10 Wedding Trends Predicted for 2023

Wedding trends come and go and are constantly changing but as a wedding director, I luckily have an inside scoop. When you’re meeting with multiple clients and potential clients, you start to see a pattern in wedding desires and goals for the upcoming season. Below are the 9 wedding trends I predict will happen in the 2023 wedding season, and I am so excited to see them!

FIRST LOOKS

Many brides and grooms share the first look as the bride is walking down the aisle during the ceremony, which is a beautiful way of doing it! However, some couples prefer that first look moment to be private, a moment shared between you two before the ceremony and with a photographer. It allows you to experience that intimate moment without the overwhelming crowd and you also have more flexibility with what the photographer can capture, giving you the perfect opportunity to catch that moment in detail. It is also a cute way to calm one another’s nerves before the ceremony. The first look trend has already been in practice, however, I predict we will see much more of this in 2023.

SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDINGS

A wedding is a gift every couple deserves but we understand that it requires a lot of resources to create and maintain, so if you and your spouse are earth conscious but also desire to have a wedding, here are some ways to make your wedding more sustainable and eco-friendlier.

• Many wedding items can be digital, and if you do choose tangible products, choose ones that can be recycled or are biodegradable.

• Another great way to save on resources is to use décor from your ceremony and transfer those pieces to your reception.

• One of the most wonderful ways to make your wedding more earth friendly is to take the florals used at your ceremony and reception and donate them to a charity. This way florals are not thrown away after the reception is over and you’ll be involved in a good cause! Sustainable, ethical, and charitable. We love to see it!

• You can also prioritize locally sourced food. Sustainable dream weddings are possible!

UNIQUE RECEPTION ENTERTAINMENT

After the last few years, I think we can all agree that we just want to have fun and lots of it! More couples are getting creative with their wedding entertainment. We love DJs and set playlists but if you can go all out, why not? We have seen an increase in live entertainment like

• Live Bands.

• Ballet Dance Sequences.

• Special Dinner Shows.

• Interactive Video Booths.

• Bridal Party Choregraphed Dance Routines.

• Wedding Games and so much more.

80’S STYLE WEDDINGS

The 80’s are making a return with the popularity of stranger things, Kate Bush, and Top Gun, so it is only natural that style, décor, and hair follow. Weddings are impacted too! We have seen an increase in brides desiring 80’s style dresses with puff sleeves and lots of sequins. This is going to be fun!

BOLD COLOR SCHEMES AND INSTALLATIONS

Soft pastels will still be in style, in seeing that we have all fallen in love with Bridgerton, but more and more couples are opting for bold color palettes. Lots of bright colors and combinations that we haven’t seen before. They want to show off their personalities and we are here for it! We are also in the era of floral installations. We’re talking floral ceilings, bridges, arches, and backdrops. This trend is amazing because it makes the entire space feel like a magical garden and it is so gorgeous.

MISMATCHED BRIDAL DRESSES

This trend is so fun, and we hope it continues! It’s important for the bride to give guidance on the general style: color palette, short or long, print or pattern etc., but overall, brides are giving their bridesmaids a lot of freedom when choosing their final dress. This is a great way to get creative and make sure each bridesmaid feels beautiful and confident.

SMALLER INTIMATE WEDDINGS

We love big weddings. The energy of having so many happy humans at one venue is intoxicating. We also see that these last few pandemic years shifted our perspective a bit. We understand that having those closest to us in our presence is just as special. Although inviting every person you have ever met is fun, sometimes you just want those that you speak with weekly and that’s okay. Having smaller weddings is also a great way to save lots of money on food, drinks, venue space etc., and spend it on things you value more. You’ll also have time to speak to each person at the reception which is so special.

DESTINATION WEDDINGS

After years of travel restrictions and delayed events due to those restrictions, everyone is traveling right now or planning to travel soon, so why not do two wonderful things at once? Travel to your favorite destination and have your wedding there? Destination weddings are incredible. You can have a longer celebration, an intimate gathering with all your favorite people, and extend the trip for your honeymoon!

FULL WEEKEND EVENTS

Full weekend weddings are often quite relaxing. Many couples are putting their money towards booking an Airbnb for the weekend where friends and family can stay instead of booking venues for one day. The itinerary is quite nice. On Friday, guests arrive to settle and socialize. Saturday, you enjoy the ceremony and reception, and Sunday you recover. All while never needing to worry about location changes, Ubers, transportation, or parking.

AFTER PARTY MINI WEDDING DRESS

Your wedding gown is probably the most important and sentimental piece of clothing you will ever wear, so we understand the desire to wear it for at least 12 hours, through the ceremony, reception, after party and perhaps the after after party, but we also understand that dancing the night away, and indulging in lots of champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres could be a bit easier in a mini wedding dress. We are even seeing wedding dresses that have detachable skirts to make the transition even easier! Brides will also go the extra step to even change their hairstyle along with the outfit change to make a whole new complete bridal look.

Now, brides are often the main fashion focus, but grooms have fun with their changes too! After the ceremony, grooms will often lose the tie and go for a sportier or laid-back jacket or no jacket at all. The groom can switch out the white button down for a shirt with print, and we have also seen grooms switch out their dress shoes and showcase a different pair or even stylish sneakers. Much like the bride, it is the grooms wedding reception night, so we encourage them to be as creative with their outfit change as they want!

Did you have as much fun reading about the 2023 trends as we did? We hope so! Above are the trends that we predict are most likely to happen, but we know there are more to come, and we are just as excited to see those ones as well. This list is here to spark inspiration; however, it is always important to remember that the best trends to follow are the ones that spark joy on your wedding day! For more wedding inspo, check out my Instagram page @sandynissou for the latest wedding tips, tricks, and trends!

Interested in looking further into how we can help with your wedding planning? Send us an email to see how we can help make your dream day come to life!