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- Wedding season is almost here.
- As it approaches, many couples are currently looking venues, menus and everything else that comes with creating the perfect 'I do' day.
- Here are this season's wedding tips and trends that'll help make planning a lot easier.
It's almost time for wedding season and you know what that means. Couples are in planning mode. While having an amazing wedding is everyone's goal, the stress that goes into achieving that perfection can sometimes reach dangerous levels.
Here are some of the top wedding trends to help make things easier.
This season's wedding trends
Every couple’s wedding is a day that they will always remember. And with memory-making often being a sensory experience, it is important to get the sights, sounds and smells on your special day planned ahead of time so they are just right.
To do this brides and grooms will begin thinking of colours for the theme, food and drink flavours for the meals, cakes and beverages, their favourite family members and friends, locations that fit their budget and settings such as the sea, forest, veld, or other beautiful events venues.
That said, wedding trends for each year come about because of a mixture of the tastes and preferences of couples, the popularity of certain aesthetics, foods and flowers during that season, wedding planners, and, of course, a healthy dose of interference from family members.
As the Southern Hemisphere looks towards autumn and winter, couples will be planning weddings suited for the colder months, which may mean that weddings are more affordable because of lower demand in comparison to spring and summer.
Wedding dresses and wedding suits
Bold colour is a big trend for the entire 2024 year. A touch of bold primary colours or deep purples, bright pinks, and bold punchy glitter can be added to the inner lining of wedding suits jackets and pants.
These pops of colour do not have to cover the entire wedding dress or suit. They can also be introduced through accessories such as bowties, Alice bands or the hems of dresses.
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"With Gen Zs bringing some of the styles of the 70s, 80s and 90s back, we are seeing more and more couples opt for the full wedding dress or suit to be in one colour like yellow or pink."
Pastels are also still popular for both wedding attire and decor, however, this year brides and grooms are using pastel colours together with luxe, textured fabrics and materials. This could be pastel suede, tuille or bespoke pastel-coloured woollen, mohair or cashmere suits for either the main wedding outfit or the reception attire.
Menu
Whole foods are back with a bang which means that many weddings will look to more simple drinks and dishes. This is in comparison to previous years where brides and grooms were opting for mini-versions of heavy big-dish foods like burgers, macaroni cheese or coq-a-vin to be served as small canapes.
"More and more guests are looking for variety while keeping foods simple, nutritious, and delicious. They often begin with grazing tables which are a sort of buffet-style set-up with foods that can be grazed on such as minty meatballs, creamy bries and crudité platters with the most delicious yoghurt, tahini, miso, or umami-centric dips," says Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront food and beverage manager Colleen Laategan.
For wholefood-inspired desserts, think sugar and gluten-free chocolate torte, heavenly chia puddings, similar to yoghurt panna cotta, and delicious protein-rich cheesecakes.
Gift trends
With economic times continuing to be precarious, gifts which contribute to the household contents of couples, or their savings or honeymoons are still big trends.
Many couples are now asking friends and family to not buy "stuff" and are opting to ask guests for contributions to larger items such as washing machines, plane tickets, hotels, and home loans.
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A number of gift registry websites allow visitors to contribute towards the total price of an item, which means a guest does not have to spend over their budget, and can buy a larger gift with another guest, whom they might not even know.
To be safe, consider asking the bride and groom for their bank details and making a deposit so that monetary wedding gifts are not lost or forgotten in the excitement of the wedding day.
Sustainability
The harmful effects of non-sustainable traditional event items such as plastics and single-use utensils and decor are increasingly being used by people, caterers, and food vendors across the world, resulting in an uptake of paper straws and other biodegradable utensils.
Edible utensils are another popular novelty. These include edible cups, knives, forks and plates, or decorations made of organic materials such as hemp.
Take-home decorations in the form of plants are another big trend this season because of their positive effect on the environment. Furthermore, planners are advising couples to choose indigenous plants to preserve the region's natural fauna and flora. Organic wedding decor that is edible such as herbs or plants that attract bees and other insects is also high on this year’s trends list.
However, you plan on organising your wedding this year, make sure that it is not harmful to the environment, includes laughter and fun, and provides you and your loved ones with lasting happy memories to savour for all time.
The Anti-Bride Trend
Another emerging trend is the Anti-Bride Trend that sees modern couples ditch traditional weddings for more unique and personalised experiences.
Having no rules and not needing to adhere to certain wedding traditions offers flexibility and independence. Having this freedom eases the difficulty and anxiety that often comes along with wedding planning.
Celebrity event planner Yana D spoke to News24 about why cultural pressures surrounding weddings can be overwhelming and remove the fun and excitement from the big day.
"Weddings, these magical celebrations of love and unity, are often focused on cultural expectations that, while well-intentioned, can dampen the joy of the occasion," she said.
"Picture-perfect ceremonies and grand receptions are great, but sometimes they become the sole focus of the wedding, and the genuine warmth and excitement of the day can get lost in the shuffle. With families, friends, and social media all contributing their two cents on what the 'perfect' wedding should look like, it's easy for couples to feel overwhelmed by the tradition rather than put in their own flair."
Yana D adds:
