What to Look for in 2024
Ice Sculptures will be Big this Year
Some wedding elements are timeless and unchanging. Others follow trends, and 2024 includes some that are twists on the traditional and others that are entirely new and uniquely now. Whatever the mix, these are some that will make any wedding or reception memorable for brides, grooms, and guests.
Ice Sculptures Are Hot
These are not your mother’s or grandmother’s swans, intertwined initials, or even vodka luge. Couples are using ice in slabs for raw bars, encasing flowers or fruit in solid blocks, or to include “members of the family” who can’t make it to the party: pets!
According to Pew Research Center most Americans (62%) own a pet, about a third (35%) have more than one, and nearly all – 97%! – consider them family. They may not be the most well-behaved guests, but they can be there in spirit in the form of an ice sculpture.
Pretty in Peach
Peach Fuzz is the Color of the Year
“Peach Fuzz” has been announced as the color of the year for 2024. It’s “a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul,” according to Pantone, the company that standardizes colors for designers and manufacturers.
Add a touch of warmth and modern elegance with bridesmaids and flower girls in Peach Fuzz dresses, along with groomsmen in matching ties and pocket squares. Use peach-colored roses, dahlias, and tulips, and surprise guests by switching out the expected vanilla flavored cake for one filled with peaches.
An Eye in the Sky
Drone shots will be even more popular in 2024
Wedding photography is moving up – literally – in terms of what photographers can do, now. Planners are now coordinating photographers who can capture close-ups, spontaneous moments, along with traditional shots of family and wedding parties, with drones.
Showcase an outdoor venue by including aerial shots. Drones are allowed to fly up to 400 feet and there are unique perspectives that only they can capture. Sweeping vistas, wide-angle shots, and dramatic views of the location and the event itself if it’s held outside, are finding their way into more and more wedding albums.
Double Duty Dresses
Multi-piece bridal outfits are increasingly popular because of their versatility. Separate tops, jackets, sleeves, skirts, and even pants allow the bride to switch out her look between ceremony and reception. Separates also lend themselves to being worn again as part of another outfit, making the bride’s budget go a bit farther.
They are a way for a bride to create a look that is uniquely her own, and offering bridesmaids the same option is no doubt appreciated. The bridesmaid’s dress that theoretically can be born again – but almost never is – can become a thing of the past.
Nautical Nuptials
Nautical Weddings are on the Rise
Weddings on beaches have become fairly common, but now wedding planners are taking it one step farther: out onto the water itself. Shipboard ceremonies, sometimes performed by the ship’s captain, are an emerging, and entertaining, trend.
Whether docked in a harbor or actually cruising about, a wedding on the water adds a sense of adventure. It can be made extra special by timing the ceremony to occur at the golden hour, the period of daylight just before sunset, when the natural light is softer and more flattering.
The Guest Dress Code
Couples are getting more specific about dress codes for their wedding day. Assumptions about what to wear based on location or time of day no longer must be made when it’s clearly spelled out on the invitation.
It’s becoming more common for guests to see “wear something red,” or “no black,” or requests for western wear or Regency-inspired formalwear (Thanks, Netflix and Bridgerton). However, the gracious couple remembers that while it is their day, it’s their guests’ choice as to what to wear.
Minimoon Now, Honeymoon Later
Mini Now Instead of Honeymoon
Another trend that is gaining in popularity thanks to its practicality is postponing the honeymoon. Hasn’t enough time, energy – and money! – been spent by the time the last guest leaves the reception, or the brunch the next day, anyway?
Many couples are opting for a wedding night in a luxurious hotel room, or even the bridal suite. It’s certainly less expensive than a honeymoon, which can be planned for another time. A true dream destination can be enjoyed when it better fits the couple’s time, budget, and schedules.
