25+ New Wedding Trends You'll Love

The new year brings new ideas for all things wedding, from invitations to flowers, cocktails to cake...and more!

The Look

Timeless chic coupled with the all-important wow factor.

Vintage glamour (with a twist). Picture an industrial warehouse decked out with ornate, over-the-top centerpieces and set aglow with strands of twinkling lights and candles. You get the picture: a whimsical mash-up of old and new.

For the love of pink. Blush rose, to be exact, remains the “it” wedding color. Rhiannon Bosse, owner of Hey Gorgeous Events in Michigan, has dubbed blush a “now and forever” shade, because it’s both trending and timeless.

wedding reception
Photo Credit: Harriston Studio

candles
Photo Credit: Breanne Weston Photography

gazebo
Photo Credit: Breanne Weston Photography

Encore metallics. Brides continue to embrace copper, rose gold, and pewter because they’re so versatile, says Sara Fried, of Fete Nashville. Not only do they work with other colors for a look that’s at once relaxed and fun, they are ideal tones for a black-tie evening. Pro tip: “Use shine strategically,” says Sarah Chancey, founder of Chancey Charm Weddings, in Atlanta and 11 other cities. “Metallic linens on every table is too much: better to save the shine for the head and display tables.”

gold wedding cake
Photo Credit: Evin Photography

Neutral territory. From charcoal to blue-greys, or grey-browns, “This color palette is perfect for the bride who wants to achieve a classic, sophisticated feel that won’t seem dated or look too trendy in years to come,” says Michelle Cousins, the planning guru behind Michelle Leo Events in Utah.

neutral wedding decorations
Photo Credit: Anna K Photography

Surprise settings. Today’s couples want a wedding that will blow their guests away, and one of the key elements to an unforgettable event is the choice of venue. “Any place with a large plot of land or a distinct building — or both — will allow couples to really personalize their wedding and help them tell their unique story,” says Amy Cagginello, founder of Amy Champagne Events in Connecticut.

Make it work! If it’s not practical to book a unique wedding venue, Bianca Hall of Chicago’s Estera Events says lofts and tents will give couples more room to get creative. “Or book a rooftop space with a jaw-droppingly fantastic view!”

The Flowers

These pretty petals are more than simply lovely to look at — they’re memory makers.

Swoon-worthy blooms. Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias and other “soft-petal” blooms are the top-requested flowers from coast to coast — and for good reason. “They epitomize romance,” says Zoe Gallina, creative director of Botanica international Floral Design in Florida. Peonies, in particular are in high demand, with one planner noting that some brides will time their weddings to take place when peonies are in peak season. Loose rose petals, used as a “garland” or runner atop tables or scattered among floating candles, are another trend that's coming on strong.

floral runner
Photo Credit: Megan Robinson

Flights of fancy. Tall glass trumpet vases are making a comeback. “they allow for large, lush arrangements,” says Cousins, “but they sit above guests' heads, so it’s easy for conversation.” similarly, Bosse is seeing a renaissance of linear, more tailored centerpieces, as opposed to the loose, “fresh-picked” style that’s been popular in recent years. “these structured arrangements fall in line with the trend toward a more classic wedding look overall,” she says.

Sophisticated whimsy. At the other end of the trend spectrum, gallina says flowering plants like king- and pink-ice protea, along with assorted bold tropical blooms and small potted plants, lend a dose of stateliness for brides who want arrangements that feel natural and organic — yet elegant.

flowers
Photo Credit: Jamee Photography

Mix it up. Few brides want their tables to look “too perfectly organized,” says Amy Marella, owner of the hidden garden Floral Design in Los Angeles. “they want a more eclectic feel,” she says. Create the look by using a mix of containers and featuring two or three different centerpiece designs.

Still going strong! Hanging floral centerpieces aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, says Rhiannon Bosse. “Instant wow! What’s not to love?”

suspended centerpiece
Photo Credit: Wild Native Photography

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The photographs from your wedding day will be a timeless memento of a truly special day. Wedding photographers can be very expensive, specialize in a number of different styles, and offer a variety of levels of service. Choosing a wedding photographer takes careful thought and consideration about what sort of pictures you want to document your wedding day. Do plenty of research and interview a number of the candidate before making your choice. 1-Decide what style of wedding photography you prefer Here are a number of different styles of wedding photography, and different photographers will specialize in different styles. Traditional- classic-Photojournalism-Illustrative -Fashion 2- Start looking early: Booking your wedding photographer should be one of the first things you do after you have booked your venue. Wedding photographers are in high demand, especially in the busiest times of year for weddings, and many of the best ones will be booked up a year in advance. 3-Ask for personal recommendations. The best wedding photographers will tend to develop a reputation, and may be known locally to your friends are family. Start your search by asking people you know and trust if they have any recommendations, either through personal experience, or word of mouth. Talk to people you know who have got married in the last few years and ask about their experience. 4-Avoid hiring family or friends. It may be tempting to hire somebody you know to be your wedding photographer. You may be drawn towards hiring someone you trust, who knows you and your partner well, and you think will understand what kind of pictures you want. While this might turn out perfectly well, it is highly likely that this person will not have the technical skills and experience to give you the best photos. 5-Search online. A great way to search for wedding photographers is to look online. There will be a very large number of people advertising their services, so think about how you can focus your search more closely and narrow down the results. Look for people with plenty of experience and lots of information about themselves and the photography they produce. You should also look to see if they work with an assistant or solo. 6-Examine a photographer’s online presence. As with anybody advertising themselves on the internet, you will need to think carefully and critically about how they present themselves. Try to find reviews of the people you are interested in by searching for their names. You should be cautious with reviews and be prepared to make up your own mind, but the more information you have the better. 7-Create a shortlist. Once you have been through the profiles and seen some of the photography of a number of wedding photographers, you need to narrow this down to a manageable number. Then you can arrange to meet, interview, and inspect the portfolios of your chosen few. Think carefully about who you want to interview, and consider what elements are most important to you. 8-Prepare thoroughly for the interviews. Once you have drawn up your shortlist and arranged the interviews, you should spend some time preparing together with your partner. You will need to draw up a list of specific questions that you want to ask, as well as thinking about the soft skills that you will want your photographer to possess. 9- Talk about the photographer’s style. The first thing to discuss is the style and ideas of the photographer. You will have seen some pictures, but you will be able to get better and more complete understanding by talking it through in person. Ask the photographer to describe the style they shoot in and be sure to ask any further questions if anything is unclear to you. !0-Ask about the photographer’s experience. One of the key things to talk about in the interview is the level of experience each of the photographers has gained. You should ask how many weddings the photographer has shot, and how many similar to yours. Different weddings have can hugely different requirements and expectations, so it’s important that you understand how much experience they have that is especially relevant to you. 11- Ask if the package includes an assistant. You should always ask the photographer if the deal they are offering includes an assistant to help them with the work on the day. Having an assistant, especially if the wedding has more than around 50 people, is likely to be an important addition. 12-Ask about what the photographer will do on the day. It’s important to find out detailed information about how the photographer will work on the day of the wedding. You need to determine whether they are prepared to stay a little later if it runs on, and how they plan to interact with the guests. Will they be taking lots of candid shots, or will they be corralling people around a lot. 13-Determine how you will receive your pictures. Find out how long you can expect to wait for the pictures, and in what format they will be presented. You need to make sure you know what your photographer will pass on to you at end of the process. The number of photos, the format and resolution of the photos, as well as the way they are presented are all crucial questions 14-Examine the portfolio. Your potential photographers will bring along a portfolio of their pictures to the interview. It’s important that you spend plenty of time looking through this in detail with your partner. Ask the photographer to give some context for the pictures, including asking about the style used, and the type of wedding it was. 15-Evaluate your interview notes. Spend some time looking back through the notes you made during the interview to help you decide. These notes are a record of the interview that can give you a good idea of the impression you got from the photographer. You can compare the scores across the different shortlisted candidates with your partner, and evaluate their relative strengths and weaknesses.