Wedding Trends Over the Years (and What’s to Come)!
Wedding trends are ever-changing and difficult to keep up with. Not only in the long term, but trends will change from year to year or even month to month! We would like to give our wedding planning couples insight into the expected wedding trends for the remainder of the 2020s. Firstly, let’s look back at some previous wedding trends that stood the test of time.
1950s: Post-War Tradition
In the 1950s, church weddings were the most common and retained a traditional style. Brides wore modest full-length wedding dresses along with veils and gloves as accessories along with their jewelry! Interestingly, the chosen colors of this period were pastels! Mint green, pale blue, dusty pink, ivory, and white were some of the most popular. These also happen to be trendy colors in 2025 as well, but more on that later!
1960s: Youthful Elegance
A couple of changes were made in the 1960s, one of the biggest being the introduction of color photography for weddings! As color film became more affordable, it gained mainstream popularity, with many couples taking advantage of the opportunity. Another adjustment that began to increase in popularity was destination weddings and elopements. They weren’t frequent, but traditional church weddings were being phased out, and the foundation was being laid for more unique venues! Regarding dresses, they began to take on a slimmer, silhouetted style to be paired with bouffant veils and beehive hairstyles. Soft tones like butter yellow, robin’s egg blue, and blush were the prime colors of this era!
1970s: Boho and Nontraditional
The hippie movement in the 1970s led to a new era of styles that took on the names of boho and non-traditional. Think flower crowns, green suits, disco dancing, lace, and flowy gowns. Outdoor weddings, unsurprisingly, were taking center stage! People wanted to be wed surrounded by gardens, beaches, or even backyards! Vows and ceremonies began to take a little bit of customization and personalization, putting much less emphasis on tradition and more emphasis on making each couple's day their own! During this era, the most used colors were earth tones (mustard, burnt orange, sage), cream, and muted florals.
1980s: Glitz and Glam
The 80s were iconic for many reasons, and the wedding styles did not disappoint! First off, the fashion. Brides were heavily influenced by Princess Diana’s wedding. Puffed sleeves, dramatic trains, and lace… lace galore! Another big trend around this time was just that, big! The average wedding size was 175-200 people, big florals, and multi-tiered cakes were frequent. The colors were all bold jewel tones (emerald, burgundy, royal blue) and white with gold or silver accents.
1990s: Elegant Minimalism
The 90s turned a corner. The trends of the 90s weddings came to be much simpler. Wedding dresses were worn with clean lines and timeless designs, much inspiration coming from Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and JFK Jr.’s big day. Destination weddings came back in style, along with an increased use of DJs instead of live bands. This was not only cost-effective, but allowed the music to be fully customizable! All of this was done with the help of professional wedding planning services, which grew in popularity here. The minimalistic colors shined bright with classic white, champagne, navy, and hunter green being the most trendy.
2000s: Personalization and Technology
This is when technology became a big factor! Wedding websites, like ours, and digital RSVP’s began to make a rise! Different bridesmaid dresses became more popular during this time, while still keeping it classy. Like back in the 70s, outdoor weddings made a comeback with a large surge of outdoor venue popularity, especially barn weddings! This was the early days of social media-inspired weddings as well. As far as colors go, chocolate brown with blush or blue, sage green, and lavender had their moment during the 2000s.
2010s: Instagram-Ready Weddings
The 2000s were the beginning of social media-inspired weddings, but they soared in the 2010s! A slight look back to previous years with boho-inspired chic weddings, along with minimalist and vintage looks stealing the show. This is where first looks were added to the schedule, and choreographed dances became trends. Close, small, custom details were plentiful, like monograms, bride and groom signature drinks, and custom signs. The colors for this time were blush pink, rose gold, burgundy, dusty blue, and navy.
2020s: The Present Day
Currently, micro-weddings and elopements are becoming increasingly popular! Couples are opting for intimate ceremonies, with some going “unplugged”, meaning no phones are allowed. They are putting much more of an emphasis on telling the couple's individual story and wanting the guests to have an enjoyable experience. Terracotta, rust, emerald, mauve, black, neutrals (e.g., beige, taupe) are some colors that are currently being made popular for a minimalist experience, but pastels also had a recent jump in popularity as well, as we mentioned previously!
What is to come?
There are a few trends that we predict for the remainder of the 2020s. The first thing we see is very personalized weddings. Whether it be the continuation of unplugged ceremonies, personalized vows, playlists, etc. Couples want their weddings to be uniquely their own as much as possible. Sustainability is also making a rise! Second-hand or even rental dresses, zero-waste events, local vendors, and digital invites are likely to become popular in the near future. Along with sustainability, small weddings will remain a trend for the time being. Some couples are even looking to have 50 people at the most! We also predict that couples will extend wedding fashion into brighter and more fun colors like cobalt blue, marigold, chartreuse, and terracotta.
Taking a look back through the years of trends is interesting. Some trends stick around and some fade out, while others seem to take a lap and then come back for another season. One year I know we will all look back and reminisce on the trends of our decade as a thing of the past, but for now, you can read our other posts listed below to gain more inspiration and have the wedding day of your dreams!
Guide to Planning Your Dream Wedding on a Budget
7 Game-Changing Tips For Streamlined Wedding Planning