White dresses. Flowers. Church organs. Weddings tend to conjure up the same concrete mental images for everyone. But though it’s become the go-to symbol of the actual wedding ceremony, the first white dress wasn’t worn while exchanging vows until 1840 when Queen Victoria introduced the look to the Western world. Since then, brides everywhere won’t settle for anything else. This is all to say that wedding traditions can change over time, and they have. Each new year brings an entirely different set of trends to watch in the wedding world, and 2014 is now exception. Whether you’re looking at wedding planning on a budget or you’re splurging to include all the regal details you’ve ever dreamed of, keep these four hot wedding trends in mind before it’s time to make any final decorating or thematic decisions.
- Art Deco & the Days of Old
Blame it on last year’s The Great Gatasby remake. Blame it on technological addictions. Whatever the “real” reason, formalist weddings are boomeranging back into style, Bridal Guide reports. Expect an onslaught of Art Deco invites, flapper-inspired dresses, brass bands and lots of dancing in fancy, expensive tuxedos and ball gowns. On second thought, who needs a reason to celebrate the Jazz Age at all? - Hashtags & the Days of New
OK, so this one might seem a little contradictory, but some couples simply aren’t into the whole nostalgia thing. And who says the Roaring Twenties can’t coexist with the Roaring 2010s? More and more couples are inventing their own hashtags for their guests to use during the ceremony and, more specifically, during the reception. Tagging photos, tweets and even videos with, say, #SteveMichelle2014 can be a great way to go share those special moments with a larger audience. - Flowers, Flower Garlands, Floral Patterns
Nothing spells wedding quite like a banquet hall or church decorated to the ceiling with gorgeous lilacs, gardenias and daisies. In 2014, expect modern weddings to take the floral craze one step further. You’ll probably see more flower garlands than in recent years, and Bridal Guide is calling the tree peony the flower of the year with its numerous gorgeous petals. Factor in floral prints for dinner tables and you have just about all the foliage you need for your nuptials. - Shabby Chic Designs for Casual Elegance
Wedding planning on a budget is tough, but finding cute decorations doesn’t have to be. Find as many authentic Mason jars as you can, then re-purpose them as table-centerpiece candle holders. Use glass gallon jugs as flower vases. Get creative with what you have around the kitchen and fashion your own invitations out of old newsprint — or something trendy like that. Luckily for you, budgeting and thrifting are very “in” these days, which makes for an easy-to-design wedding aesthetic.
About 93% of all brides today use the internet to help when they’re wedding planning on a budget. Keep an eye out for more lists like this in the future to help you stay on top of the trends in the future, too.