With 2020 being a bit of a… hot mess disaster, it’s hard to differentiate trends that are happening as a reaction to COVID vs. trends that are happening organically.  That being said, I’ve seen some consistent trends emerging, so I thought it would be fun to put together a 2021 Wedding Trends list.

Intimate Guestlists

Obviously, with the pandemic still raging around us, we will be required to keep to intimate guestlists. That being said, I think many couples are seeing a bright (and budget-friendly) side to reducing their guestlists. And in doing so, opening up a wide range of new venue possibilities. I’ll be curious to see if this 2021 wedding trend continues into 2022 and beyond!

More Private Properties

With many events moving from 2020 into 2021, venues are much busier than usual. This means that couples may need to get creative when it comes to finding a location to tie the knot. Fortunately, a smaller guest list means that more backyards will be a good size for hosting! It’s much easier to nestle 12 guests into your backyard than 120, so I think we will see many more backyard nuptials in 2021! If you are planning a private property wedding, here’s a blog full of tips to help you get started!

Seated Entertainment

Under the current restrictions, guests are not really allowed to mix and mingle. This means no dancing! We’ve seen many couples looking for creative alternatives to keep their guests entertained and safe on their wedding day. So what are some entertainment ideas that can be enjoyed from the safety of your assigned seat? Here’s a list of some fun ideas:

• Wine and cheese pairing
• Scotch tasting
• Independent musicians that take song requests at the tables
• Trivia
• Comedian
• Magician

I personally love the idea of bringing in alternate forms of entertainment! I hope that this will continue well beyond the impacts of the pandemic and that this won’t just be a 2021 wedding trend!

Budget Reallocation

We’ve seen guest numbers going down, but budgets are staying the same. This means that many couples are opting to spend more on flowers, stationery and the overall guest experience. I think we will continue to see couples choosing to bring in more specialty items in lieu of having their full guest list there. For many, the wedding budget has been set for quite some time, so that money almost feels “spent” already, even if it totally isn’t. You know? You know!

Non-Traditional Wardrobe

As we continue to focus on the most important aspects of a wedding, I think we will see a shift in wardrobe. Suddenly, wearing a traditional white gown may feel less appealing or necessary compared to something else that you feel amazing in. Maybe I’m just secretly hoping to see more colour!

What do you think we are going to see as the most popular 2021 wedding trends?