Saying “I do” is one of life’s biggest moments. That’s why it’s important for couples to incorporate personal style into their wedding theme and design. When it comes to this year’s wedding trends, 2018 has prenuptial pairs saying goodbye to some design ideas and welcoming exciting new ones.
Plants and Flowers Appear in Unexpected Ways
Plants and flowers always make a big impact on wedding design, but in 2018, they appear in unexpected ways. Instead of colorful florals lining wedding aisles, look for glossy bay leaf garlands or potted topiaries, fig trees, or fishtail palms.
According to Charleston wedding planner Calder Clark, cocktail bars made from live foliage offer a fresh new look, and flowers are moving from the center of the wedding table to the rafters. From hanging wisteria vines to a full upside-down garden, florals suspended from the ceiling deliver a dramatic and colorful display. More unexpected ways to use plants on the big day include:
- Creating dried flower boutonnieres
- Displaying feathers, berries, branches, or imitation birds in the bridal bouquet
- Floating large flower blossoms in ponds, pools, or fountains
- Adorning the wedding cake with live air plants
Twosomes Trade Rustic for Woodsy
Although a rustic wedding theme remains the top choice for some couples, many are moving toward a woodsier vibe. This year, they’re ditching the big red barn for a shaded forest canopy and replacing vintage pickup trucks and burlap with bentwood chairs and birch bark candleholders. At weddings with a woodland theme, guests might see pretty string lights hanging from live branches, bridal bouquets stuffed with juniper boughs and arborvitae, and tabletops decked with dark moss, fiddlehead ferns, bird’s nests, berries, and wild flowers.
Weddings Move from the Outdoors In
While exchanging nuptials in the open air still comes with certain charms, more and more couples are turning to creative indoor wedding venues like museums, public libraries, hotel atriums, old theaters, and train stations. As “urban vintage” is one of the more popular wedding themes in 2018, industrial-style loft spaces with vintage chandeliers and velvet couches get booked quickly. In addition to offering a beautiful setting, an indoor venue takes the worry out of trying to predict the weather.
Purples and Blues Rule
When it comes to color and wedding trends, 2018 is “going to be all about the drama,” says event planner and designer Anna Lucia. To her, this means color palettes featuring shades of purple like plum or eggplant in the cooler months and lavender or lilac in warmer weather. For formal weddings, many couples are choosing midnight blue as their primary color, according to Beth Bernstein of SQN Events in Chicago. Dark blue adds sophistication and elegance to everything from invitations and dinner napkins to the groom’s tuxedo.
Style Is in the Details
Certain wedding celebrations leave guests feeling happier than when they arrived, and event planners like Bernstein believe it’s all about the details. Special touches like wax-sealed menus and boxes stuffed with vintage handkerchiefs make wedding guests feel extra-pampered, and couples will pay more attention to small details this year. Here are a few more ways to indulge wedding guests in 2018:
- Incorporate a Polaroid selfie station
- Keep restroom amenity boxes stuffed with mouthwash, hand lotion, hairspray, stain sticks, spray deodorant, and ibuprofen.
- Fill baskets full of flip-flops, colorful towels, and sunscreen for beach-themed weddings.
- Supply citronella candles and natural bug spray for woodland-style celebrations.
- Install a bounce house for children.
- Offer a coffee and tea bar.
- Hire a food truck for late-night bites.
- Supply ribbon wands in place of rice or confetti.
Couples Offer Unique Eats
Another way to a wedding guest’s heart is through his or her taste buds. Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss Event Planning in the Pacific Northwest says that couples this year “want to present their guests with a new food experience or one that resonates with their personal style.”
When it comes to wedding reception trends in 2018, menus might include appetizers like gourmet soup shooters, avocado toast, or a flavored popcorn bar. Interactive stations like roll-your-own sushi or a build-your-own burger bar also make a big hit with wedding guests. Although farm-to-table cuisine is still in style, classic carnival food is all the rage this year featuring tasty treats like corn dogs, soft pretzels, fried pickles, churros, and cotton candy.
As for the wedding cake, some couples prefer to think outside the box. Popular wedding cake alternatives for 2018 include:
- Donut bars
- Cake pops
- Cream puff towers
- Stacked cookies
- Ice cream sandwiches
- Wedding pies
Every engaged couple looks forward to getting married, and new wedding trends in 2018 offer plenty of inspiration for the perfect day. Prenuptial pairs just getting started on the wedding planning process may want to consider CORT Events to get just the right pieces for the big event.
