Wedding experts predict the wedding trends expected to take over in 2024
- Celebrant-led ceremonies grow in interest by 157% from couples looking for unique and inclusive wedding ceremonies
- Interest in film photography at weddings have surged by 266% as couples choose nostalgic ways to capture their big days
- Alternative entertainment sees saxophonist in the spotlight at weddings, with searches increasing by 143% year on year
According to experts at leading wedding planning website Hitched.co.uk, weddings in 2024 will be more personalised than ever, and will have more of a focus on the guest experience, as couples go above and beyond to make sure their wedding truly sums up who they are.
Zoe Burke, leading wedding expert and Editor of Hitched.co.uk says that couples are moving away from tradition and planning their days to be more aligned with their own lifestyles, budgets, and beliefs.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of real-life examples for couples to take inspiration from when it comes to doing things differently, especially on TikTok where users have consumed more than 8 billion videos featuring the tag #WeddingTok, with numbers increasing daily.
With more and more inspiration out there for truly original wedding days, Zoe predicts to see a rise in popularity across a number of professions in 2024.
Zoe’s Wedding Profession Predictions for 2024:
Celebrant-led ceremonies
One of the biggest trends that Zoe expects to see really take off next year is customised celebrant-led wedding ceremonies, where wedding vows can be completely rewritten by couples, making them truly original.
Zoe says: “There’s been a 49% increase in Google searches for ‘celebrant weddings’ in the past year, and traffic to our article about celebrant-led weddings has increased by an incredible 157%, showing a clear trend for unique celebrant-led wedding ceremonies.
“Having a celebrant-led ceremony offers couples so much freedom that they wouldn’t necessarily get in a traditional ceremony. There’s room for personal stories, inclusive language, and cultural diversity, and couples also get to spend quality time with their celebrant beforehand to make sure that the ceremony truly reflects their unique relationship. You just don’t get that anywhere else.”
Film photography
Google searches for ‘film wedding photography’ have surged by 266% this year, highlighting it as a key trend for coming weddings. Zoe puts this down to the magic of anticipation, saying “Nostalgia is always on trend, and in a time where everything is instantly available in digital format, the anticipation of film wedding photography has a huge appeal.”
Film wedding photographer Kate Bunny Hampson isn’t surprised to see film photography trending, noting that he has seen an increase in the number of couples asking for it as an add-on to their packages. “I personally have been shooting on film since 1981. I started offering it at weddings a few years ago, it was always my personal preference, but I noticed how much clients were jumping on the film photos.
“I ditched the digitals and went to full film two years ago. Ever since then, my business has boomed! I’m flooded with enquiries from couples who appreciate the beauty of film photography. Flooded!
“I personally choose film because of the look. There is a certain richness and depth you cannot get with digital photography. I also like how it forces me to really think about what I’m photographing, without the screen to look at.”
Wedding saxophonists
Brass bands are not an uncommon sight at a wedding, but it seems couples are seeking out more unusual entertainment ideas for 2024. Zoe says that the appearance of a solo saxophonist at a wedding has been a creeping trend for a little while now, but expects it to hit the mainstream next year as searches for ‘saxophone wedding’ increase by 143% year on year.
Wedding saxophonist James Burwell explains why he thinks the sax is becoming more of a wedding party must-have: “I think what sets saxophonists apart is their adaptability which allows them to cater to all different wedding styles and preferences.
“Whether it’s beautiful classical melodies, classic jazz standards, popular love songs, and even modern hits and Ibiza tunes, the saxophone can effortlessly interpret these styles, creating a refreshing twist to well-known tunes. This makes it the perfect instrument for ceremonies, drinks receptions, wedding breakfasts and the evening party!”
As well as an increase in popularity across these professions, Zoe also expects more disruption to some more traditional wedding vendor professions, such as dress makers and speech writers as couples focus on sustainability and technology to help them on their big days.
Rented weddings
While renting certain things like venues and decor and entertainment is entirely normal, the number of additional elements nearlyweds can hire or borrow these days, such as fashion and accessories, is growing by the day – to a point where couples are able to rent almost every element of their wedding days.
Google searches for ‘wedding dress hire’ have increased by 50% in the last year, while traffic to articles on wedding dress hire options on Hitched are also up by 152% as nearlyweds look for affordable and sustainable options for their wedding days.
Additionally, Zoe says that she’s seen a massive rise in traffic to her wedding hire guide on Hitched, by a whopping 1,545%, as couples look for ways to hire everything from decor and flowers to wedding fashion and footwear. “Renting makes so many items way more accessible to couples, and removes the pressure of figuring out what to do with them after your wedding too.”
The help of AI
2024 is going to see weddings get technical! Google searches for ‘AI wedding’ have doubled in the last year while Zoe says she’s seeing emerging trends around online interest in terms like ‘AI wedding speech generator’ and ‘AI wedding invitations’ as nearlyweds experiment with the latest artificial intelligence available online.
“It’s interesting to see couples leaning on new tech to help them with their wedding planning,” says Zoe. “I definitely recommend getting all the help you can get to plan your wedding, but if you are using AI, make sure you double check what it gives you, and edit and play around with it so it feels like it has come from you.
“We recently revealed that more than half of Brits (57%) tasked with writing a wedding speech would not admit to getting help with their speech, which is a bit worrying. I would suggest using AI to help give you ideas, but not to actually do the work itself. Things like speeches are way more meaningful when they come from the heart, not the bot.”
For more information from the Hitched Wedding Trend Report, please visit: https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/wedding-trends/
