2023 Wedding Trends I Love (+ 3 I’m Already Over)

Real talk: COVID threw a wrench in wedding trends for way too long. Everyone who got engaged in 2019 had to push their weddings to 2021, and there weren’t many new weddings with fresh ideas happening for a couple of years. Now, heading into 2023, we finally have some new trends to pull inspiration from!
Naturally, not everyone is going to love every trend, and that’s okay. If you hate one of the trends I love, no biggie. If you love one of the trends I’m not a fan of, who cares? With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s chat trends!

2023 Wedding Trends I’m Excited About

Full wedding weekends

I love a long wedding weekend, and this is probably my absolute favorite trend going into 2023. There are several ways to do this, but the main point is taking the single event that is your wedding and turning it into a full weekend of celebration! A traditional wedding weekend might look something like this: a welcome party on Thursday, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday, wedding on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. It might also include some sightseeing or other event during the day on Friday or even golf on Saturday morning.

My husband and I turned our wedding into a longer weekend but took a slightly different approach. We had our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Thursday night, our wedding on Friday, a daytime party at my grandparents’ house on Saturday, and then pancakes and coffee at our house on Sunday instead of a formal farewell brunch.

No matter how you spin this trend, it’s such a fantastic opportunity to spend a little bit more time with your loved ones in a more casual setting. It’s also a great chance to be creative with themes, fashion, and decor.

Candles everywhere

Candles have always been a decor staple, but this 2023 wedding trend is all about making them the focal point. More is more with this trend, so don’t be afraid of using candles at every turn. Use them to line your aisle, create centerpieces for your tables, or in any myriad of ways you can imagine!

Sustainable weddings

The reality is that weddings are not super earth-friendly. This trend (that I hope becomes a staple) is all about minimizing waste and maximizing opportunities to go green. If you’re looking to make your wedding more sustainable, look into renting attire, donating leftover food, and foam-free florals.

Over-the-top bach parties

This trend has been around for a while, and for good reason! Rather than having one night on the town, brides are opting to have long, themed getaway weekends to celebrate with their best friends. If you’re looking for an awesome bachelorette party planner, check out my girl Davon at Bach in the City! She can help with everything from setup to itinerary planning to an all-out planning package, including makeup, snacks, and bubbly.

Borderline ridiculous floral installations

Bring. on. the florals. 2023 weddings are going to be full of enormous, beautiful floral installations, and I can’t wait. These installations can be used as your ceremony arch, a piece for your sweetheart or head table, or even as a jaw-dropping photo moment. No matter how you choose to showcase these pieces, this is definitely a trend you’ll want to jump on.

2023 Wedding Trends I’m Already Over

Disco balls

Listen, disco balls had their moment. But after seeing them allllll over my feeds, I’m pretty much over it. My personal style tends to lean more timeless, so some wedding trends just aren’t really my jam. This trend is so specific that in 20 years, we’ll all be able to look at that wedding with 200 disco balls used as decor and say “yup, that was definitely an early 2020s wedding.” There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that if you’re a trendy couple by nature. My couples are typically timeless while being non-traditional, so this trend doesn’t often vibe with them.

Thin “brides” only

This “trend” has been industry standard for far too long, and I’m frankly beyond sick of it. (Side note: this is one trend where it’s not fine if you’re on board with it. If you’re not on board with loving bigger bodies, I’m not the planner for you). Society loves to make marriers, especially brides, feel like they need to be a toned size 0 in order to feel beautiful and worthy on their wedding days. From encouraging “sweating for the wedding,” to never showing fat/curvy/plus-sized couples on our feeds, it’s hard for brides above a size 8 to feel like they’re welcome in this space. We need to do better, seriously.

Vendors: Know that prospective plus-sized brides are looking at your feed and trying to decide if you will celebrate them just as much as your thin brides. Know that your past curvy brides are looking at your feed and realizing that you’ve never posted them or anyone else above a bridal size 12. Do. Better.

80s-style wedding gowns

This is another one that simply isn’t my style. I lean more timeless in my personal style, so anything overly era-specific isn’t going to end up in my design choices. That said, I wore my mom’s very 1992 wedding dress to my rehearsal dinner. If you’re looking to stay more timeless while also embracing current trends, make a statement with your rehearsal attire or an after party look. Stick to timeless silhouettes with subtle trends incorporated for your main gown!