2021 Weddings to Feature Bold, Hyper-Detailed Aesthetics and a Priority on Health and Safety Regulations, According to WeddingWire
Expect More Technology, an Increase in Weekday Weddings and Alternative Event Formats as COVID-19 Continues to Impact Celebrations
NEW YORK, NY—December 1, 2020—As to-be-weds look ahead to 2021 and embark on a new year of wedding planning together, WeddingWire—a leading international wedding planning resource that helps couples around the world plan their weddings—released the anticipated US wedding trends couples can expect in the next year. Whether couples are planning a postponed 2020 celebration or they’ve been planning a 2021 event all along, the latest wedding trends encourage couples to think big and make a statement—even if they need to plan small until large events are permitted and safe to attend. Working with a smaller guest count than expected during COVID-19, couples have an opportunity to allocate more money from their budgets to aesthetics and guest experience, allowing them to create a visually beautiful event with bolder colors, bigger flower arrangements, assorted entertainment, and luxe food and beverages, all while prioritizing guest health and safety.
“It’s no surprise that couples will continue to focus on the health and safety of loved ones as they plan—or modify their previously planned—celebrations,” said Jeffra Trumpower, senior creative director at WeddingWire. “We can expect couples to get creative in the process by not only incorporating virtual elements, but also sending personalized swag boxes to guests who are unable to attend—encouraging them to celebrate together while apart. Additionally, these celebrations will focus on the overall experience with more visual, aesthetically-pleasing décor and entertainment for guests to enjoy that allows for social distancing until large events are not only permitted again, but also safe for couples and their family and friends.”
More Technology to Connect With Loved Ones
An emerging trend in 2020 due to COVID-19 and social-distancing restrictions, couples will continue to incorporate some kind of technological component into their special days in 2021. In fact, according to the Global COVID-19 Weddings Report, 43% of couples in the US plan to include streaming technology in their wedding celebrations for guests who don’t feel comfortable attending an in-person event. Additionally, there will be a rise in visual planning experiences, with augmented reality (AR) and technology playing a role in how couples plan their festivities and incorporate guests tuning in from afar. Whether it’s virtually trying on wedding dresses, communicating with guests via a wedding website, or sharing AR wedding invitations that offer glimpses of the wedding location, couples are leaning into technology for every aspect of both planning and celebrating their nuptials. Plus, through WeddingWire’s 360° Virtual Venue Tours, couples can take a 360-degree tour of a wedding venue, check out both indoor and outdoor spaces, and view rooms from different perspectives—all from the comfort of their couch. These virtual tours will also help couples visualize different event layouts from home or on the go when they can’t visit their venue in person.
Bigger, Bolder Detail and Nostalgic Décor
With color schemes ranging from light and airy blues and lavenders to ‘60s-inspired hues like chartreuse and peach, as well as dramatic and Instagram-worthy ceremony backdrops, floral chandeliers, and oversized floral installations, couples will be making a statement with larger-than- life décor. Lighting will also play an even bigger role than ever before, whether it’s making a larger space seem cozier for a smaller guest count or used to further highlight the unique décor. There’s also an emphasis on nostalgia, with the mod aesthetic inspired by the 1960s and 1970s coming back in a big way in color schemes, attire and even furniture. We’ll see ‘90s kids nodding to their own childhoods with throwback food and beverage options, including adult Capri-Suns, Pop-Tarts and Dunkaroos, and ‘90s rainbow-inspired color schemes.
Fine-Dining Vibes and Assorted Entertainment
At wedding receptions, expect more of a fine-dining feel with plated dinners and live entertainment as a result of necessary social distancing along with guest health and safety measures. In addition to sending table assignments in advance to minimize confusion upon arrival, tables will also come in a variety of shapes and sizes and seating arrangements will be based on families or living situations. Instead of crowding around the bar or waiting in line for food stations, guests will now be able to experience luxe personalized services such as bento boxes of hors d’oeuvres, individual charcuterie boards and servers taking drink orders. For entertainment, DJs or live bands will continue to facilitate events and serve as emcee for the evening, but dance floors will remain limited due to the pandemic and social-distancing restrictions. As a result, couples will lean on alternative entertainment, including stand-up comedians, acoustic musical performances, celebrity impersonators or magicians to keep guests entertained while seated at their own tables.
Weekday Weddings and Alternative Event Formats
With millions of engaged couples postponing their wedding receptions until 2021 as a result of COVID-19, expect weekday weddings to rise in popularity. Couples will continue to host their receptions on a Monday or Thursday as an extension of the weekend. Additionally, in choosing a weekday, it’s possible that more friends, family and wedding vendors will have the availability and flexibility compared to a Saturday. Additionally, while microweddings will continue to be a popular option for couples into 2021, also expect to see an increase in multiple, smaller celebrations like shift weddings, which allow for smaller groups of guests to arrive and depart the celebrations at staggered times, or multi-weddings, which utilize the events planned during a wedding weekend, like a rehearsal dinner or next-day brunch, and invite different groupings of guests to each event in order to celebrate with everyone they’d originally planned, but in smaller, safer numbers.
As engaged couples plan for their 2021 weddings with these trends and necessary adjustments in mind, it’s important for couples to remember that the wedding planning journey can be fun and full of happy memories—even in the midst of the pandemic. With the help of WeddingWire’s convenient online and app-based tools and access to hundreds of thousands of local vendor reviews, couples can work together to move past the stress, have an easy and memorable wedding planning experience, and look forward to celebrating their special day, even if it looks much different than they initially anticipated.
About WeddingWire
WeddingWire is a trusted online and app-based marketplace, connecting couples with local wedding professionals across the US and internationally through WeddingWire.in and WeddingWire.ca, with a suite of comprehensive tools that make wedding planning easier. Operating within the $250 billion global wedding industry, WeddingWire helps couples find the right team of wedding professionals to plan and execute a wedding celebration personalized to them. Couples planning their weddings can read millions of vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a directory of hundreds of thousands of vendors local to them. Visit WeddingWire online at WeddingWire.com, WeddingWire.ca, and WeddingWire.in and follow on social media: Facebook.com/WeddingWire and @WeddingWire on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.