Love is timeless, that much is true - BUT when it comes to wedding trends, they are ever changing! 

If you’re getting married this year, it’s time to get yourself acquainted with the top trends that are taking the wedding industry by storm in 2024. 

From cutting edge decor to fashion-forward bridal styles, these are the five most exciting and anticipated wedding trends of the year. 

This is your front row seat to the future of wedding trends and exactly how you can incorporate them into your day - so let’s talk about it!

I’m Nazlee, director of award-winning wedding venue Offley Place, where we’ve hosted hundreds of beautiful wedding days. I recently got married too, so I have all the insider secrets and top tips to share from both sides of the aisle.

Wedding Trends 

Wedding trends - each year they come out telling us what’s in and what’s out in the world of weddings for the next year. 

And this year we’re looking at some really exciting ones. 

The first thing that is ‘out’ is all the stuffy traditions. This year is all about YOU. 

Plus, not taking things too seriously.

There are some really fun wedding trends that I’m a little obsessed with and I think you will be too. 

Who Decides the Wedding Trends of the Year?

Wedding trends usually end up being a compilation of different wedding professionals’ notes from the front row at Bridal Fashion Week.

Not to mention inspiration from real couples showcasing their wedding days that are getting more and more creative (yes, real couples, you are also a muse!), and of course a heavy influence from the incredibly talented wedding suppliers who are always pushing the boat out to create fresh and artistic takes on their craft.

This year's selection draws elements from all three of these sources of inspiration, making it a really fresh take.

Before we start, I want to preface this blog post with a big, big, big reminder: Your wedding day has to be personal to you, your tastes and your style. 

Working with so many different couples on their wedding celebrations, I’ve found that the most important thing is undoubtedly that the wedding is reflective of you as a couple. You have to feel comfortable and love your choices for your day.

So, if you’re immediately drawn to some of these ideas and you think they’d add a bit of fun or a nice twist to your wedding, then by all means let's look at how you can incorporate them.

But if some of them just aren’t quite ‘you’ - then skip them - there are so many exciting ideas out there I’m sure you’ll find elements that you love.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to this year’s most exciting wedding trends.

 

1. Candid Photographs

In the world of 2024 wedding photography, it’s all about the documentary style vibe, where photographers are mixing in some candid moments with the classic poses. It’s not just about freezing the moment, it’s about capturing the vibe and the energy of your big day too.

Candid photos also make a great option instead of more staged, formal shots like couples portraits or family photos. Scrap the cheesy poses, and ask your photographer to focus on taking photos of you all interacting. Those natural, in the moment shots really capture the true heart of your wedding day.

If you’re keen to have candid photos at your wedding, this is something you should share with your photographer. They should be able to properly advise you on how best to do it, but they need to be in on the dream vision as they’ll be the ones bringing it to life.

Another way to bring candid photography into your wedding day is by including disposable or polaroid camera for your guests - turning them into your own makeshift paparazzi to snap away all of the little moments you might miss during your wedding. This will give you an amazing mix of shots, and let you take in all your wedding day memories from completely different perspectives.

 

If you want to include disposable cameras for your wedding, then you can leave them on the tables your guests will be dining at, or even at the entrance if you want to encourage snapping away from the very beginning of the celebrations.

Let someone know how many you have, and delegate the job of collecting them all back in the evening, to make sure that no enthusiastic guests take any with them - this is a great job for an usher or groomsman!

Whether you opt for disposable cameras or ask your photographer for more natural candids, these are bound to be some of your favourite photos from your wedding day. They were definitely my favourite photos from our celebrations because we all looked like ‘us,’ interacting how we usually do - you can definitely feel the love and affection through them. 

 

2. Textured Cakes

If you’re anything like me then your wedding cake is top of your wedding planning priorities! 

I personally have a massive sweet tooth, and I loved the idea of having a statement wedding cake.

Now, if the idea of statement brings to mind huge towering cakes, then let me clarify - just because I say “statement cake” doesn’t mean that your wedding cake needs to be anything massive or overly lavish, but instead try to think more in terms of interesting and beautifully designed - enter the textured cake trend.

Cakes are now a key part of the wedding planning process, and cake designers are getting more and more creative.

And in the opinion of the trend-leaders of 2024, adding texture is the way to bring your cake up to date. It’s a very simple shift that massively elevates the look of your wedding cake. 

There are lots of different ways to apply texture to your cake - from lace or pleats to draping. There are hundreds of simple yet striking effects, and you’re bound to fall in love with one of them.

The beauty of adding texture is that you can be as sentimental as you like. My husband wrote me a card when he proposed to me, and we worked with our cake designer to print the words onto edible folds of paper, creating a very personal and beautiful effect on our wedding cake.

The writing wasn’t completely legible, just small excerpts inside each fold which meant that it was still a little more private to us, we weren’t sharing eeeverything with our guests, but it added such a special, sentimental touch.

Adding texture to your wedding cake can also be the perfect way to create more cohesion in your styling. You might want to bring details from your dress or flowers, or a texture or pattern from another part of your wedding day.

A friend of mine opted for a bold printed table cloth, and had the same pattern painted onto her wedding cake. I absolutely loved it, and heard a lot of guests complimenting the cake.

When you’re speaking to your wedding cake designer, or you’re starting to think about the style of cake you’d like for your wedding, then think about how you might be able to add texture to your design for a unique touch.

2. Short veils

Another big trend from Bridal Fashion Week was the fresh, modern take on the traditional veil - veils are getting shorter. 

When it comes to the 2024 runways, traditional, long cathedral length veils seem to be a thing of the past, and shorter veils are taking over.

We’re seeing a shift, where weddings are being seen as more fun, lighthearted and personal - not so formal and traditional.

Shorter veils are definitely a less formal option, but they can still be a very elegant and graceful way to add a veil to your wedding look.

There are so many options for mini veils. Glittering tulle veils, pearl embellished veils, and even headband veils can be very playful and interesting.

I personally fell in love with cage veils, which I used for one of my wedding looks. It had such an elegant, vintage feel, but was also a bit of fun.

From a practical perspective, mini veils are so much easier to manage. Take it from someone who’s been there - a long cathedral veil and a windy wedding day do not go so well together! (now that’s a story for another day!)

 

3. Mini dresses

The shorter trend seems to transcend veils - we’re seeing much shorter dresses too.

We’ve seen them growing in popularity over the last few years - not just for bachelorette and bridal parties but for the main celebration too! It seems as though bridal mini dresses are here to stay.

Lots of brides feel more comfortable in a mini wedding dress, as it still feels very special and elegant while being more aligned with the sort of dresses that they are used to wearing. 

Short wedding dresses work perfectly for civil registry office weddings, as a fun, ‘bridal’, alternative, but you can definitely wear them to a larger wedding celebration as well.

There are so many options! 

You could opt for a fitted, embellished dress, a draped mini dress, something off the shoulder, or something fun with feathers.

If you love the idea of a mini dress, but don’t want to miss out on having a train, there are definitely options out there for you too. I wore a bridal mini dress to my town hall wedding day by the incredible Lebanese designer Reem Acra. It was one-shoulder with a long train, so there was no missing out on the drama.

I felt so comfortable walking around in it all day and I think that’s really key when it comes to your choice of mini dress.

If you aren’t a long dress kind of person, then this is something that you should definitely consider. You will be able to dance the night away comfortably!

It’s also perfect for brides who want to show off their wedding shoes. We spend so long considering what shoes to pair with our dress, and with longer dresses you run the risk of nobody even seeing them at all.

A mini dress offers an amazing alternative if you want to show off your bridal shoes.

If you have your heart set on a longer dress, you can still add a short dress into your wedding look as well. Many brides are opting for an evening outfit change, and a mini dress is the perfect option. You’ll have a full new bridal look for your photos, and be able to dance the night away and celebrate with everyone.

 

4. Oversized Bows

If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest while planning your wedding, you will know that bows have officially arrived and it seems as though they are well and truly here to stay.

Bows seem to have taken over the world lately. They are all over every bride’s instagram and TikTok feed, and seem as though they are the perfect solution to just about every bridal issue.

Particularly when it comes to wedding and bridal styling, bows are the perfect touch for adding a sense of whimsical charm to your look.

Adding a simple white ribbon to the stem of your wine glass or candlestick can add a lighthearted, elevated touch to your wedding tablescape.

Bows are also a dreamy addition when it comes to your bridal accessories. Whether you add a bow to your wedding bag, shoes or hair pieces, they can add the perfect touch to many different wedding looks.

They can also be an ideal addition to outfits for pre-wedding occasions - your bachelorette, a bridal party, family gatherings or welcome dinners. When it comes to anything wedding-related, why not add a bow?

 I’ve seen oversized bows all over the bridal catwalks, adding a sense of drama and elegance to all kinds of wedding dresses. There are really no rules - I’ve seen them drawing the attention of the back of a dress, the neckline and even the shoulder, adding so much interest and elevating the look. 

There are so many options to explore with bows in different sizes and even colours. I’ve seen gorgeous wedding dresses with a dramatic black bow - maybe one for the braver brides! 

This is definitely a place where you can experiment with colour in the details, to find a style that really compliments your dress and your vision.

 

That’s it for our annual trend update, a little dose of freshness and modernity in the overall timeless landscape of weddings. 

I hope you’ve found some ideas for how you can incorporate them into your wedding to add a fresh and modern twist your guests will love. 

My advice for you is to truly go with your heart when it comes to wedding trends, don’t worry about it ageing or your photos looking dated - keep it simple, if you love something then by all means go for it.

Everyone’s wedding photos are going to capture a moment in time and be reflective of that time too - what’s super fashionable now, may not be in a few years but then it’ll all come back around again.

So, listen to me - we are not going to stress about that! Choose what you love and everything else will fall into place.

Need some support with planning your big day? My free wedding planner is just the thing for you, with a countdown to your wedding and all the important things you need to remember leading up to your special day. 

Happy planning!