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In March 2020, everything changed. The world came to a standstill.
Busy streets transformed into a ghost town. Children learned math from their parents. millions of people lost their jobs. And it was the beginning of a nightmare.
Corona-virus stole far too many bright futures. And thousands of couples in the US missed out on having the wedding they spent years planning.
In fact, almost 450,000 US weddings were planned between March and May of this year. 4% of those weddings were cancelled rather than postponed.
But, as we adjusted to life with COVID lurking, some couples decided to adapt to the situation and tie the knot.
While everyone’s hoping and praying that COVID is zapped out of existence by 2021, we must remain realistic. While it’s possible, we need to have a plan should it still play a role in our lives.
With that in mind, we’ve created a list of Corona-virus wedding trends that are likely to stick around in 2021, (and for good reason).
Safety measures done in style
Masks and bottles of hand sanitizer are in demand everywhere.
Thousands of spouses-to-be are concerned about the masks ‘cramping their style’ at their wedding.
With that in mind, have you seen Brides.com’s post on 21 Fashionable Wedding Masks? As we adjust to life with COVID, small businesses around the globe are working hard to ensure it’s as little a hindrance as possible on your big day.
Check out Etsy for wedding-themed masks. There are so many that you’re bound to find a design that suits your theme.
Couples are working hard on crafting a welcome box to give to their guests upon arrival. Inside this box will be a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a mask.
Check out Best Price Favors.com where you can design your hand sanitizer bottles. Choose from 60 different label colors, 52 label designs and personalized text. At such a low price, these mini-hand sanitizers are the perfect addition to your welcome package.
You can also slot some ‘standard’ wedding favors into your welcome box. Just be sure to use a pair of disposable gloves when you’re packing them.
Welcome boxes are the perfect way to set the safety tone for the wedding in style. They help send the message that we should be spreading love not germs.
Take it outdoors
Outdoor weddings have always been popular. Now, due to COVID, outdoor weddings are favored over indoor weddings.
The only problem is, it’s not quite as appealing in winter.
That said, if you’re having a summer wedding, gazebos, fields and forest-themed weddings are bang on trend.
This is because they are 1.) safer & 2.) beautiful.
Outdoor weddings can take on a range of themes. Here are our 3 favourites:
Enchanted Forest Theme
If you’re a lover of all things fairy tales, this is a welcomed trend. Enchanted forest-style weddings give off all kinds of ‘Once Upon a Time’ vibes.
The dress:
The wedding dress can flatter and emphasize the theme. Delicate fabrics and lace set the tone beautifully, alongside a longer train and sleeves, (for extra warmth). You could even opt for a colored dress with this theme. Golds, greens and light pastel colors flatter the forest setting.
The decor:
The decor in an Enchanted Forest theme can be a real showstopper. Tall wedding arches covered in greenery and flowers, moss table runners, wildflowers scattered on each table and tree stumps and slices for tables all work in unison to create the perfect forest themed wedding.
The lighting:
But, the real winner of an enchanted forest theme is the lighting. There is nothing more breathtaking than hanging lights in a forest. Candles can also be used to add more romance to the setting, (not that it needs it).
The food:
Serving food on a wooden board adds to the overall theme. And, don’t get us started on the potential beauty of your wedding cake!
You only need to look at this cake by Rosalind Miller in London which was voted #1 on ‘The Independents - 10 Best Wedding Cakes’.
While this cake went for a dramatic, classy look to contrast the bright, forest-themed colors, you could opt for a shimmery-gold base with bright flowers and greenery scattered around each tier.
The flowers:
Oh, the flowers! If you’re looking for jaw-dropping floral arrangements, an Enchanted Forest theme is the theme for you. With copious greenery and wild flowers, the bouquets will be the icing on the cake. Any color goes with this theme. Whether you’re choosing pastels or bright, vivid colors, as long as they are set against greenery, they will look stunning.
The possibilities for this theme are endless. The Enchanted Forest theme is the ideal way to start your Happily Ever After.
Beach Theme
Not sold on a forest theme? No problemo. Consider a beach as your wedding venue.
With thousands of opportunities for DIY, the beach themed wedding can help save your money and keep everyone safe.
The dress:
Brides will need to pick their dress and shoes according to the theme. They’ll want to avoid stiletto heels, as they can easily get lodged in the sand. An easy solution to this is having a runner to walk down the aisle in your beloved heels and having a pair of wedding flip-flops for later.
The wedding dress for a beach theme is usually a lightweight fabric like silk, lace or chiffon for easy movement on the sand. What you’re aiming for, when picking a wedding dress for a beach wedding, is a flowy, light dress.
The decor:
Decor at a beach themed wedding is an excellent opportunity for DIY. Wave-like patterns and sea-creatures are likely contributions to your theme.
If you have children, grand-children, nieces or nephews - any little ones in your close family, you could make a day of it. Visit the beach and ask them to find as many ‘pretty shells’ as possible. Play around with them and use them as centerpieces.
It may also be worth investing in a large box - we recommend wicker - for guests to place their shoes at the beginning of the wedding. In place of a coat rack, the shoe box allows your guests to relax without getting the dreaded sand-shoe. (Everyone hates that.)
The lighting:
Lanterns are a fantastic addition to any beach themed wedding. Due to being close to the ocean, it’s likely that there will be a slight breeze, even in the middle of August. As such, lanterns keep the candle lit and make it a safe option if you have little ones running around.
Battery based fairy lights are also a solid choice for beach themed weddings.
You could use sparklers as a late-night send-off or lanterns to start your adventure as Mr and Mrs in style.
The food:
Not only are you in the prime position for delicious beach-themed food, but a tropical cocktail is a must have for this theme.
Using coconut shells as the cup, we’re getting all kinds of rum-based cocktail inspiration. You could even do mocktails for the kiddies.
Our immediate reaction for a beach themed dinner revolves around seafood or a surf and turf. But, there are no real limitations when it comes to catering for a beach-themed wedding.
The flowers:
Beach-themed weddings lend themselves beautifully to floral arrangements.
You could opt for a red and white theme with lilies and roses, alongside accompanying greenery. Or, you could go down the more popular beach themed colors which include cream, coral and green. Couples are also exploring the colors found inside shells, which include a light pink and yellow.
Beach themed weddings are a popular choice. Especially in our current COVID crisis. With the ability to social distance and the serene sound of the waves, having a tropical wedding is the perfect getaway when you can’t go on a vacay.
Barn Theme
Barn themes are one of the most magical themes out there. Watching an ‘ordinary’, empty barn transform into a warm, welcoming and romantic venue is one of main highlights of the day.
While this isn’t strictly ‘outdoors’, we categorize it this way as there will be plenty of space outside for gathering. The barn can be used for dinner, while your entertainment and dancing space can be hosted outside.
(Just make sure your tables allow for social distancing!)
The dress
Barn themed wedding dresses take on the ‘rustic’ style by nature. The BoHo look fits the setting beautifully. And, with this theme, it’s all about the detail.
Lace and patterned designs with a longer train are all the rave with barn themed weddings.
You’ll want to pick a dress that represents your love for the countryside, meaning it should be fairly flowing and easy to move in.
Veils are also a natural accompaniment to this kind of dress. As are pearls and flowers in the bride’s hair.
The decor:
Just like the enchanted forest decor, the barn themed wedding lends itself to wooden decorations.
You can purchase personalized wooden centerpieces with the table names for each table. You could select a blush and gold color scheme, with small candles on the tables and flowers to match. Or, add a bright, vibrant splash of color with yellows, bright pinks and coral. Using colored jam jars as small vases will add an authentic, original touch and will work hand in hand with your barn themed wedding.
The lighting:
Fairy lights are a barn wedding’s best friend. Adding these to your beams will make the whole venue glow in newly-wed romance.
Use lighting to create backdrops to flatter the wooden panels in the barn. This is a jaw-dropping moment for all of your guests.
They can even take advantage of the lighting backdrop by posing for photos in front of it.
Your lighting will want to take on a warming aura rather than blindingly bright, so be sure to check that the bulbs give off the right effect before decorating the barn.
The food:
When you say ‘barn wedding’, we think ‘hearty and comforting’. That’s not to say you should opt for TV dinners at your wedding, (although, that is a creative idea. Let’s ask Gordon Ramsay how he’d put his twist on it).
What we are saying, though, is the theme naturally lends itself to well known, non-dramatic food.
Foods like roasted potatoes, cheeses, steaks and casseroles work beautifully with this theme.
You could even offer milkshakes.
This theme is all about warmth and a feel good experience. And, we all know, food has the ability to create that impact.
The flowers:
The bouquets for a barn themed wedding should follow the rustic style. It’s not ‘one size fits all’, though. There are a few variations that are typical with this theme.
Firstly, pastel colors are used frequently for a barn themed wedding. Usually this includes roses and copious amounts of foliage. There should be a sense of ‘messiness’ to the bouquet, and they’re usually on the larger side.
If not, reds and purples work beautifully to set off the barn theme. Violet lilies flatter the deep red petals, which work well against lots of greenery.
Finally, if you’re opting for a winter-barn wedding, consider using pine cones in your bouquet. Use them in a mix of gypsophila for an added ‘frosty’ touch.
Barn themed weddings are a stunning representation of a love for the countryside. They ooze those ‘feel good’ vibes and can be a place of magic.
Raise a (tiny) toast
We choose to see the positives in having our number of guests limited to 50. While others may find that a tough pill to swallow, (especially if you’re from a large family), others see the beauty in that only those who mean the world to you will be at your wedding.
With no reason to invite Sharron from accounting who you’ve only spoken to twice in the six years you’ve been working with her, your guests will all know the bride and groom pretty darn well.
Top planners and vendors in the wedding industry are predicting a rise in ‘tiny toasts’, where guests are asked to share a memory of the couple, rather than the longer, more specific toasts we’re used to seeing.
While we’re all for tradition, this is a great way of involving your guests and will make your room of 50 feel like it’s full of love. Isn’t that the point of a wedding?
Cutesy Cakes
Wedding cakes have always been large and elaborate. But, since COVID is limiting the number of guests at our weddings, creating a massive 8-tier cake is a one way ticket to WASTEVILLE.
So, wedding cake artists and planners are being commissioned to create tiny cakes.
They are convinced that small, one-tiered cakes can create as much of a wow factor as the larger ones. It’s all about the theme and design of the cake.
We completely agree. And we can finally confirm: size doesn’t matter.
Not to mention, we’re loving that people are getting behind the no-waste policy.
Weekday Weddings
Not only can you save money by tying the knot on a weekday, but you may have no other choice in 2021.
With thousands of couples across America postponing their weddings this year, many Saturdays, (the most popular day for weddings), have already been booked up.
But, again, we’re choosing to see the positives.
Couples can save tens of thousands of dollars by switching their wedding from a Saturday to a Monday.
That venue you fell in love with but felt it was out of budget? Ask them what their price would be on a weekday. You’ll find that it’s so much more achievable.
We’re hoping the weekday wedding trend will continue to grow in years to come, as we want wedding love every day of the week. Saturday has had it’s time in the spotlight for too long!
Nanomoons
What happens when COVID ruins your honeymoon?
You have a nanomoon, of course!
Nanomoons are all about visiting the areas you can access in your local region. Road trips or spa weekends are all the rave with nanomoons, and are put in place as a temporary fix until things ‘go back to normal’.
They’re a great way of saving money, heightening spirits and starting your journey as a married couple on the right foot: one that is able to adapt and make the most out of the situation.
With that in mind, we’re firm lovers of nanomoons.
COVID has ruined too many things...
Don’t allow it to ruin your wedding, too.
Due to COVID, hundreds of wedding trends are forming every day. If the world hadn’t had a wake up call, these trends may not have surfaced.
We totally understand that your wedding plans may need to be changed, and that’s frustrating and can cause stress.
However, know that your big day can be just as big amongst this crisis. There are ways around it, and tying the knot under these conditions is just as special as any other day.
COVID does not impact love. And we shouldn’t allow it to, either.
Have you postponed your wedding? Have you tied the knot during the COVID 19 outbreak? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us on social.
Send us a DM on The Gram here.
Message us on Facebook here.
Shoot us an email here.
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