The past fifty years have seen huge changes in the way couples celebrate weddings.
In the past, weddings were simpler, with limited choices making the day relatively easy to plan. Today’s couples have a lot more to consider when planning their weddings, they want to showcase who they are, as well as creating a fun experience for guests. And they definitely don’t want to look dated – ever!.
This year we’ve seen the emergence of some exciting new trends for weddings, so if you’re looking for some inspiration check out our favourite wedding trends for 2016:
Brunch Weddings – serve your guests a brunch instead of a dinner
Intimate Dinners – Couples are focusing on quality over quantity. We prediect a rise in smaller guest lists
Flowers have always played a big part in weddings traditionally, but now we’re seeing more unusual uses for them. From one of the biggest trends right now, flower crowns, through to floral print bridesmaid dresses and flower garlands decorating the venue, many weddings will feature petal perfection in 2016.
Striking light arrangements, such as chandeliers suspended from a marquee, bare bulbs lighting up a barn venue, stunning candle displays greeting guests as they enter the venue.
THEMES
“Weddings this year are set to really embrace the theme of bringing the outdoors in, stepping away from the usual floral bouquet arrangements in favour of less structured ‘wild’ floral focal points. Think dried flowers, heather, ivy vines and gathered wildflower posies- all ideal for giving your wedding a more rustic feel and real bohemian vibe. Wild and dried flowers can also be more affordable than traditional cut flower arrangements.”
–PlanYourPerfectWedding.com
Woodland Theme
The enchanted woodland theme is set to really take off this year. It fits perfectly with the trend of using a plethora of flowers to decorate the entire wedding venue. Along with plenty of flowers, expect foliage chandeliers, twinkling fairy lights and dense greenery to create a natural romantic feel.
Wooden Detail
Keeping with the woodland theme, we’re expecting to see plenty of little decorations and wooden details at wedding venues this year. Brides are going for a more natural approach in 2016. Instead of opting for shiny and sparkly decorations, couples will opt for more natural objects and materials, such as wood, cement, cork and stone.
Laser-Cut Signage
Laser cutting is a technology which uses a laser to cut materials to create a variety of beautiful and delicate designs. This type of technology and design has mainly been used in industrial settings, but more recently paper companies and the fashion industry have taken a liking to it.
Laser-Cut Signage has been used in weddings to create unique menus, place cards and even invitations – it’s simple and provides a touch of elegance.
Theatrical Theme
Couples are increasingly looking for ways in which their big day can really put on a show for guests, and elements of the theatrical are set to become more and more popular.
Large scale banquet and feasting platters, fun ‘theatrical’ food and food installations (such as suckling pigs) are fantastic ways to really involve your guests with the menu, as well as theatre performers like jugglers and acrobats which can really put on a show during the drinks or evening reception.
VENUES
Couples opting for relaxed wedding venues such as barns can put their own spin on ‘rustic chic’.
Adventurous Weddings
Barns have long been a popular choice for wedding venues, and that won’t change this year. In fact, the ‘natural’ wedding option has become so popular that many rustic brides are taking their entire wedding outside, to national parks.
Other popular adventurous wedding settings are camping or travel-themed locations.
Fairground Fun
A huge part of organising weddings today is choosing the entertainment, to keep guests engaged and enjoying themselves. Many couples opt for a small fun fair outside, using traditional candyfloss machines, fairground games and ice cream vans. The fairground fun fair theme allows guests to participate in a plethora of outdoor games to keep them entertained.
The New Rustic
The rustic wedding theme is by no means a new trend. However, there is a new rustic theme that has caught the attention of brides this year. Couples will be searching high and low for wide-open spaces where the outdoors plays a starring role for this trend.
Whilst the typical rustic wedding consisted of combing raffia and hessian with pastel shades, new rustic weddings will team together gemstone tones and twinkling fairy lights to create the magical woodland theme.
Bringing the Indoors Outside
Clearly the outdoors will be a popular option for 2016 – some weddings will even go as far as bringing the outdoors in, to add further natural details to the day. This trend has taken it to the extreme by recreating entire rooms outdoors, rather than just bringing single pieces of furniture outside.
Beer Gardens
Beer gardens make the ideal setting for relaxed wedding receptions – and of course drinks aren’t restricted to beer – take advantage of the summery garden atmosphere and produce exotic and refreshing cocktails.
During summer these cocktails could be made even more exciting – guests love frozen cocktails!
FLOWERS
This year’s weddings will not be based around glitz and glamour – even the tiny details will have an essence of nature in them. A prime example being flower vases – plain and expensive looking vases are out, instead brides will look to be more creative and use leaves or other greenery for the vases.
Decorative flowers will be simple but stylish – this is due to the high volume of flowers that will be located around the wedding venues.
TABLES AND CHAIRS
Another change and trend which is thought to occur is the sizes and the shapes of wedding tables in 2016. Couples are moving away from the usual large round tables commonly seen at weddings and instead choosing either long, rectangular tables or a mixture of long tables which are surrounded by smaller square and round tables.
The reason for the change in sizes and shapes of tables is to create a more intimate setting – another wedding trend for 2016.
Round tables are out; lucite and mirror tables are in. Chiavari chairs are out, ghost chairs and crossback chairs are in. Table arrangements and searching plans will be popular.
CENTRE PIECES
Non-Floral Centrepieces
Although there is a strong trend based around using a lot of flowers for decoration at weddings, they won’t be a popular centrepiece choice for 2016. Instead, expect to see crab apple or cherry blossom as a more popular option for creative centrepieces.
Another currently demanded centrepiece is one which is budget friendly and elegant – adorn bare branches with crepe-paper flowers or sparkly jewels.
COLOUR
Metallics
Metallics will play a huge role in 2016 weddings, making appearances in all aspects of weddings, from stationary and jewellery to the wedding cake. The shimmery effect gives off a hint of subtle glamour.
Monochromatic
Brides this year are starting to discover that less is more when it comes to colour schemes. Therefore, a popular option will be having a variety of colours at the wedding; instead brides will opt for just one colour in a variety of shades.
Neutral Palettes
Expect soft palates to make appearances this year particularly blush and cream colours – this could be either a blush wedding gown with a cream coloured bouquets or even subtle blush details on the tables.
This neutral colour scheme is thought to be interior-design-driven and even black, grey and more neutral colours are likely to make appearances during weddings.
Vibrant Colours
Whilst blush and creams will be one trend, another trend will be that couples are likely to use more vibrant colours if they opt for a vibrant colour scheme, using a variety of colours. This scheme will be more extravagant and bright.
Prints
Printed material is a must have for 2016, there are a huge number of pretty and unique printed table liners and decorations – perfect for those who wish to display a vintage style wedding.
In addition, this wedding printed design trend has become so popular that many brides today are ditching their traditional white gowns and buying wedding dresses with strong floral prints on them.
Colourful Boho
As outdoor weddings are growing in popularity, many wish to create the illusion of the outdoors at all points of the wedding. Colour boho is a prime example of how this wedding trend will continue – rustic and soft details will be interspersed onto tables, using decorations such as dream catchers and bold coloured flowers.
Rose Gold
Whatever the season is, rose gold is the perfect choice of colour to opt for – its warming colour can warm up any winter’s day and it is equally effective in the hotter months, as its shimmery feel will reflect off the summer sun.
Sequins
Embellishment is a beautiful way to create authenticity and glamour to any wedding without buying flashy decorations. They are also very useful as they can be incorporated into any aspect of a wedding – from tablecloths to even the wedding dress or bridesmaids’ dresses. They can also easily be chosen to match the colour scheme.
DRINKS
Rosé
Rosé wine has grown in popularity over recent years at a variety of occasions, including weddings. Expect to see much more Rosé champagne for wedding toasts this year.
CATERING
Sit down meals are coming back this year and replacing food stations – couples are back to giving their guests a choice for their main course and having caterers serve them their food. Desserts on the other hand are more likely to have their own station, where they can help themselves to dessert.
Free-from Meals
There has been an increasing demand in the number of ‘free-from’ meals at weddings; this trend is likely to increase. The type of meals which come under this category range from gluten-free to meals created from only raw ingredients.
Finger Food
Menus tend to vary at every wedding, because the bride and groom like to have a menu that reflects them and their preferences. A useful way to get this message across to guests is through finger foods – these can be anything from cookies and milk to tiny hamburgers.
CAKES
Buttercream
For 2016 there are a few types of wedding cakes which will take preference, starting with buttercream textures, this is particularly due to its traditional feel it has.
Naked Cakes
There will be a rise in ‘naked’ cakes – these are cakes which tend to be unfrosted or only have a small amount of frosting on them. These cakes may be a result of the healthy attitude so many people have decided to adopt.
Fruit and fresh flowers are commonly used to decorate these cakes.
Cake Flavours
Forget the traditional fruit cake – this year’s preferences are salted caramel, white chocolate mousse, lemon, champagne, lavender-vanilla, apple spice, green tea and even chai latte flavours.
Wedding Cake for Dessert
It’s no secret that weddings can be very expensive, and it’s useful to find ways to save as many pennies as you can do when organising weddings. A perfect way to do this is to serve up the wedding cake as the dessert to guests.
MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
It’s increasingly important to brides and grooms that every aspect of the wedding must have some entertainment value to it, to interest guests at all times. This even applies to the music chosen – couples are looking to bring in acts such as cabaret singers or a retro orchestra during the reception or through dinner, and then finish off with a DJ or a band.
Have we missed anything off? Let us know what you think the wedding trends for 2016 are.