2018 Wedding Trends
With each new year comes a fresh lineup of wedding trends, and the wedding themes of 2018 do not disappoint. From a shift towards moodier colour palettes and edgier reception spaces, to surprise elements that focus on fun over tradition, there are many new ideas to make your wedding feel personalized and unique. To help make your day stand out from the rest, below we provide our ultimate wedding inspiration guide for the 2018 season.
Ultra Violet
If there's one source of inspiration we can count on wedding season over wedding season, it's the Pantone Color of the Year. In 2017, the shade 'greenery' took the honour, and as a result, we saw fresh greenery cascading from every single wedding element, ranging from flowing table garlands to live backdrops. Although greenery accents are going nowhere soon, the colour trending in 2018 - ultra violet - offers a bolder and more dramatic palette. Brides are choosing to incorporate shades of purple - lavendar, lilac, wine, and mauve - in their decor, floral, dessert tables, stationery, and bridesmaid attire. Pairing violet with soft and timeless neutrals like cream, grey or blush will balance the overall colour scheme, and allow the bold hue to stand out as a pop of colour - as too much of this colour could easily turn a design from on trend to overwhelming. The daring bride will choose to use the shade in unexpected wedding elements like flowing chiffon table runners, pillar candles, or even dramatic up-lighting - with the added bonus of energizing her wedding guests, a known benefit of purple-toned lighting.
(Above): To create cohesiveness, the same shade of lilac was used for florals and linens in the St. Marys Ballroom. (Below, Left): Mismatched bridesmaid dresses in tones of purple. Photo Source: This Modern Romance. (Below, Right): Paired with soft colours like dove grey, lilac looks ultra feminine and romantic. Photo Source: Martha Stewart Weddings.
Moody Florals & Floral Wreaths
Of course, if ultra violet isn't your vibe, you can plan for a different kind of dramatic colour scheme - one that focuses on richer, deeper and bolder tones. Rather than the constant pastels we see in flower arrangements, brides are opting for moodier and more unique colour palettes this season. Black, burgundy and deep pinks and purples will play a big role in florals, with tropical hues and greens rounding out the selection. This fresh take on the wedding colour scheme is guaranteed to inspire your florist to go the extra mile for you, as it means they won't have to work with predictable all-white, cream and blush blooms. However, if you still prefer the classics (after all, beautiful neutrals like white and blush are in heavy rotation for a reason), you can instead punctuate your timeless palette with moody accents like black bouquet ribbon, pillar candles, or charger plates at the table settings.
Moody florals, in deep tones such as purple and blue, and mixed with tropical varieties like palm and succulent, will be at the center of weddings this season. Venue: The Hideaway at St. Marys Golf & Country Club. Floral Design: Lyric Flowers. Photography: Angelic Images Photography.
On the topic of wedding flowers, suspended floral arrangements are here to stay. Over the past few seasons, we have seen floating florals everywhere - dripping from existing chandeliers, sprouting from hanging objects like wood logs and ladders, and even dramatically grouped into large hanging installations like floral pomanders and inverted gardens. This year, the trend will evolve to include suspended floral hoops, which add the perfect blend of whimsy and woodsy to any space. Aside from the aesthetic, circular objects provide incredible symbolism for your wedding - wholeness, timelessness and eternity. We'll see groupings of wreaths hanging as artistic backdrops behind head tables and photo booth lounges, singular oversized wreaths suspended from trees as swings, large circular floral arches as ceremony altars, and our personal favourite, massive greenery hoops with bursts of blooms floating horizontally above reception tables.
(Above, Left): Large circular arches adorned with greenery and floral will create a show-stopping setting for both your ceremony and photos. Photo Source: Arch & Vow Studio. (Above, Right): Hanging greenery hoops above reception tables adds a whimsical touch to a rustic-industrial wedding. Photo Source: Design Sponge.
Industrial Spaces
If you're tiring of the whole barn wedding craze, you'll be happy to know that fully rustic-themed weddings are on their way out. Drawing inspiration from the world of interior design, brides are looking for eclectic spaces for their reception, rather than rooms made of all-wood everything - ceiling, walls, doors and floors. They're trading in baby's breath and burlap for a look that's still relaxed and undone, yet at the same time polished and edgy. Industrial, loft-style spaces are the wave of the future - essentially the barn wedding reinvented. Infused with rustic, earthy, metallic, and elegant features, these spaces mix styles for a more sophisticated and artistic atmosphere, which offers visual interest through soaring ceilings, open space, and various textures and finishes. With exposed raw wood beams throughout its 20-foot high ceiling, polished concrete flooring, edgy black-pane glass garage doors, a custom copper and marble stone bar, and shimmering bronze gold chandeliers, the Hideaway at St. Marys is the epitome of the moody, eclectic space couples are seeking.
With an exposed wood beam ceiling, glass garage doors, and polished concrete floors, the Hideaway at St. Marys Golf & Country Club is an eclectic space that encompasses both a rustic and industrial feel.
Macramé
For the bride who appreciates the beauty in different textures and styles, she will likely gravitate to the material of the moment - macramé. With a playful, bohemian, and oh-so pretty feel, this knotted technique is becoming popular throughout all wedding elements. Brides are asking their decorators to incorporate the textile as ceremony and reception backdrops, table runners, seating charts, and hanging art installations. Bakers are even using fondant to imitate the appearance of macramé on wedding cakes. Displayed in its natural cream-coloured state, or with a pop of colour from greenery and floral accents, the detail in this art piece is sure to impress your guests. However, in our minds, choosing a backdrop made from the tying of knots is reason enough to include this decoration for when you 'tie the knot'.
Macramé is a unique way to display seating charts or escort cards, and it instantly adds a bohemian feel to an outdoor wedding. Photo Source: Green Wedding Shoes.
Transparent Design and Decor
Following from the concept of open, airy and bright spaces (a benefit of industrial-inspired rooms), transparency takes flight as a trend in interior and event design. Couples are searching for wedding spaces that have floor to ceiling windows, which allow in lots of natural light and an uninterrupted view of the surrounding landscape. With four oversized glass garage doors in the Hideaway, and an entire wall of windows in the Ballroom, both rooms at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club provide transparency to the picturesque golf course, and bring the outdoors in.
The floor to ceiling windows in the Ballroom allow in tons of natural light, and provide transparency to the beautiful views outdoors.
However, the translucence movement doesn't end with room design. Brides and their wedding planners are incorporating this timeless trend into every inch of their decor, from ghost chairs and tables, to acrylic podiums and card boxes, to glass risers that elevate flowers and clear charger plates that elevate place settings, to mirrors that reflect light and extend space, to an overflow of candles in glass vases as table centerpieces, to crystal chandeliers and draping, and even to lucite invitations and table numbers. The clean lines and minimalism provided by this timeless trend brings a fresh and yet extremely elegant feel to any wedding.
Bridesmaid Style
When it comes to bridesmaid style, all traditional rules have been thrown out the window. Not only are the brides of today opting for weddings that are unique to who they are, but they are also choosing to have the special moment personalized to their gal pals as well. Bridal parties are becoming smaller (two to four of their closest friends, and sometimes even just a maid of honour), attire is becoming more representative of personal everyday fashion (mix and match dresses in complementary shades and fabrics, or edgy jumpsuits and separates instead of dresses), and hair styles are at the choosing of each individual bridesmaid. It's even becoming easier to choose fashionable, comfortable and photo-worthy 'uniforms' for your best friends to feel beautiful in while getting ready for your big day - from matching floral robes, to personalized tees, to comfy rompers, the options are endless.
Matching jumpsuits are the hottest trend in bridesmaid attire, especially when each girl can tie to suit her own personal style, seen here from the twobirds collection.
The Surprise Factor
More and more couples are incorporating surprise elements into their big day, as a sure way to wow their guests and provide family and friends with an event experience like none they've had before. From live musical or theatrical performances during the reception, to choreographed dances by the whole wedding party, to an edited video montage of the couple's love story, and even to fireworks as a way to kick off the party, brides and grooms are starting to think outside of the box. If you really want to make your guests gasp in excitement, plan for the whole wedding to be a surprise! Send out invites to a big engagement party, and then surprise your guests when you show up in wedding attire, ready to exchange your vows. Since the surprise wedding allows couples to cut out the noise of numerous opinions during the planning process, lets them focus instead on the celebration, and offers a completely unique dynamic for their special day, the trend is becoming extremely popular. And with pre-set packages like The Friday, it's even easier to opt for a celebration focused on having fun!
Surprise elements like choreographed dances are becoming more and more popular in the wedding plan of couples, and are a fun way to engage guests. Photography: Nina Polidoro.
So, with all of these wedding trends in mind, we want to know - what trends are your favourite and what will you incorporate into your 2018 wedding?