Even though every couple wants a wedding day that’s unique to them, looking for outside inspiration can really help with planning the big day. Whether it’s flicking through Instagram, reading magazines, or picking elements from fictional weddings in TV and film, they’ll usually find a few key features they’d like to replicate themselves. With that in mind, we thought we’d make it a little easier to fill up your wedding inspiration guide, with five key wedding trends that we’re set to see plenty of in 2020.
Ethical flowers
With ethical living very much in vogue, sustainably sourced flowers are going to remain a priority for couples tying the knot in 2020. It might seem strange that something so natural could ever be bad for the planet, but many wedding flowers aren’t homegrown, with the Netherlands, Colombia, and Ecuador being the world’s largest flower exporters. So, newlyweds are actually responsible for significant levels of carbon emission if their bouquets are flown in for a wedding in the UK.
This is why the eco-conscious are basing their floral bouquets and decorations on what can be grown locally each season, rather than sourcing flowers from abroad. Working with nearby florists also reduces the time it takes to deliver flowers, lessening the environmental impact and saving couples from having to worry about risking late arrivals for their arrangements. Many companies are meeting this demand by taking additional steps to improve sustainability.
For example, London florist Blooming Haus not only uses forages (plant material eaten by grazing livestock) and local flowers but also plants one tree for every happy couple to make use of their services.
Bridal trains and capes
High-necked Victorian-style gowns, worn by celebrity brides like Ellie Goulding and Pippa Middleton, will remain popular, but more daring brides are looking to less traditional accessories. One key trend is a dramatic bridal train, with Sébastien Luke and Amsale incorporating the voluminous component into the dresses themselves during Bridal Fashion Week Spring 2020.
Meanwhile, brands like Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera gave the train a contemporary twist by working it into statement bridal jumpsuits. Trailing cathedral length veils are another 2020 wedding trend, though many brides are choosing more modern-looking versions of the accessory instead. For example, Monica Lhuillier, Galia Lahav and White One by Zac Posen all featured capes in their Bridal Fashion Week Fall 2020 designs.
DIY food stations
Now that there is an increasing likelihood of wedding guests requiring a range of dietary requirements, sit-down meals are becoming ever more complicated for wedding caterers. It’s tricky to compile a fixed menu that everybody can enjoy when accommodations (rightly) need to be made for vegan, non-drinking or gluten-free guests. This is why DIY food stations are a big 2020 wedding trend, where guests are offered a small selection of plates so they can decide exactly what they want to eat.
Cheese and fruit grazing tables, pizza bars and doughnut walls are all popular wedding food options, and could even provide Instagrammable opportunities if they’re presented creatively. Drinks can also be customized thanks to the rise of make-your-own cocktail bars.
Classic blue color palettes
Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2020 is Classic Blue: “Timeless and enduring blue suggestive of the sky at dusk”. Even though some have criticized the company for playing it safe, Pantene’s choice always goes on to influence wedding color schemes. Platforms like Hitched and Bride Magazine have already suggested a number of ways the shade could be incorporated, from stationary and bridesmaid dresses to wedding cakes and confetti.
However, Classic Blue won’t necessarily be a universal choice, with Pantone’s Neo-Mint, Purist Blue, Cassis, Cantaloupe and Mellow Yellow all dominating 2020 wedding color palettes as well.
Lower costs
It’s common to splash your cash on a dream ceremony and, according to Bridebook‘s 2019 UK Wedding Report, average wedding costs that year reached an all-time high of £30,355. The big day will only get more expensive with time, but many couples are prioritizing married life itself by cutting wedding costs in order to save for the future.
Bridebook founder Hamish Shephard told the Evening Standard that financial uncertainty over Brexit has prompted many soon-to-be newlyweds to reduce their budgets. “We are seeing more 2020 couples planning crowd-funded weddings, more couples asking guests for a financial contribution and more ‘group weddings’ – where you share your wedding day with your BFF or family member.”
Other 2020 money-saving measures include dual-purpose venues hosting both the ceremony and the reception, hiring rather than buying outfits, and ditching wedding favors altogether.
