Wedding trends and styles are constantly evolving. 2023 brings with it a whole new level of inspiration for wedding planning and design!
At the Lightner Museum, we’ve gotten a glimpse of the newest wedding trends, and we’re excited to share this insider look with you.
Whether you’re a bride-to-be, groom-to-be, or just want to be “in the know” when it comes to wedding trends, you’ll want to check out this blog post!
2023 Wedding Trends
Every year, we see a subtle shift in wedding trends.
Some things become more popular, while other traditions start to fall by the wayside. So what are the hot new wedding trends we can expect for 2023?
Here’s what the wedding experts at the Lightner Museum predict we’ll be seeing more of over the next year.
Weddings With a Classic Style
Classic weddings are here to stay!
At our wedding venue, many of our couples are choosing all-white or completely neutral looks for their wedding color palette. From white linens to candlelit tables, classic weddings are chic, timeless, and romantic.
Pops of black or gold are a great compliment to an all-white or neutral wedding color palette. Think about where these touches can make an impact with your signage, table decor, or wedding party attire.
Meredith & Zachary’s classic wedding reception at the Lightner Museum, Photo: Tiffany Delk Photography
Acrylic Wedding Details
From elegant invitations to modern signage, acrylic has been popping up everywhere. It can be used to create stunning signs, table numbers, place cards, or sleek and stylish invitations that make a statement (while also being surprisingly affordable).
Another reason for its popularity is that acrylic is adaptable to different wedding styles, from classic to contemporary.
Erika and Jack’s wedding reception featured acrylic table numbers. Photo: Ashley Izquierdo
Sketches of the Wedding Venue
One of our favorite recent wedding trends is incorporating sketches or paintings of the wedding venue into wedding invitations and wedding signage.
If you booked a wedding venue with amazing architecture or historical details like the Lightner Museum, this trend can really make your wedding invitations and stationery stand out!
With the arrival of 2023, we can only anticipate this trend becoming even more popular and couples taking full advantage of the creative possibilities.
Melissa and Tyler incorporated sketches of the Lightner Museum on their invitations and wedding signage. Photos: Trenholm Photography
Custom Monograms
Custom monograms are a growing trend at weddings that allow the couple to personalize every element of their wedding decor.
The monogram can be used on wedding invitations, websites, signage, and lighting to tie everything together. It’s an ideal way to express the couple’s personality and elevate the experience as a whole.
Unique Food Options
Recent couples seem to prefer buffet or station-style dining to plated dinners because it allows their guests to sample a wider variety of foods. Couples are also using these dining styles to incorporate unique stations that feature ethnic food and street food.
Frances and Nick offered a variety of unique food options for their guests, including a taco station, mashed potato station, and oyster station! Photo: Life & Love Studio
Couples are also incorporating this buffet mentality into their dessert options. This allows them to provide a wider range of desserts than a traditional wedding cake. We’re looking forward to seeing how these wedding food trends develop in the coming years!
Frances and Nick sweetened the evening for their guests by adding a Krispy Kreme flambé station as a late-night snack!
Different Alcohol Offerings & Unique Drink Presentations
Overall, Espresso Martinis have become a popular choice for our weddings at both the Lightner Museum and our sister property, The Treasury on the Plaza. These martinis add a kick of energy and sophistication.
Make your espresso martinis even more fun by turning them into SweetTinis with tasty chocolate treats!
Couples are thinking beyond the taste when it comes to their wedding beverages. Presentation has also become an important part of the wedding bar experience. We’ve seen unique champagne walls, glitter added to drinks, and special smokers for the bourbon and whiskey drinkers.
The time of year can also provide inspiration when curating the alcohol menu for wedding day. Winter weddings can showcase winter-themed cocktails like a Snowman Martini or Christmas Margarita. A summer soiree can feature local craft beer, while an autumn wedding may include mulled wines and autumn-inspired cocktails.
We stand by any trend that encourages couples to have fun with their wedding beverage menu! We’re excited to see what unique drink ideas become popular in 2023.
Sam and Steve surprised guests with a living hedge wall that served champagne! Photo: We Are the Bowsers
Champagne Towers
Speaking of unique alcohol presentations, we would be remiss not to highlight the champagne tower wedding trend! Champagne towers are both luxurious and exciting, while adding a unique experience to your wedding. It’s a genuinely impactful and sophisticated presentation for you and your guests.
Erica and Jack jumped on the wedding champagne tower trend early! Photo: Ashley Izquierdo
Phone Message Audio Guestbooks
We love unique and fresh trends like the audio guestbook! With this trend, couples use a phone in place of a guestbook. Instead of writing well-wishes, guests can leave heartfelt “voicemail” messages. Companies like After the Tone and FeteFone make incorporating this trend on you wedding day super easy by providing the phone rental and recording services.
Samantha and Nicholas asked their guests to leave phone messages instead of a guest book. Photo: Bow Tie Photo
2023 Wedding Fashion Trends
Wedding fashion trends are always exciting to keep an eye on. We love when brides, grooms, and their guests push the envelope on what is expected when it comes to showcasing their personal style!
Here are a few of our favorite wedding style trends that we expect to see more of in 2023.
Pearls Galore!
Pearls have always been a classic choice for brides–from the classic pearl necklace to simple stud earrings. Recently we’ve seen pearls pop up in wedding fashion in unexpected ways: pearl-studded shoes, sheer bridal gloves accented with pearls, pearl handbags, and pearl-dotted veils. 2023 is sure to be a pearl-lover’s dream!
Miranda’s wedding day look included fun pearl-covered sneakers and a pearl-accented handbag. Photo: Sunny Lee Photography
Bridal Gloves
A trend that we never saw coming is the resurgence of wedding gloves! Classically elegant and refined, the glove adds an extra chic twist to any bridal look. Sheer or satin gloves seem to be the most popular, often accented with pearls, lace, or other details.
Samantha’s sheer, pearl-covered bridal gloves were both fun and elegant. Photo: Bow Tie Photo
Customized Wedding Jackets
Couples across the country have embraced the idea of wearing custom-made jackets while making their grand exit after their vows.
Personalized jackets will last a lifetime and add that special touch. They can be a keepsake for the couple or simply a way to show off the couple’s style.
Sarah’s fun custom jean jacket incorporated another popular trend: pearls! Photo: Tanya Bondarenko Photography
Bridal Outfit Changes
The outfit change trend started several years ago, but we don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. We’ve seen brides with three or more outfit changes throughout the evening! We’re all for turning your wedding day into a series of fabulous fashion moments!
Miranda wore a gorgeous lace gown for her wedding ceremony and changed into a fun and flirty bridal jumpsuit for her reception. Photo: Sunny Lee Photography
Colorful Suits for the Guys
Unique wedding fashion isn’t just for the ladies! Guys are getting in on the fun fashion trends! We love some of the unique hues we’ve been seeing grooms wearing, including rusty oranges, dark green, and even mustard yellow! If you or your fiancé have a quirky or fun-loving style, don’t feel limited to wearing a traditional color. Let your colorful side shine!
Stephen wore a beautiful rust-colored suit by Style by Blum x Knot Standard. We love the way his suit stood out against the taupe color worn by the groomsmen. Photo: We Are the Bowsers
Wedding Trends That May Be On Their Way Out
Wedding planning has come such a long way over the last few years, and the trend for 2023 is to move away from the often-cliché traditions.
However, just because a wedding trend has become less popular doesn’t mean it should be avoided at your wedding! If you love these traditions, feel free to include them.
Announcing the Cake Cutting
More and more couples are foregoing the announcement of cake cutting.
Though cake cutting remains an important photo opportunity, couples are embracing the opportunity to have a more private and intimate moment as they cut the cake rather than having all eyes on them.
Bouquet and Garter Toss
Couples are increasingly abandoning the traditional bouquet and garter toss. Some couples consider this tradition cliché and out-of-style, while others want to avoid awkward and embarrassing moments for themselves or their guests.
These days, couples are more satisfied with personally meaningful traditions that speak to their love stories, such as sharing a loving toast or a special dance.
Wedding Favors
Weddings nowadays are all about the guests’ experiences, making wedding favors less common.
Wedding favors can be costly and often wasteful, leading couples to choose other ways to spend their money. Instead, couples spend their dollar on a late-night snack for their guests or fun desserts for the reception table.
Traditional Photo Booth Rentals
They were quite the rage for a while, but we’re noticing a decrease in wedding photo booth rentals. This is most likely because photo booths are one of the last items to be included in budgets, and demand for these items is much lower than for other items on the list. We are seeing unique takes on the photo booth, such as 360-degree photo booths and Glam Bot-style photo booths.
Long-form Videography
Some couples getting married in 2023 have shared with us that they place less importance on wedding videography, expressing that it may not be worth the extra cost. They seem to question, “What’s the point of having a video that we’ll only watch once?”
However, some couples do seem to place importance on short-form vertical video formats, such as wedding highlight videos created by a professional videographer or using cellphone footage. Your lengthy wedding video may only be viewed once. On the other hand, short-form videos are more tangible and easily shared on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Are You Planning a Wedding?
The world of weddings is ever-evolving, and it’s exciting to witness the trends that come and go. Our prediction for 2023 and 2024 weddings? It will be all about creating a day that is classically beautiful, but with a surprisingly modern twist.
At the Lightner Museum, every couple should be able to personalize and create meaningful moments on their wedding day. Our historic and elegant venue is ideal for any size wedding, from a small gathering to a large event.
Allow us to lend a hand in creating your ideal wedding experience and ensuring that your special day is as one-of-a-kind as you are. Contact us today for a free consultation to begin planning your wedding.
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