don’t feel comfortable sharing their preferences or getting what they actually want on their wedding day. We serve a lot of non-traditional couples, and I will always be their advocate of the wedding being reflective of what they want.”