Now is always a time when we look ahead to the wedding trends that we are likely to see make waves in the coming year. And keeping an eye on the latest trends is a brilliant way to get ideas for your own big day. We caught up with luxury wedding and party planner to the stars, Liz Taylor, to find out the wedding trends she predicts will really take off this year. Liz has been at the forefront of the UK event scene for over 30 years. During this time, she has planned a wealth of private and celebrity weddings including that of Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright, and Take That’s Howard Donald. “Many couples had their wedding postponed, so they’ve had lots of time to rethink their plans,” says Liz. “Those originally planning destination weddings are largely relocating to the UK, and so couples are completely changing their original ideas. That’s leading to some exciting and unique wedding trends.”
UNIQUE VENUES
Lockdown meant that many venues refurbished and repurposed their space – especially outdoors. Couples are blessed with a choice of lots of new and unique settings for their vows or reception. The traditional ballroom is still popular, but many are looking at tipis on the manicured lawn of a stately home, marquees outside historic buildings, unusual outbuildings festooned with fairy lights, or barns and haylofts that have been converted to rustic event halls.
WEDDINGS ANY TIME
The backlog of weddings from the past few years has meant a squeeze on available dates at venues. The response? More couples opting for early morning ceremonies or those later in the day. Both can have great benefits to the flow of a wedding day.
Have an early wedding followed by a delicious brunch for guests, ideal for ‘second timers’ or those who don’t want a raucous do. Alternatively get to the venue for a cocktail reception first and have your ceremony as it begins to get dark – a breathtakingly romantic setting.
Weekdays too, are gaining popularity for the same reason, with some couples opting to marry on an unconventional day such as a Thursday (or even a Tuesday) but stretching out the party until the weekend. Further celebrations like BBQs, beach volleyball and garden games are scheduled for days following making it more of a holiday celebration, but with all your loved ones.
SOMETHING BLUE
Colour schemes are a big part of a wedding day, and we are likely to see lots of blue hues coming through in wedding colours thanks to both big players, Dulux and Pantone, predicting shades of blue as THE hue for weddings.
Bright Skies signifies optimism according to Dulux, it’s a vibrant blue-sky shade that’s ideal for the happiest day of your life. Adopt a beachy, nautical theme, pop on your blue suede shoes, or bring in blue velvet to add Bright Skies to your wedding day.
Very Peri, on the other hand, is a violet blue shade and a brand-new colour created from two existing Pantone shades. A nod to resilience, creativity, and transformation it can be brought in with colour-popping accessories, florals installations or dazzling lighting effects.
Both make for excellent wedding colours due to the fact they’re easy to mix with lots of different shades.
IBIZA STYLE CLUB WEDDINGS
The lack of international travel has inspired couples, with many asking us to recreate an exclusive Ibiza club vibe at their wedding party. This style of wedding incorporates bold lighting, lasers, top djs, chill out zones and metallic colours with modern glass finishes.
Some are choosing to bring in added extras to get the party started. Instead of just a DJ, expect to see a live band, saxophonist, steel drums or roaming band before the DJ does his late-night set. The dance floor is the most important part of a wedding in this theme, so bring your dancing shoes and party till dawn.
ETHEREAL ROMANCE
A move on from the popular Boho style, this is a beautiful wedding theme with an enchanting, whimsical feel. Soft floaty fabrics, small bud flowers and delicate detailing set the tone.
Couples are taking the ceremony outdoors in summer and staying there for the reception with statement light effects reminiscent of the Christmas light shows that have become so popular. Tunnels of fairy lights, or a canopy of twinkling pea lights to dine under, punctuated with soft glowing lanterns and candles look magical.
Colours within this theme are soft, muted and work in harmony with the natural surroundings.
RETRO GLAMOUR
Whether it’s a 1920s big band extravaganza or a Boho disco-themed seventies wedding party, couples are looking back to decades gone by as inspiration for their big day.
Mid-century furniture, garlands of pampas grass (or a full pampas archway to say I do underneath), earthy tones and rustic embellishments are one interpretation of a wedding guided by the 1970s, the decade of free-love and freedom of spirit. Bring in rattan thrones for the wedding couple and of course, you’ll need to have a full on disco ready for guests to groove their way into the early hours. The festival wedding also works well within this theme – create your own Woodstock with outdoor entertainment and food to go.
SEQUEL WEDDINGS AND ANNI-CEPTIONS
Anyone who chose to go ahead with their ceremony in 2021 but wasn’t satisfied with a scaled back version can hop on board the new trend of the ‘sequel weddings’ or ‘anni-ceptions’ (anniversary receptions).
Some couples chose to just go ahead with the legal part of the ceremony when restrictions were limiting guest numbers, but now they’re free to celebrate properly it’s time to really get the party started. Whether renewing vows, choosing to keep a nod to the ceremonial part of the wedding, or playing a video of the moment they said, ‘I do,’ the sequel wedding can be every bit as touching and memorable as the prequel.
Our brides and grooms are going all out and planning big extravagant parties this year, much bigger than they would have originally done. We’ve been asked for lots of ‘festival style weddings’ with outdoor street food vendors, huge tipi tents and multiple bands and entertainment. People want to host a party to remember.
SOMETHING BORROWED
Carrie Johnson brought this trend to the forefront recently, when she married Boris in a rented wedding dress, sparking a surge in brides searching for their dream dresses to loan and feel amazing in for the day. But it’s not just about rented wedding dresses – more and more we’re seeing items such as vintage glassware, designer furniture, China tableware, antique silverware, show stopping jewellery and luxury linens being rented as a way of getting an uber-glamourous designer wedding but at a fraction of the price tag.
I’m really hoping that while the ‘something borrowed’ wedding trend takes off in 2022, it stays around for much longer. What a way to bring your dream wedding to fruition while keeping both budget and environmental impact to a minimum.
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Northern Life Mar/Apr 2022