In case you missed it (which let’s face it, it snuck up on a lot of us) it’s now 2023 and weddings have changed a ton, compared to our parents and grandparents generations! Let’s check out five wedding traditions that now have a modern and fun take on them!
Overall, we are now seeing a lot of elopements and micro weddings! Gone are the days where you need to invite everyone that you have ever came in contact with. Smaller weddings allow the couple to focus on the people closest and dearest to them. This also allows the most important people, the couple, to actually enjoy the day and embrace the moment. Another great aspect of smaller gatherings is that it puts less of a financial pressure on the families.
The traditional wedding party is out the door! We have seen so many fun alternatives! One that sticks out to me is having a “beer man”, instead of a flower girl, or he can do both! Tossing out beers to guests as he’s going down the aisle, while also having flower petals in a fanny pack! If you prefer, grandma could be the flower girl, how cute is that! Another one that is big in Colorado is having your dog be a part of your wedding. In Colorado your pet can “sign” your marriage license! As far as the actual wedding party, you don’t need to have an equal number of sides, and have even seen “bridesmen” and “groomswomen”. Lastly, in Colorado, the officiant does not have to be ordained, so we see a lot of people using a close friend/family member, which also makes it more intimate. There is also no pressure to even have a wedding party, it can be as simple as the bride and groom standing at the altar.
Another semi-new tradition we are seeing is having an unplugged ceremony/reception. This is also a favorite of mine! Nowadays, with everyone attached to their phones and technology a wedding is the perfect opportunity to “unplug” from all of this! It also shows a great amount of respect and gratitude for what brought you to this beautiful moment between a bride and groom. We are seeing couples include “unplugged” signage now during ceremony and even reception or simply having the officiant make a statement to the guests. There are now fun ways to still capture the day, like having disposable cameras at each guest table, that the couple can then get developed. Also having a polaroid camera as a guest book is a fun option!
A practical and time saving modern tradition that we are loving is the couple doing a first look! This would be done earlier in the day before the ceremony and before the guests arrive! Couples can even read private vows to each other that they don’t necessarily want to announce to everyone at the ceremony. This is also great for pictures from the photographer and allows to get some family/wedding party photos done, which in turn frees up time after the ceremony! We have even seen first looks with their parents, children, or pets! Ultimately, a first look allows for the couple to have their own moment and maybe take some pressure off of the ceremony.
For our last modern twist on weddings, I would love to talk about themes/colors! We see a lot of couples letting their wedding parties choose what they want to wear and what they are comfortable in. Maybe guiding them with a color palette to stay in, but having a variation of styles and shades to choose from. We are also seeing a lot of fun colors/metallics incorporated in the reception. Whether that be through candles, disco balls, or linens! Two upcoming themes we have for this year is a Jimmy Buffett theme and a Halloween theme! A wedding is ultimately a day to celebrate the love between two people, so make your wedding day what YOU want!
-Jon of Kaitlin Shea Weddings & Events!
