These Were The Top 10 Wedding Trends Of The Last Decade
These Were The Top 10 Wedding Trends Of The Last Decade
Almost every wedding out there is influenced by the latest bridal trends, whether that comes through in décor, the bride's gown, the wedding party looks, or the theme. In the last 10 years, we've seen a lot of wedding trends come and go—donut walls and naked cakes covered in real flowers seem to have run their course—but a few are carrying over into 2020. Here's a look back at what nearly every newlywed incorporated into their big day in the 2010s, according to Zola. These just might spark some inspiration for your own event!
Statement Florals
Flowers at a wedding? No surprise here. But in the last 10 years, the types of flowers that brides used at weddings looked a little different than in the past. Instead of small, round bouquets, arrangements become more full of more greenery, and much larger. According to Zola, 20% of couples even incorporated succulents into their selection.
Florals took over décor as well, with greenery and blooms making a huge statement. 22% of couples used hanging greenery and 16% of couples sprang for a floral or greenery & flower wall at their wedding. "Weddings in the last decade were all about having the perfect Instagrammable moment, and statement florals are a relatively easy way to make a big impact," says Jennifer Spector, brand director at Zola.
Mix-and-Match Wedding Party Styles
Traditionally, bridesmaids have worn the same dress in the same color. But in the last decade, we saw a big change in that: it became more popular for bridesmaids to wear all different styles of a dress in the same color or the same color family, and sometimes even all different colors that complement each other, with 53% of wedding parties going this route.
"Couples today want their wedding to reflect their personal style, and that extends to their wedding party," said Spector. Whatever the reason for the mismatched looks, bridesmaids everywhere applauded the chance to wear a dress that flattered them, rather than looking like a carbon copy of the other wedding party members.
Destination Weddings
Planning a wedding in a dream location has never been as popular as it was this past decade. Half of the couples out there had a destination wedding, which are particularly popular in the United States.
Getting married on a tropical beach, in the mountains far from home, or even in a totally different country became more normal than ever before, with guests shelling out money for a gift as well as a plane ticket. The reason? According to Spector, it's because couples today love to travel, and, as she said, "there's no better excuse to go on the trip of a lifetime than your wedding."
Mini-Moons
Honeymoons have definitely changed a lot in the last few years. Traditionally, couples left for their trip immediately after the reception ended (sometimes even a little bit before), or the very next morning. But in the last decade, mini-moons have taken over. In fact, the word didn't even exist before 2010 and was just added to dictionary.com in April of 2019.
A mini-moon is generally a shorter vacation (maybe a long weekend) that couples take right after their nuptials, usually close by their home, and nothing extravagant. Many couples take a mini-moon and then wait a few months (or even a year) before taking their actual honeymoon. It's a way for them to celebrate and relax without spending too much money after dropping cash on their wedding.
Non-Traditional Gifts
The wedding gift of choice these days is cold, hard cash, or just a handwritten check. The majority of Zola couples register for cash funds instead of the traditional gift ideas, like home items, kitchen appliances, and gift cards.
The reason is simple: More couples are living together before they're married, so they don't need all the usual wedding gifts since they already have them. Spector explained that couples, "want to register for a mix of traditional home upgrades, gift cards, and cash funds to help pay for their honeymoon or a down payment on their first home."
Adults-Only Weddings
In the past, kids were almost always expected to tag along to weddings, but today, a lot of couples are choosing to go the adults-only route. In fact, more than half of couples (63%) chose to have an adults-only bash. It's not just because of the late night and partying, but also because of money—weddings are more expensive than ever.
Spector pointed out: "In addition to paying for their own wedding, many couples are investing in a more premium experience for their guests by inviting less people but spending more per person."
Wedding Hashtags
Hashtags are now just one more detail couples need to think up while wedding planning—and most start formulating ideas as soon as they get engaged. A hashtag centered around the couples' names is part of almost every wedding now—77% of couples choose one.
Although some might scoff at the hashtag idea, it does have a purpose: It makes it easier to find all the photos people took of your wedding in one place on social media.
Wedding Weekends
The days when a wedding simply consisted of a ceremony and a party with dinner and dancing are long gone. In the last decade, it's been all about the wedding weekend. In fact, 3/4 of couples added at least one additional event to their wedding weekend, whether it was brunch the morning after, a welcome party the night before, or an after-party that went late into the night. That's even true for non-destination weddings. Weddings are much longer than they've ever been - and that's probably another reason they're so much more expensive.
Wedding Websites
Before 2010, the way you got information about a wedding was from the invitation and word of mouth. But today, it's all about the wedding website. Most couples make a wedding website before their big day, which includes information about their relationship, their bridal party, and the big night (or wedding weekend), as well as links to their registry and more.
"Before Zola, couples had to use an average of three websites to do everything they needed for their wedding, but now couples can share travel details, their registry, collect RSVPs, and so much more all in one place," said Spector.
Signature Cocktails
It's all about the little details at weddings today, and one of the best is the signature cocktail. 85% of people plan to have a signature cocktail at their wedding, as they've been popping up more and more in the last few years. Spector says it's because these signature cocktails, which typically play off a couple's personality and interests, make things feel more personal and fun.
Are mini-moons the new honeymoons?