Weddings and a pandemic? They’re not exactly soul mates. After a rough 2021 for couples planning a wedding, 2022 is off to a shaky yet promising start. But there’s been a clear silver lining emerge thanks to COVID (whoever thought we’d be thanking it for anything?) – the way it’s fast-tracked a mass shift in perspective.
Couples have had time to consider what’s important to them and why they’re getting married in the first place. The knock-on effect is a surge of weddings that are inherently more personal and meaningful. Couples are creating their own traditions, ditching any that no longer seem relevant and basically eating, drinking and wearing whatever they want.
It’s helped couples to reimagine the way we celebrate love and how individual that looks for everyone, and it’s this way of thinking that’s dictated most of the 2022 wedding trends, as predicted by Wedshed.
A rise in digital wedding invitations
Given there’s always a degree of uncertainty planning a wedding during a pandemic, it’s not surprising to see more couples opt to send their guests digital invites vs. paying for a full suite of printed stationery. The upside here is that if details change thanks to, oh, say a cheeky lockdown, the necessary info can be updated and re-sent to guests without incurring the cost of a complete re-print.
Odd-numbered or mixed-gendered wedding parties
Couples will be relieved to know that it’s entirely okay (and in fact, on trend) to have odd number wedding parties. It’s evolved off the back of a new train of rational thought and post-pandemic perspective that questions why you would include someone just to balance out the numbers? Or discount someone because they’re of the opposite sex than you’d “traditionally” include in your wedding party? Now it’s about choosing those friends or relatives that first come to mind and sticking with it.
Digital wedding registries will boom
Most modern couples live together prior to their wedding and as such, they don’t need another toaster. What they do need? Money. For many cultures, this is a standard wedding gift and in more recent years it’s become the gift-of-choice for Western weddings too. The catch here is that asking for money can feel awkward or impersonal, which is why we’re tipping digital registries that allow couples to communicate what they’ll be using that cash for will become even more mainstream.
Check out Gravy (set to launch next in Feb 2022) which not only allows couples to collect money as a wedding gift in a personal way, but also request contributions to charity and – our fave thing – ask guests to gift them time, skills and good deeds as a wedding gift without having to outlay a cent. Think asking for help to paint the house, plant a garden, dog-sit or even request that guests become an organ donor or embrace a month of meat-free Mondays on behalf of the couple.
Micro-weddings and elopements
It comes as no surprise that one of the biggest 2022 wedding trends will be micro-weddings and elopements. Even despite most COVID restrictions being lifted, couples are making a deliberate decision to host small, intimate gatherings where the focus is very much on each other and the act of getting married, rather than a wedding itself.
Reinventing tradition
One thing we won’t see in 2022 is couples investing in traditions simply because it’s the “done thing”. Moving forward, couples will be very intentional about what elements they decide to include in their big day. The way this looks for every couple will be different but some examples include:
- Mum walking down the aisle
- No wedding party or mismatched, gender mixed wedding party
- Either no readings or several, non-traditional readings
- Personal vows full of laughter rather than full romance
- No cake cutting, bouquet toss or first dance (but perhaps an alternative to these instead)
- Getting ready together in the morning, or at the very least sleeping together in the same bed the night before the wedding
- Signing marriage certificates discreetly post ceremony
High impact florals
Flowers have always been a key styling feature at weddings but come 2022, we’re expecting to see more couples putting their budget towards high-impact installations (like an arbour or hanging masterpiece that can be repurposed at the reception), versus lots of smaller table arrangements. More metaphorical bang for your buck makes sense.
Weekday weddings
All the postponements due to lockdowns and restrictions have meant that weekend availability can be hard to come by for many venues. For this reason, expect to see a surge in weekday weddings in 2022 as couples choose to hold their nuptials on any ol’ day of the week. Mon through to Thurs is fair game (and sometimes comes with a discount too, so it’s not a bad thing for the budget).
Incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country
As a way of showing respect for our Australian Aboriginal culture and heritage, more couples are incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country into their wedding ceremony. It’s a practice we’re 100% behind; so much so we’ve written an entire article on how to Incorporate an Acknowledgement of Country.
Incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country
As a way of showing respect for our Australian Aboriginal culture and heritage, more couples are incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country into their wedding ceremony. It’s a practice we’re 100% behind; so much so we’ve written an entire article on how to Incorporate an Acknowledgement of Country.
Alternative wedding dresses
Not exactly a new wedding trend but one that’s really coming into its own in 2022: a rise in less traditional wedding dresses. Think non-white dresses (pale pink and blue are hues we’re seeing). Bridgerton and balloon puff sleeves. Cut-outs and sculptural twists on classic styles. Basically, a modernisation of both old and new styles.
Also, expect to see brides wearing non “wedding” dresses, with plenty of women opting to don a beautiful dress (or pantsuit, or jumpsuit, or separates…) from non-bridal brands. Just something that makes them feel like a damn queen.
Sustainability
Sustainability – it’s the way of the future and while we’ve still got a long way to go, we’re pleased to see more couples making more eco-friendly choices when it comes to their wedding. That might mean shopping for gifts locally, hiring a wedding dress, eliminating any single-use items in favour of hired items, throwing biodegradable confetti, sourcing local and seasonal food and flowers (which will serve the bonus of being more affordable during a global shipping crisis), recycling waste and using cleaner products for hair and makeup.
Destination, whole-weekend weddings
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that wide, open spaces are good for the soul. Perhaps that’s why we’re seeing so many couples flee the cities to tie the knot in regional and coastal areas where they can spend an entire weekend with their loved ones breathing in the smell of fresh country air and freedom. It’s a win-win for all involved – the couple, the guests and regional tourism (goodness knows they need all the love they can get right now).
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