What’s next in weddings?? OMG, we cannot wait to show you.
Welcome to your home for 2024 wedding trends + inspo!!
Each December, the GWS editors love putting our heads together and taking a look at wedding trends that we think will be huge in the coming year. We’re digging into the wedding planning innovations we were most excited to see emerging in 2023 and lining up the trends that we anticipate will take the wedding world by storm throughout 2024.
If you’ve got a 2024 wedding date on the books (or if you’re just crazy-passionate about what’s new and inspiring wedding-wise like us) we’ve got you covered. And if you’re curious about the most recent wedding trends that got us to where we are today, definitely check out our 2023 wedding trend roundup!!
2024 is shaping up to be a year full of color, creative personalizations, and intimate or weekend-long takes on the typical celebration size + schedule. We’ve collected insights from wedding industry insiders and paired them with the thoughts and predictions of our totally wedding-obsessed team. We honestly cannot wait for all of the beautiful weddings that’ll incorporate these trends throughout 2024!!
Let us know which trends you’re the most excited to see!!
1. Color Color Color!
2023 saw lots of color scheme maximalism, and we don’t see that slowing down in 2024! There is truly no reason not to pack your 2024 wedding with all the color you can dream of. Wedding suits are bolder than ever before. Wedding florals are gonna be beyond-vibrant. Bridal party color palettes are packed with different colors and patterns. This fun neon wedding, this “elegant carnival” wedding, and this vibrant modern wedding are perfect examples. And just wait until you see more from that wedding featured above! The full wedding is coming to the site in January!!
Wedding-gown-wise we’re seeing lots of brides step away from a traditional all-white look and go for pink wedding dresses and black wedding dresses, but it absolutely does not stop there. Some of our fave weddings feature other exciting colors (like this vibrant dip-dyed look and this yellow dress 😍). We’re ready for 2024 to take color to a whole new level.
“Couples aren’t afraid to be bold. Mismatched patterned bridesmaid dresses, non-traditional color palettes, and maximalist design will send weddings to a whole new sphere,” shares Jessica Evans, Creative Director of Fitzgerald Hospitality Group.
2. Personalized Wedding Accessories for 2024 Wedding Trends
Adding meaningful touches to your wedding accessories is a way to keep your look unique, and what better way is there to make personal sentiments a part of your celebration than by wearing them throughout your big day? This trend has been around for a moment, but we think it’s just getting started. We’re seeing important quotes stitched into wedding gloves or embroidered into bridal jackets, weddings with matching “lover’s eye” necklaces, brides opting for wedding dresses embroidered with meaningful flowers, and lots of grooms with something special embroidered on their wedding suits. Also, it can be a way to incorporate some DIY energy into your day—one of our editors got married in 2023 and embroidered her late grandparents’ names onto her veil.
We love to see couples incorporating their personalities and their relationships into their wedding day look, and 2024 is gearing up to be packed with creative personalization.
“In 2019, Hailey Bieber turned heads with her sweeping “til death do us part” wedding veil, adding a new layer of intrigue to the traditional embroidered veil concept. In 2024, we continue to challenge the notion that wedding attire is clothing we wear to simply define the day, when we can now add personal touches that allows our individualities to shine and define our weddings as emblems of ourselves and our relationships.
From embroidered veils and gloves, to something blues stitched into dress linings, to beading on purses to appear like the constellations of you and your partner, these gentle additions to the wedding day are a subtle finishing touch. Southern designer Emmie Ruth took the idea of personalized wedding accessories to a new level with a custom-painted reception gown, applying patterns that depicted her client’s relationship and travels to a tea-length gown.” – Spencer-Grace Hiday, Lead Painter at Spencer Grace Art
3. Wedding Dress Codes
Sometimes it’s worth giving your guests a little guidance, attire-wise! Gathering all of your favorite people is one of the best parts of getting married, and we’re loving the rise of the wedding guest dress code trend for 2024 weddings because it includes all of your nearest and dearest in the vibe and aesthetic of the celebration!
Recently we’ve seen couples go for a classic black tie dress code, an all white dress code (where the couple wore color!) or even something more vibrant like an all-pink wedding. We’ve been clocking the arrival of the super-creative guest dress code—everything from “shimmer + shine” to “Met gala” to “prints required” to “festive formal” to 70’s inspired—and we are obsessed with the way that dress codes like these are giving guests a chance to flex their own creativity and making them part of the wedding rather than just there to witness it.
“Weddings are known to have formal dress codes. However, over the past year, couples are taking this a step further by giving niche dress codes such as “wear something red” or “met gala themed.” This is fun for everyone involved, especially the guests who get to showcase their creativity and personality. As for the couple, it showcases their unique style and creates more visually stunning images.” – Brianna Parks Photography
4. The Rise of Wedding Content Creators
It’s time to accept that you (and your wedding party) are going to be too busy living in the moment to whip out a phone and document your big day. So if you’re the kind of social media savvy couple that thinks in TikTok trends and loves to share a good Insta story, you’re going to want a wedding content creator to be around on your wedding day. The brides from this colorful Montana wedding and this elegant Utah wedding BOTH sang the praises of their wedding content creators, noting that while you may have to wait weeks or months for your photographer’s or videographer’s work, wedding content creators have priceless bts moments to share with you immediately after you wrap up your wedding!!
“We’re going to see more and more couples having a content creator at their wedding and wedding-related events. We work closely with photographers and videographers to be supportive and part of the team. There is so much value in the quick accessibility of the content we create! We are also seeing an increase in wedding vendors bringing our team in to capture behind-the-scenes content for them at events and weddings for their own business growth and promotion.” – Shelby Sims, Lead Content Creator, Wedding Content Co.
5. Creative Florals for the Groom
We are officially beyond the boutonniere.
In 2023 we saw the beginning of what’s going to be an explosion of creative florals for anyone rocking a wedding suit in 2024.
This whimsical Brooklyn editorial and this retro Southwest-influenced wedding are both beautiful examples of the rise of the floral pocket square. And, to take things a step further, lots of florists—like the ones who were part of this pink Malibu wedding, this desert wedding shoot, this kitschy disco celebration, and this edgy b+w Ausitn wedding—have been taking it a step further by incorporating wearable shoulder florals and floral lapel pieces.
This is the dawn of the wearable floral moment, and we are here for it.
6. Summer Camp Themed Weddings
We’ve been noticing a lot of summer camp nostalgia working its way into wedding planning. The summer camp-inspired wedding aesthetic is a perfect fit for the outdoorsy, retro couple that wants to be surrounded by nature but also wants a cute vintage vibe. This elevated summer camp wedding, this woodsy vintage Idyllwild wedding, this glam Wisconsin camp wedding, and this retro DIY Wes Anderson Lake Tahoe wedding are all perfect examples.
Plus! the summer camp wedding trend is a great way to incorporate one of the other major 2024 wedding trends we’re seeing: multi-day celebrations! Many couples are choosing a summer camp venue so that they can fill the cabins with all of their favorite people for an entire three-day wedding weekend celebration.
“Camp Weddings were a huge trend in 2023 and we expect to see it become even more popular in 2024. A ton of couples wanted a more casual and laid back feel to their wedding celebration, which meant booking outdoor summer camps for their venues. This was a great way for friends and family to be a part of the celebration for more than just a day as well, as many of them stayed with the couples on the property. These summer camp themed weddings also included incorporating things such as rustic wooden tables and signs, summer camp themed invitations, outdoor games, and campfires,” shares Brianna Parks Photography
7. Hand Painted Guest Portraits for 2024 Wedding Trends
Couples want their wedding to be memorable not only for themselves but also for their guests. Live artist guest portraits offer a one-of-a-kind experience where attendees can have their portraits painted or sketched in real-time. While each live artist works uniquely, the typical style of live portraiture is to have guest approach the artist for a photograph, upon which the artist with create a “fashion style” portrait, capturing a guest’s full outfit and personality in quick strokes. The paintings are finished same day, and taken home as what could arguably be called the most unique of wedding favors. Unlike caricatures, fashion portraits are fast and stylized drawings that capture the whole body rather than the features of the face.
Some artists sketch loose and stylized portraits that could grace a VOGUE fashion feature (Jillian Darville), others draw full bodied figures with quick expressive features on the face (Spencer-Grace Art), and some even reserve their figures to their subjects’ backsides alone! (The Butt Sketch Artist). While photobooths are a perpetual and popular wedding addition, unlike traditional photography, these hand-drawn or painted portraits evoke a sense of nostalgia and artistry that cannot be replicated by digital images.
“This trend of live artistry aligns with society’s growing appreciation for art and creativity. In an era dominated by technology and digital media, people crave authentic experiences that celebrate craftsmanship and human touch. Live artist guest portraits fulfill this desire by showcasing the talent and skill of artists who can capture emotions on canvas or paper. Live artist guest portraits are poised to become a big wedding trend in 2024 due to their ability to personalize experiences, capture timeless moments, celebrate artistry, and provide entertainment value. As couples continue to seek unique ways to make their weddings stand out from the rest, live artist guest portraits offer an innovative solution that combines creativity with cherished memories.” – Spencer-Grace Hiday, Lead Painter, Spencer Grace Art
8. Simple Elevated Bouquets for Bridesmaids
There’s no rule that says your bridesmaids have to carry a full bouquet! Plus, many a bridesmaid will report back that the gorgeous (and expensive!) bouquet they carried for the ceremony and held for pictures is quickly discarded on their reception table and never seen again.
We are so excited about this emerging trend of simple + elevated bridesmaid florals. Sometimes it’s just a single stem! A modern minimalist wedding in Austin, TX featured wearable bridesmaid shoulder florals. One of our newlywed editors had her bridesmaids rock wearable wrist corsages. This timeless Tennessee farm wedding and this funky Denver wedding had bridesmaids carry little monochrome mini-bouquets.
Some weddings (like this romantic Charleston wedding) are ditching bridesmaids florals all together and going for unique bridesmaid handbags instead, and some (like this full moon Vermont wedding) are opting for lanterns rather than bouquets!
We can’t wait to see where a new approach to the bridesmaid bouquet takes us in 2024!
9. 2024 Bridal Trend: Pink Wedding Gowns
Pink officially took the stage in 2023, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Barbie madness over the summer ushered in a new appreciation for all things pink and we’re starting to see that appreciation in the wedding gown world, as well. This Alaskan Barbie wedding shoot embraces hot pink and magenta while this colorful mountain wedding, this “sophisticated rainbow” wedding in Kentucky, and this disco dinner party wedding all feature wedding gowns in pastel pinks and blushes.
And with Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year being 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we are preparing to see lots of peachy wedding dresses (like the one from this kitschy + peachy Toronto wedding) in 2024!!
10. Trend towards high fashion and fashion brands
In 2023, we started seeing couples pull some of their wedding inspiration directly from the runway as well as high fashion editorials and we expect to see this even more in 2024.
Jaime of Wild Heart Events shares “For popular wedding trends for 2024, we are foreseeing a big trend towards high fashion and fashion brands…. For the above rehearsal dinner, we emulated the vibe of the Fendi Beach Club in Marbella for a fun night to set the tone for a wedding weekend in Carmel Valley! The guests were told to dress to impress and they did!“
11. Color Blocking for Florals
We all remember the advent of the ombre wedding decor look. Well, there’s a new trend in town. More and more weddings are embracing color blocking!! Rather than fading gently from one color to the next, color blocking keeps colors distinctly grouped and often pairs colors that are opposites on the color wheel. A few of the coolest examples we’ve noticed include this “funky formal” Los Alamos wedding, this Bay Area barn wedding, and this Cancun destination wedding!
We especially love the emerging trend of each bridesmaid carrying their own distinctly monochrome bouquet like at this minimalistic + modern San Diego wedding or this colorful Cabo wedding. Such a chic way to highlight the different colors in a mixed-and-matched bridal party!
Here’s to more color blocking in 2024!!
12. The Bow is Back!
If there’s anything more fun + feminine than a bow, we can’t think of it. Bows are showing up everywhere – on wedding gowns, cakes, as part of tablescapes. We’ve been noticing the ways that bows are being embraced by classic/timeless brides and retro/quirky brides alike. We’re seeing lots of romantic ribbon + bow decor moments in this charming, nostalgic Wisconsin wedding.
And bows in bridal looks are going strong. This sophisticated garden wedding and Greek mythology inspired wedding shoot feature gorgeous wedding dresses with bow accents on the back. And this retro roller skate wedding editorial even features an absolutely precious bow VEIL.
We are big bow fans and ready for all of the bows that’ll be turning up in wedding decor in 2024.
From Jaime of Wild Heart Events, “The bow is back! From Chanel and Miu Miu to Selkie and Richard Quinn, bows are hot right now.”
2024 Wedding Trends: Intimate Weddings
Whether it’s a way to keep wedding costs down, a way to keep your guest list low-stress, or a way to justify an epic + adventurous destination celebration, the intimate wedding is going to be the answer in 2024.
There are so many reasons to embrace a wedding with a small guest list, and every couple who opts to keep the headcount at their wedding low ONLY has good things to say. Just like multi-day celebrations, intimate weddings are a great way to make sure that you get to spend a decent amount of time with the people you’ve invited to celebrate with you, since there won’t be a million people to chat with on your wedding day.
Intimate weddings like this charming English pub wedding and this vintage streetcar wedding embraced small, unique local venues they loved and kept invitations to a minimum. Backyard weddings like this chic backyard wedding in Atlanta and this funky retro backyard wedding kept things small so that they could hold their weddings at homes that were special to them. Destination weddings like this intimate cliffside wedding in Santorini and this Canadian mountaintop villa wedding brought the couples’ nearest and dearest to absolutely breathtaking locales.
Cultural attitudes around who has to be at your wedding are continuing to shift away from obligatory invites, so keep things intimate in 2024!!
“We’re looking forward to seeing even more intimate, experience-focused weddings. Couples are leaning into who they are, what matters most to them, and making it the centerpiece of their wedding.” Becca Davis, Co-Owner, Adam and Becca Photo & Video
14. Puff Sleeve Wedding Dresses
Welcome to the era of the puff sleeve wedding dress.
We are clocking puff sleeve wedding gowns in every imaginable bridal style. Boho, retro, chic + timeless, mini, romantic: all with puff sleeves. No matter your personal aesthetic, puff sleeves are big part of the bridal silhouette of the moment.
Some brides are leaning towards versatile—often strapless—looks with detached or removable puff sleeves, like at this boho Ibiza destination wedding, this timeless Tomales Bay celebration, this wintery disco wedding, this erupting volcano elopement in Iceland, or this glass chapel wedding in Arkansas, for example.
Some brides, like the brides at this eclectic Palm Springs wedding, this villa-style Wisconsin wedding, this multi-day elopement in Japan, and this seaside destination wedding in Mexico, are digging colorful or floral puff sleeve looks.
Puff sleeve mini dresses—like the strawberry red reception look at this Valentine’s day wedding and the high neck vintage-inspired one at this retro backyard wedding in Canada—keep the hemlines high and the sleeves big.
There really are infinity ways to include a puff sleeve silhouette in your bridal style in 2024. The bride at this vibrant modern wedding in Liverpool rocked a puff sleeve bodice with trousers. The bride at this Art Deco hotel wedding in London accessorized with a sheer embroidered puff sleeve jacket. The bride at this sentimental backyard wedding ADDED sheer puff sleeves to her previously sleeveless gown.
The possibilities are endless in 2024 when it comes to puff sleeves. And definitely take a look at our list of 32 puff sleeve wedding dresses you’ll love for even more inspo!
15. Bring On the Cottagecore
We adore a cottagecore wedding.
Sweet, mix-and-match floral patterns. English countryside vibes. Wildflower-inspired bouquets. The cottagecore vibe is romantic by definition, so it’s perfect for lending even more romance to your most romantic day. Cottagecore weddings were just getting started in 2023, and we have a feeling that they’re gearing up to have quite a moment in 2024.
Some of the dreamiest and most whimsical cottagecore weddings that tipped us off? We are particularly charmed by this edgy + vintage inspired California meadow wedding, this whimsical literary wedding in wine country, and this “Little Women” inspired wedding in Georgia.
From Jaime of Wild Heart Events, “Bring on the Cottage Core… a nod to the English countryside has been rising ever since Bridgerton! From mixed floral prints, to valanced draping treatments and LOTS of gardeny flowers this aesthetic is here to stay. We love taking a modern spin on this vibe that leans a little country, a little farmy and a lotta fun!”
16. Multi-Day Celebrations for 2024 Wedding Trends
If your guests are going to the trouble of traveling for your wedding, why not make the most of it and gather everyone together for a few days? Increasingly popular with destination weddings in particular, the wedding weekend or multi-day celebration often makes a point to have all the wedding guests stay on site at the venue. It also usually includes welcoming activities and meals the day before the wedding and goodbye festivities the day afterward. Sometimes there are even day-of excursions planned for guests while the wedding party is getting ready before the wedding.
Couples who are embracing this wedding weekend trend—like this disco desert glamping wedding weekend and this historic Belgium wedding and this glam summer camp wedding for example—cannot say enough good things about having more time to spend with the people on their guest list. The wedding itself always goes by so quickly, so multi-day celebrations create space for brides + grooms to actually see and connect with all their favorite people and can end up being a great way for guests to get to know each other, too!
“Wedding weekends and week-long destination experiences are on the rise and something we’re really excited about as story tellers. Being able to travel to Italy with our couples and their closest friends and family and document that entire week is an incredible way to capture the essence of who they are and the relationships that mean the most to them. For local weddings, we’re seeing an increase in having a welcome party that sets the vibe and energy for the weekend.” Becca Davis, Co-Owner, Adam and Becca Photo & Video
17. Bold Wedding Suits
We might be entering a golden age of groom fashion.
Right now, all signs are pointing to a 2024 full of unbelievably bold wedding suits for grooms and brides and wedding suit wearers of all sorts.
A major emerging trend is the rise of the custom “Nudie Suit.” Named for the tailor who pioneered these colorful, larger-than-life looks in the 60’s and 70’s, these embroidered suits have a bold and definitively Western-wear vibe. Grooms these days are turning to all sorts of bespoke tailors to create colorful custom embroidered “Nudie Suit” inspired menswear for their wedding day. We spotted show-stopping colorful embroidered suits at this creative Montana mountain wedding, this Joshua Tree elopement, this Honky-tonk garden party wedding in Nashville, this retro 70’s Colorado wedding, and this gothic Pioneertown wedding.
Some grooms are including meaningful embroidered looks in other ways—like the groom’s floral sherwani at this winter disco wedding in Portland or the grooms at this playful yet elevated Carmel, CA ranch wedding who both wore one-of-a-kind suits designed and embroidered by talented friends.
And if embroidery isn’t your thing, we’re also seeing SO MANY bold solid color suit choices. There’s the burnt orange suit at this Arizona desert wedding, the hot pink tux jacket at this seaside destination wedding in Mexico, the sage green suit at this vintage inspired New Orleans Wedding, the white and lilac wedding suit at this edgy Denver wedding, the Kelly green suit at this elevated Santa Barbara elopement, the dusty rose suit at this Portland, OR elopement, the vibrant teal suit at this glam disco desert wedding in Moab—we could go on an on.
So: this is us giving anyone planning on wearing a wedding suit in 2024 the official go-ahead to think outside the box, go beyond your typical black and gray and blue wedding day looks, and embrace something unforgettably bold!
18. Having an Elopement AND a Big Wedding
If you’re planning a 2024 wedding and can’t decide between an intimate elopement or a big ol’ wedding with a big ol’ guest list, we have excellent news for you: you can have BOTH!!
More and more couples are opting for weddings with multiple components. So if you’ve always dreamed of an impulsive, romantic courthouse moment but you also can’t stand the thought of giving up a walk down the aisle with all your favorite people cheering you on, there really is no need to choose between the two.
Some couples are opting to start their wedding day with private “I do’s”, a picturesque vow exchange, or a civil ceremony and then follow it up with a big party that very day. A few of our fave examples of this model are the Malibu wedding of musical artist Phem + Tyler Posey (of Teen Wolf fame), this retro Philadelphia elopement, this intimate 70’s inspired wedding, and this street art inspired wedding in France.
There’s also the version where you fully elope just the two of you and then have a big ol’ wedding sometime down the line with a ceremony and a reception and everything—like this two-part San Francisco celebration and this historic Belgium wedding weekend!
You can even lure some of your closest friends and fam together and SURPRISE them with an elopement they get to be a part of like the bride + groom at this surprise elopement in Brooklyn did!
We are so excited that 2024 is going to be full of couples who know that a wedding day can take whatever shape they want it to!!
19. Do Whatever You Want!
More than anything, weddings in 2024 will embrace you doing you. At the end of the day, your guests are there to celebrate the two of you exactly as you are, the life you’re building together, and all the things that make you (as individuals and as a couple) unique!! So let your personalities shine through! Ditch traditions you hate. Embrace the ones that speak to you. Create new ones of your very own!!
GWS is here to cheer you on!! Check out our comprehensive How To Plan A Wedding guide and step-by-step checklist or our list of the top 26 coolest wedding venues in the US to get going on what we know is going to be an unforgettable year of weddings.
We cannot wait to see these exciting trends play out in 2024!
Happy planning!!
