What’s Trending in Weddings?

Are you wondering what the latest trends in weddings are?  As a photographer I get to see all the latest and greatest and today I am sharing some of those trends with you.

TaskRabbit
There are hundreds of apps available now to a modern bride which can help with everything from building a wedding website to scheduling a fitness program in preparation for the big day. TaskRabbit seems to be the latest trend and has opened a whole new arena for the virtual wedding planner. It offers support and assistance in every area of your planning process connecting you to local people (background check included) who might be able to help – everything from organising your invites to collecting and delivering to finishing off those last minute DIY projects that just took you longer than you thought! Post a notice with what you need and choose your own wedding fairy!

First Looks
We are, by and large, quite a conservative nation. We quite like our traditions and superstitions and when it comes to a wedding, there are quite a few! The idea that it is unlucky to see your bride or groom before the ceremony comes from a time when marriages were arranged. Often the couple would meet for the first time at the altar to avoid the risk that they might put up resistance to the marriage if their future spouse was not to their liking. This is also the reason the bride wore a veil!! Yet we have willingly carried on this tradition…until now. I would say that around 30% of my couples now opt for a ‘first look.’ This is where the couple meet up before the ceremony on the morning of their wedding, often in complete secret! It’s a hugely romantic thing to do and dispels any wedding day nerves. You can see more about this idea in an earlier post here.

Colour Colour Colour
Cake: Now I’m a huge fan of the naked cake but the coloured cake is making a huge appearance this next year! Whether its bright, multi-coloured rainbows or soft, pale duck egg…the coloured cake is most definitely back.

Wedding Dresses: Lace has definitely made a huge appearance over the past year in the UK but in New Zealand, Australia and America the coloured wedding dress seems to be making huge waves, most significantly soft blues and pastel pinks. The fabulous Jo-Anne Kelly from The Bridal Rooms of Wellswood in Torquay has told me that coppers and soft golds are already becoming more and more popular amongst her brides.

Decorations: There will always be a place for the soft, muted palette but it seems that bright and bold is back. From shocking pink to neon green, colours are making a statement!

CapsuleCam
Using a hashtag for your wedding photos is something that has become really popular over the past year and CapsuleCam have been keen to take this to the next level. This program will help you create your own wedding website and automatically draws in any hashtags to create your own personalised ‘family and friends’ wedding album.

Persiscope
If hashtag images are not enough for you then maybe Livestreaming is. I know its nothing new but now programs such as Periscope enables you to livestream the entire wedding straight from a guests phone or tablet. You are even able to divide the streams into different sections for each part of the day! It means that friends and family who couldn’t make it to the wedding can keep up with the days events from their very own devices.

Wedding Unplugged
In complete opposition to this there is a growing trend amongst British brides to follow an altogether different train of thought and go totally ‘unplugged.’ This phrase is something that I am seeing more and more, as couples attempt to get guests away from viewing the wedding from behind their phones and iPads! Many opt for an unplugged ceremony – meaning that from the moment you walk into the ceremony room all phones and other devises are left in pockets and bags, leaving the professional photographer to take those important moments. It is an idea that creates an enormous amount of varying reactions but it’s something, as a photographer, that I really can see the benefits of. I have photographed weddings where the groom was unable to see his bride walk up the aisle due to the number of iPads blocking the way. I have been pushed out of the way during the ceremony by an over-excited uncle and tripped over by phone users trying to get that shot. I can’t tell you the number of images I have been unable to use because of a phone suddenly appearing in my view! I love that family and friends want to document your day too and I am always happy to see others with a keen interest in something I am hugely passionate about….but it is also such a pleasure to watch a wedding where you can actually see the faces of the guests. Without phones, guests genuinely seem to be more focused and often have a greater emotional reaction to the ceremony than those who are trying to post an image on to Facebook!