If the last year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that brides and grooms-to-be are resilient creatures, adapting their big days to cater to the ever-changing guidelines. In the wake of the pandemic, it’s out with the old and in with the new when it comes to wedding trends. And here are some of the ones we’re leaving behind.
From Instagram-worthy doughnut walls to kooky poems about wedding gifts, these are considered to be the most overused wedding trends, with many brides-to-be wanting to leave these in the past. How many are you guilty of?
With wedding season blocking out a large chunk of peoples’ weekends from the months of May to September, and winter weddings growing in popularity, more often than not your wedding guests will have seen it all before. And with the pandemic urging us to bring it back to basics and consider what’s really important on the big day, there are some wedding trends we’re leaving behind.
10 Overused Wedding Trends
According to a study carried out by Goldsmiths, both genders agreed that complicated hashtags were the number one most pointless wedding trend in 2019 (43.5%), while doughnut walls (37.2%), pets as ring bearers and neon signs also topped the list.
If you want to ensure your celebrations are truly one-of-a-kind, these are the wedding trends many brides-to-be are leaving behind. But, hey, if you like that pastel flower wall and dream of doughnuts dangling from the ceiling, just do you.
Complicated hashtags
There’s no denying we live in a social media obsessed society. Rarely a day goes by without seeing a lavish proposal play out on Instagram Stories, or a full wedding album uploaded to Facebook for all your old school mates to ogle. However, with the ability to livestream your nuptials also comes the call for a quirky and unique wedding hashtag. But guests are getting pretty fed up with the complicated mash-up of names created to propel your big day into the trending section.
Doughnut walls
View this post on Instagram
Following in at a close second with 37.2% of the vote is the mouth-watering (but slightly impractical) doughnut wall trend. Perhaps the risk of brushing past a mural of glazed goodness and ruining a staple wedding outfit just isn’t worth it for that quirky pic on the ‘gram.
However, not everyone appears to be as much of a killjoy, with the majority of 18-24 year olds admitting that aesthetically pleasing donut walls (36.4%), flower clouds (36%) and food trucks (31.8%) would be their biggest priority at a wedding.
Confusing poems about gifts in invitations
Bear with us on this one. You know those slightly passive aggressive wedding invites with a kooky little poem? The ones hinting that Beth and Brad really, really need a new toaster or a trip to the Bahamas with fun little a haiku. Or a riddle rhyming ‘tying the knot’ with ‘big ol’ yacht’? Even we have to admit they can be just a tiny bit annoying. And 37.2% of you agree.
Trash the dress
You’ve just forked out a small fortune on the dress of your dreams. It’s the talking point of the day. So why on earth would you then dedicate an entire section of your wedding day to destroying it?
Cake in the face photos
Sure, it spices up the statutory cake-cutting pose and the idea of a food fight during a. But in reality, is anyone ever really that happy to have icing shoved up their nostrils? Plus with the going rates for a bespoke wedding cake reaching astronomical heights, you really don’t want to waste a morsel.
Too many bridesmaids
Gone are the days of having one or two bridesmaids; now, “bridesmaid armies” are the hot new trend, with some opting for as many as 10 close chums to accompany them to the alter.
“The ‘bridesmaid army’ trend swiftly came over from the US and has taken hold of wedding parties everywhere in the UK,” says Hamish Shephard, founder of bridebook.co.uk. This can be great for photo-ops, he says, “but it can sometimes take away from the ceremony, as they get crammed up by the altar.”
This trend, however, is slowly being faded out thanks to the new Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. “We’re already seeing [her] decision to have no adult bridesmaids and to opt for flower girls instead shifting this perspective towards a more low-key bridal party.”
Over-the-top wedding cakes
Wedding cake trends also have seen a huge transformation in recent years. “The humble iced fruitcake wedding cake is long gone, due to ‘Instagram wars’ for that perfect cake shot,” says Shephard.
“From drip cakes and naked cakes, then onto doughnut walls and eight-foot macaroon towers, and recently even Meghan Markle’s 154lb deconstructed lemon and elderflower wedding cake! This is a trend that’s becoming increasingly competitive.”
Decorated walls
“Doughnut walls and flower walls seem to be everywhere!” says Robin Weil from weddingplanner.co.uk.
Light-up letters
It may prove a hit with most, but this popular gimmick was also included in Weil’s list of the most overdone trends. While some couples choose to spell out their initials, others opt for their own wedding hashtag or go for a simple “congratulations”.
Dramatic bridal entrances
When it comes to dramatic bridal entrances, “we’ve seen it all,” says Hamish Shephard. “From the bride literally being ballooned into the ceremony, to being walked in by a dressed-up dinosaur, the bride’s entrance has become yet another aspect of the wedding that can be blown up to unimaginable heights.”
“We’re are all for breaking tradition, like the growing trend of brides walking themselves down the aisle – as eight per cent of UK brides did in 2017, but maybe save the dinosaurs for the amusement park!”
Want more wedding information and inspiration? Just hit ‘Like’ on our Wedding Ideas Facebook page, and ‘Follow’ on our @wimagazine Twitter account to join in the conversation.
