New year, new up and coming trends! I’ve mined the best out there for you from Martha Stewart Weddings, The Wedding Wire, and Bride’s Magazine, to bring you insight from elite and talented event planners, floral designers, and wedding vendors of every type into which trends will rule the 2018 wedding season!

Most Popular:

1. Cutting The Guest ListWeddings and/or Smaller Wedding Parties – Couples opting to leave off related they haven’t seen for years, making more intimate gatherings with the people that matter most and extra cash for the things couples really want! Additionally, Kara Delay of Love This Day Events predicts that brides will choose a single maid of honor or just one or two bridesmaids in 2018.

2. Moody, Colorful Florals – “The big trend for 2018 will be darker, detailed, and textured florals”, says Anna Lucia, expert event planner and design. 2018 will be all about the dark colors, especially shades of purple (wine, lilac, lavender to name a few), including ultra violet purple.

3. Textured Linens – Enhancing the guests’ experience includes the details that they interact with. Planners and brides are “taking cues from the runway” for linen inspiration, said Julie Savage Parekh ofStrawberry Milk Events. Different textures and something different on various elements, such as wax seals on menus, assorted linens on each table, and even three different tabletops for the reception tables are some of the new ideas that guests will notice.

4. Translucent Touches – With the reemergence of classic mid-century design, it’s no surprise that lucite and other see-through mediums are about to have a major wedding moment. According to Allison Jackson ofPineapple Productions, “couples are opting for the modern, architectural, and clean design translucence offers. Clear tents, venues surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, glass tables, and lucite invitations and place cards are all examples of the see-through details to come.”

5. Go all-out with the desserts While the traditional wedding cake and cake cutting are not going away, more creative desserts like popsicles, custards, doughnuts, macaroons, and ice cream sandwiches are what couples are serving at the end of the night. Why not go all out and do an entire dessert table complete with cooking and wedding trifle – a little something for everyone!

6. New (Unique) Food – Modern couples are more often opting out of the traditional 3-course set menu for their wedding breakfast. Instead, choosing food they love – from big sharing plates to food vans and portable pizza ovens, wedding food is definitely seeing a change. For 2018 we predict more alternative options like Mexican, Japanese and Peruvian inspired cuisine – with tacos, sushi and ceviche on the menu. Also on the trend are interactive appetizer stations, including a raw bar or roll your own sushi, using family recipes, farm-to-table dinners, and creative desserts.

7. Creative Place Cards – For Georgia plannerJacin Fitzgerald, place cards are about to take a creative (and delicious!) turn. “While paper will always have a place in weddings and events, there is an ongoing trend to think outside the box,” she said. “The new year will weave creative place cards into the event’s aesthetic. They’ll be edible or made with unexpected mediums, such as plants or vases.”

8. Hanging Floral Installations – These have already started to appear in some of the most stylish weddings of 2017, but for 2018 expect to see more of a creative approach to floral displays. Hanging flowers or greenery above tables creates a great dynamic to the space, playing with heights and viewpoints. It also gives more space on tables if you’re choosing more candles or big sharing plates. Also popular for 2018 wedding reception tables is a small cluster of vases with just one or two types of flowers.

9. Black Accents – You might think the idea of incorporating black into your classic white bridal look is madness, but when you see how the designers have done it, you’ll see it gives a modern and effective monochromatic twist, that will add drama to your day without fail. Take inspiration from Vera Wang, Marchesa and Reem Acra Spring 2018 bridal collections.

10. Copper – Moving on from rose gold accents, 2018 will see similar metallic touches in the form of a more industrial look copper. The great thing about this material, is that it’s super cheap! But looks so effective – especially when reflecting candle light – so lanterns and tea light holders will be key. You can also incorporate copper details in cups, cutlery, chairs and even ribbons. The effect will particularly look great for an autumnal wedding color palette.

More Ideas for your 2018 Wedding!

Emphasis on the After-Party

While nothing could ever replace a reception, more brides will throw their resources into after parties next year, said Lauren Fremont of Loli Events. “The emphasis will be on the late-night portion of the wedding,” she explained. “The level of thought that goes into ‘the party after the party’ will grow in 2018. Whether that means adding a specialty late-night food option, changing into a fun jumpsuit or lighter dress, or moving to an entirely new location to keep guests on their toes, there are many fun ways to keep the party going!”

Going Back Indoors

2017 might have been the year of the outdoor wedding, but JZ Events founder Jennifer Zabinski believes that couples will reclaim indoor spaces in the future. The types of venues at the top of these couple’s lists, however, aren’t your average banquet hall. “Industrial, loft-style spaces” and “rooftops or museums” will be venues of choice in 2018, she explained. With high ceilings and open space, they’re just as airy as the great outdoors.

Dogwood Bouquets

Bridal bouquets have been lush and wild for some time now, but Ginny Au says 2018 will be all about one “overgrown” variety in particular: dogwood. “Bridal bouquets made of only dogwood blooms will make a huge appearance in the spring,” she said.

Wedding Wreaths
Not just for Christmas, wreaths are becoming a popular alternative decoration for weddings across all seasons. Wispy grasses, sweet smelling eucalyptus and wild flowers, these bohemian rings will have your guests impressed by your modern flower installations!

A return to formality

Couples are going back to formal weddings according to several wedding planners. “We are anticipating a stronger presence of uber-elegant weddings in 2018,” says Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss Event Planning in the Pacific Northwest. “We are seeing cleaner florals, classic tuxedos, and a hint of sparkle.” Beth agrees, adding, “We’re seeing formal with a bit of whimsical, so it’s formal but not stuffy.”

Couples are finding new ways to entertain guests.

“For 2018 wedding trends, it’s very much about creating an incredible experience for guests,” says Emily Sullivan of Emily Sullivan Events in New Orleans. Couples are incorporating interactive elements into their wedding to entertain their guests with creative food ideas, music, and photo booths (not to mention booking epic room blocks for weddings so out-of-towners feel welcome the whole weekend). “The photo booth concept is not going away,” Beth explains, “but today’s couples are having an open booth with a backdrop. A no booth-booth.” As for props, Melissa adds that people are tired of the same old props, so either they won’t have any props in their photo booth or they’ll seek out new, never-before-seen props.

Don’t call it “rustic,” it’s all about the “woodsy” look.

Brides who want a rustic look and feel will start steering away from the barn look to a more “woodsy” look according to Taylor Green of Taylor Elise Events in St. Louis, Missouri. This includes a lot of greenery in the florals and green as the wedding’s main color. “We’ll also move away from burlap and see more wooden details,” she explains. Wooden details can include the invitation, table numbers, seating cards, tags, chargers, signage, chairs and tables.”

Destination Weddings That Embrace Local Culture

An easy way to make a destination wedding feel entirely new? “Embrace the local culture,” said Lynn Easton, the planner behind Easton Events. “Exotic destinations for wedding celebrations will continue to trend in 2018​,​ especially in locations where you can get off the grid.” The best part of these unique places are the local traditions and customs makes incorporating them a must-try in 2018.

Well there you have it! If anything, I hope you found some cool ideas (mmmmm’ desert table!) you can implement, or find a DIY solution, and/or avoid all together!

With Love,

TR

p.s. Hear from the Experts! Check out this blog post on Bridal Beauty Answers from the Experts!