This year is going to be particularly fun for weddings because trends are shifting, and events will be displaying a whole new level of style. According to experts in the industry, the two trending decades will be the 70s and 90s — leading the way with bright colors, big hair and unique pattern pairings.
If the 70s aren’t your vibe, never fear. A romantic, pastel palette will also be trending — heavily influenced by fans of “Bridgerton,” “Downton Abbey” and other period shows. Retro will be big in 2024, in all its forms. Jazz, the golden age of Hollywood, Western grunge, bohemian style and more will create a colorful spectrum of fun, personalized wedding designs.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your own wedding celebration, these top 10 2024 wedding trends can help inform your vision of the big day.
Understanding 2024’s Wedding Trends
It’s fascinating to consider where new wedding trends come from. Sometimes, it’s easy to spot the origin of a trend — while other trends may never have a satisfying explanation. Here are a few potential forces that might be responsible for shaping 2024 wedding trends.
- Popular TV shows: Think “Bridgerton,” “Downton Abbey,” “Yellowstone” and “Friends” — these classic shows have had a massive following that’s shaped modern culture and definitely influenced individuals’ sense of style. The romantic pastels and gothic cowboy styles showing up in modern weddings could have roots in entertainment.
- World events: Many modern couples are concerned about the environment, causing them to choose sustainable decor. Stress over world events has caused people to press into the comfort of nature and nostalgia, which may explain the prevalence of green, comfort food and the interest in retro styling.
- Social media: The prevalence of social media has changed everything in the wedding industry. Now, couples can have a private wedding that becomes public afterward on the internet. While couples are leaning toward intimate ceremonies, they’re also hiring social media coordinators to create content about their events.
Changes in home trends also typically affect wedding design. In 2024, homeowners will be leaning toward warm wood midtones, rounded shapes, statement lighting and color drenching. All these themes and more are starting to show up in the wedding industry, influencing couples’ design preferences.
10 Top Trends for 2024 Weddings
Stylists and wedding planners are getting excited about several fun trends coming in with 2024. Some of these trends continue from the past year, while others bring a new perspective to celebrating your special day. Here are the top upcoming wedding trends of 2024:
Candid Photos
Documentary-style photography has become wildly popular. These photos are candid, showing couples’ facial expressions and capturing unplanned moments that will bring memories back to mind years into the future. By contrast, formal wedding portraits with posed groups are losing popularity.
Think about the wedding photos you want to frame in your home — what art style do you envision? Many couples in 2024 will prefer the polaroid feel, where golden light and slight blurring imperfectly capture real moments. Film photography for weddings is another option that will continue to be in style this year.
Interactive Food
Couples are getting personal with their food choices. Instead of opting for traditional meals, they’re choosing family recipes, interactive desserts and nostalgic snack choices. For example, late-night party snacks like mini fries, sliders and mac ’n cheese are coming into style.
These comfort foods are the perfect way to refuel after a night of celebrating. They’re a better option for wedding guests who want to dance for a long time without losing energy. Rather than a cake table, couples are also getting creative with food bars, letting guests craft their own perfect dessert.
Audio Guestbooks
Instead of the traditional album guestbook, couples are leaning into digital options. They’re asking guests to leave personalized audio messages rather than handwritten notes — similar to what you’d hear in a voice note. This medium allows guests’ personalities and quirks to shine through in a unique way.
Digital audio guestbooks may even come with a retro that phone guests can use to leave their messages. Pros of going digital include increased nostalgia, ease of use and less likelihood of misplacing or damaging the final product.
Retro Styles
Although the 70s and 90s were separated by nearly 20 years of fashion, they had a lot in common. Both decades are driving the new colors and fashion choices couples are making for modern weddings. Retro seems to be the vibe — although how you express that can vary widely.
Hollywood glam will continue to make an appearance, with classic black and white wedding palettes accented with gold and sparkles. Brighter colors like reds, oranges and chartreuse are also popping up. Layered patterns and funky shapes are another way couples are bringing the 70s back.
Sustainable Decor
Couples in 2024 will continue to be concerned about the sustainability of their weddings. While wedding celebrations are going large with floral arrangements, multiple costume changes and lengthy parties, couples are simultaneously concerned about their event’s impact on the environment.
To be more eco-conscious, some couples are choosing to grow their own flowers. They prefer decor with less plastic and rented materials to cut down on single-use items. Although minimalism isn’t the style that will represent 2024, sustainability will continue to influence decor decisions.
Unique Timelines
Couples are pushing back on tradition by redesigning their wedding day timeline. Instead of the traditional ceremony followed by a reception, some couples are scheduling these events on separate days. That way, they can fully enjoy the party once the semi-stressful ceremony is over.
Couples have also leaned into writing their own vows, mixing up the reception with fewer or unique speeches — say from the bride — and choosing unique music for walking down the aisle. There’s freedom in arranging the day to suit you and your guests rather than following a more traditional pattern.
Bright Colors
Wedding planners are expecting very bright colors to pop up in 2024 weddings. Brides are increasingly choosing unique gowns, sometimes in color rather than the traditional white. You might also see this trend showing up in bridesmaid gowns, table settings, bouquets and other details.
There’s some conflicting information on what colors will be most popular this year — the Pantone color of the year is Peach Fuzz, a soft nude-pink shade that works well for romantic weddings. Other colors expected to be popular include browns, turquoise, oranges, reds and silver.
Personal Stylists
Another predicted trend for 2024 weddings is the use of personal stylists, either to help plan the wedding decor or get the couple ready on the big day. There are a lot of details to pull together, and it helps to have an extra hand to ensure everyone looks their best.
Stylists may help the couple make decisions about decor and craft an event that most accurately reflects their personalities and love stories. There are so many beautiful styles and decor options — and couples are recognizing how helpful it can be to have a stylist guide them through these choices.
Clothing Changes
Weddings will be an eclectic mix of simplicity and extra flair. Many couples are opting for clothing changes — and it’s not just the bride. Couples enjoy dressing down during the reception and getting to style several different looks for their photographer.
Guests are also increasingly being asked to dress according to a theme. This usually involves following a certain color palette so the event feels more coordinated. Although matching bridal dresses used to be in fashion, today’s wedding parties are leaning toward mixing multiple shades for an elegant, personalized look.
Party Focus
You’ve probably picked up on this from the last several points — couples in 2024 are prioritizing their afterparties like never before. They’re changing reception timelines, eliminating send-off photos and restructuring the food options so everyone can dance and celebrate together.
This shift in focus makes for an incredible experience that guests are sure to remember. However, it’s also shifting the way couples and guests spend the night. A late party works much better if guests have a nearby hotel block and the celebrated couple doesn’t leave for their honeymoon until the next day.
Hotel Wedding Trends Going Out in 2024
Professionals in the wedding industry have also noticed some interesting trends for what’s leaving the bridal scene in 2024. Because trends are driven by personal preference as well as cultural shifts, some trends last longer than others or even overlap with new designs.
Here are five trends predicted to be less popular in 2024 weddings:
Green and White Palette
This is a tricky one because many couples are still opting to decorate with green. In fact, greenery may be bigger and bolder this year than ever before. However, it’s the type of greenery that’s changing — instead of a clean eucalyptus color, many couples are opting for dark greens.
Think forest green, tropical greens and dusky desert greens. The richness of dark green matches with many different colors and creates a lush background for wedding ceremonies and reception rooms. If you’re getting married outside, dark greens add boldness and definition to the landscape.
Separate Wedding Party Table
Ever since 2020, couples have been playing with more intimate weddings. Smaller bridal parties, elopements and intimate wedding ceremonies have become more popular and will continue to trend in 2024.
One new development in this trend is mixing the wedding party in with other guests during the reception. Formal sweetheart tables are falling out of fashion since they create a sense of separation during the afterparty. Instead, couples mix significant others with their bridal party or avoid a head table altogether.
Cake Cutting Ceremonies
For some, cake cuttings are a much-beloved tradition. However, many modern couples feel that feeding each other cake in front of a crowd sounds awkward. Instead of going the typical route, couples are choosing to pour champagne towers or even make the cake cutting a private moment.
Another popular trend in the wedding industry right now is handing out cake as favors rather than eating it during the afterparty. This ensures guests can keep partying without being interrupted too often by staged events.
Formal Send-Offs
Something else that’s going out in 2024 is having a formal send-off partway through the reception. Instead of leaving, couples are opting to stay for the entirety of the party. Only after the dancing and guests leave do they head to a hotel suite for the night.
This trend makes a lot of sense — couples are already tired after the ceremony and the first half of the reception. Why leave early when there’s more fun to be had? A huge predicted theme for 2024 weddings is a focus on the afterparty, which is often the most anticipated part of the event.
Traditional Elements
Couples increasingly want a hyper-personalized experience — from shopping to Instagram feeds, people have become used to curating their lives to suit their personalities and preferences. Personal expression will continue to show up in 2024 weddings as an alternative to tradition.
A few examples include wedding timelines, clothing, vows, catering, music — you name it, couples will find ways to reinvent expected traditions and express their personal preferences. This means weddings will become increasingly unique and traditional elements more rare.
It’s Your Wedding — Do What You Love!
Of course, it’s important to remember that trends are a result of innovation — and they’re always changing. If you don’t love these ideas, there’s absolutely no reason to include them in your wedding celebration. Wedding decor is supposed to be fun and a reflection of what you enjoy, so don’t let trends dictate — or destroy! — your dreams.
The great thing about 2024 weddings is the wide range of styles, timelines and personalized details that will be trending. There’s a lot you can choose from, and this variety means almost anything will feel up-to-date. Try the trends that appeal to you, but don’t be afraid to branch out if your heart is set on something else.
If you’ve always loved traditional weddings — with the white gown, veil, cake cutting, first dance and all — do that and don’t question it. Tradition is classic for a reason, and you can count on your photos looking stylish for years to come. It’s often the presentation rather than the themes themselves that elevate a wedding.
Book Your Wedding at the Hancock Hotel
Located in Findlay, Ohio, the Hancock Hotel provides the perfect mix of elegance and hospitality for your wedding. You can book our rooms for both your ceremony and reception, reducing stress and giving guests a place to rest after a late night at your fabulous afterparty.
Some of our wedding amenities include:
- Tables and chairs
- Table linens
- Dance floor
- Special rates for guests
- Complimentary night for newlyweds
We offer three different wedding packages so you can choose the amenities that best support your vision for your wedding day. At Hancock Hotel, we’ve helped host many weddings and will provide a wedding coordinator to help you with the process.
Our hotel partners with an on-site restaurant for high-end catering, and we can recommend local vendors so planning your wedding becomes simpler. We even offer suites for pre-wedding events, so you can celebrate your bachelor or bachelorette party conveniently in the same location as your wedding.
If you’re planning a wedding with out-of-town guests, the Hancock Hotel can make your big day a memorable and stress-free experience. Reach out to us today to learn more!
