12 Wedding Traditions & Trends That Are Starting To Disappear
After working for more than a decade in the wedding industry, we have seen our fair share of trends come and go. The wedding trend cycle is especially interesting because it involves a number of newly emerged and “trendy” commonalities while also pulling in many traditional elements as well. While we saw rustic-chic weddings at the forefront of trends in the 2010s, more boho-esque and simplistic styles have now come to the surface.
As we watch the trend cycle refresh and renew, some things stay the same while others rapidly change. Below you’ll find a list of things that we’ve noticed are beginning to fall out of trend. Now, before we dive in, remember that just because something isn’t in trend doesn’t mean it’s bad or you shouldn’t do it. It’s your wedding, do what you want! These are simply some patterns that we’ve noticed over the past couple of years.
The Bride’s Family Taking The Financial Burden
While this was a long-standing tradition for decades, the strain of paying for a wedding is no longer assumed to be taken on by the bride’s family. There is no set structure for how weddings are paid for these days; some couples have family money on one or both sides, some don’t. Some couples are high earners themselves, some aren’t. Some are great at saving money and have already got money put away for this reason.
In addition, couples are getting married older than they used to, so it’s not as common for them to look to their parents to pick up the cheque. What we’re seeing most commonly at the moment is expense sharing. In some cases, the bride’s parents may offer to cover her dress and the wine, for example, and the groom’s parents may offer to cover the venue or the food. Or, none of the above.
The biggest takeaway about who is supposed to pay for what in the present day is that it is completely different for everyone and nothing should be assumed about who will or should pay.
Gender-Based Wedding Parties
Over the past few years, we’ve begun to see people step out of the traditional wedding party structure. While we used to see women stand next to the bride, the bridesmaids and maid of honour and men stand next to the groom, the groomsmen and best man, we are now seeing people mix it up a bit.
Wedding parties are getting far more unique and customized to the relationships the couple has with their loved ones. If a bride wants her brother to be in the wedding party, it’s becoming more common for him to stand on her side rather than her husband-to-be’s side.
Ombré Accents
Ombré was huge throughout the 2010s. From ombré hair to ombré accents, we saw this trend in so many aspects of weddings around this time. From floral arrangements and wedding cakes to balloons and bridesmaids’ dresses, ombré was a hit. While we do still see it from time to time, it’s taken a huge backseat to things like monochrome and colour blocking. We’re seeing a big resurgence of simplicity and more stylized things such as ombré are beginning to disappear.
Wedding Favours
Over the years we have seen a wide range of wedding favours. From treats at a candy bar to take home to flip flops for the dance floor and more. While not everyone is moving away from wedding favours, they certainly aren’t a “must” like they seemed to be a few years ago. Now, we are seeing more couples opt for experiential things for their guests such as a champagne bar, photo booths, or smores stations around a fire.
The thing about wedding favours is that while they are cute and thoughtful, we always see so many left behind. After a night of fun, many guests will forget to grab theirs on the way out. So, instead of ending up with little goody bags to deal with yourself, give your guests something to enjoy while they're at your wedding.
Rustic Chic
As we mentioned, we’ve watched the rustic chic craze come and go. While burlap and barn-style weddings took over in the 2010s, we’re beginning to see it less and less. Though, this is always location-dependent. If you’re in a rural area with lots of beautiful acreages or barn properties, more rustic weddings will probably stick around forever and if it’s a beautiful setting, it will be a beautiful wedding!
Traditional Registry Items
If you think back to 10 or 20 years ago, most couples would register for an array of wedding gifts, most of which being things for the home. In these circumstances, you’d see things like appliances, decor, kitchenware, linens, etc. Now, many of the couples we are seeing have already been living together prior to the wedding. If that’s the case, they’ve likely got everything they need apart from some splurge items.
Couples are often asking for monetary gifts to help cover the cost of the wedding or honeymoon or to buy a home if they haven’t done so yet. There is also a trend of couples asking for gifts in the form of donations to a charity of their choice.
Receiving Lines
This tradition is seen so rarely at this point that you may not even be familiar with what it means. A receiving line is when you give all or your guests a chance to shake hands and congratulate everyone in the wedding party and immediate family right after the ceremony. While this can be very joyous and sentimental, it is certainly dying out as it takes a ton of time away from the photos and doesn’t give anyone a chance to really have a nice conversation as it’s so rushed.
Cascading Bridal Bouquets
There was a big trend of cascading bridal bouquets a few years ago that we’ve seen disappear over the past couple of years. These arrangements hung down like a waterfall in front of the bride. While they are beautiful, the trend didn’t stand the test of time and this type of bouquet is especially hard to transport and handle as it’s loose in structure and very delicate.
The Bouquet Toss & Garter Toss
We don’t think there will ever come a day that we’ll see these traditions completely disappear, but we are definitely seeing more and more couples opt to skip them as the years go by. Depending on the group, they can be a little bit uncomfortable and sometimes difficult to get everyone engaged and involved once the party has already started. We’re also seeing fewer brides choosing to wear garters at all.
If you think your guests would have fun with the tradition, by all means, go for it! But, if you think it might just be awkward and a little bit forced, skipping it is just as normal at this point.
Not Seeing Each Other Pre-Ceremony
It’s been a long-standing tradition for a bride and groom to not see each other before the wedding. Typically, the first look has been the second the bride steps into the aisle. Not, many couples are opting for “first look” photoshoots instead. This way, they can do their photos and share a private, special moment before the ceremony to avoid a break in time between the ceremony and the reception.
While not everyone will opt for the first look photo shoot, some couples are just finding it a little less important to avoid seeing one another before the ceremony. Again, we think this is one that will never completely disappear. It is a pretty heartwarming moment for everyone to witness when they see each other for the first time at the ceremony.
Matching Bridesmaids Dresses
We have seen a significant shift from the traditional, all-matching bridesmaids’ dresses. Some brides are opting for a matching theme or colour scheme or a few different styles among the bridal party so that each of the bridesmaids can find a dress that they feel comfortable and look great in. While some brides still choose a matching set for their party, it’s more common to have the bridesmaids weigh in on the choice, especially if they’ll be purchasing them.
Formal Wedding Cakes
Finally, we are seeing a lot of innovation in the dessert department. While many couples do still opt for a traditional wedding cake, we are seeing more couples go for a smaller cake and something different for all of the guests. Some examples include a donut bar, cupcakes, candy bars, cookies or pastries, or super unique things like crepe stations.