As many couples leave behind 2020 and a wedding season that was anything but traditional, we sat down with wedding experts on the Minted team to get their take on what we’re hearing and witnessing about this year’s season and what 2021 wedding trends you should consider adopting for your own wedding celebrations.
Q: First things first, when do you think wedding celebrations will go back to “normal”?
A: This is a hard one because it obviously has so much to do with the speed at which a vaccine is rolled out and when we can stem the community transmission of COVID-19 significantly enough to achieve herd immunity. Based on what we’re seeing couples designing, there seems to be a fair amount of confidence about the ability to have large-scale celebrations in May or June of this year. Assuming a more widespread distribution of a vaccine in late spring, this seems feasible, but we think we will see couples continue to take safety measures and allow guests to proceed at their own comfort level. For example, many couples will likely continue to opt for open air celebrations as opposed to traditional indoor ballroom venues, we expect that couples will continue to offer masks and socially distant table arrangements, and we know that most will opt for individually plated meals as opposed to shared or buffet style serving arrangements. Last year we saw several couples handing out color-coded wristbands or drink markers to allow guests to silently communicate their comfort level with close proximity or physical contact, and we think we will see similar systems evolve as more guests have access to a vaccine while others may not have been able to receive it yet.
Read more about this real Minted microwedding in Florence, TX.
Image source: Bear Moose & Fox Fine Art Photography
We are also seeing that some pandemic-centric trends are likely to stick simply because they are appealing for photos and make for absolutely breathtaking photos. In particular, we are seeing more and more couples opt for weddings in stunning remote locations in the desert or the mountains, which have the added bonus of not needing significant additional decoration, but still offer the ultimate in customization! Another 2021 wedding trend we expect is that couples will continue to gravitate toward holding a more intimate ceremony or elopement followed by a vow renewal or other celebration with a larger group. We’ve worked with several brides and grooms on wedding announcements and reception invitations on the exact wording for this scenario, so we know we’ll be seeing a lot of it in 2021 and 2022!
Q: Onto the fun stuff, for couples getting married in 2021, what are some themes we should expect to see?
A: You’ve probably already seen this in your Instagram or Pinterest feed, but we expect to see celestial or tarot-inspired weddings really take off this year. A little bit boho, these nuptials are marked by shimmer, stars, moon phases, and a moody, tonal palette. If you aren’t ready to commit to the whole theme, we’ve seen many couples designing backdrop vignettes featuring the phrase “I love you to the moon and back” and a celestial motif.
Beyond celestial weddings, we are seeing more couples bring in jewel tones and unexpected hues for a mid-century or library feel, often pulling in vintage or mismatched elements for an eclectic, found, aesthetic.
Finally, with many couples eager to get married before the end of the year, we are expecting a surge in late fall and winter weddings and think couples will really lean into unique seasonal elements. Last winter we saw couples really embrace wintry palettes and develop a homey, cozy reception complete with snowy vistas, warm fireplaces, flannels and furs, and a whitewashed palette beyond these accents.
“Glistening Stardust”, designed by Angela Marzuki
Q: What about wedding flowers and décor? Any interesting trends there?
A: Expect to see more dried florals, pampas grass, and bleached palm fronds. Couples really love these floral elements because they are guaranteed to hold up throughout the celebration, and their texture allows floral artists to build elements that are more sculptural. Floral chandeliers can be a stunning alternative to tall centerpieces, and create a really “wow” moment when guests walk into the reception space.
In the same vein as architectural florals, one wedding trend for 2021 we expect to continue is the use of geometric cues and fluid shapes throughout the day-of décor. Whether it’s through a backdrop of half-arch pieces, or terrarium or diamond-shaped wedding arches, these modern shapes help provide visual contrast and immediately make a space feel fresh. We’re already seeing couples gravitate toward Save The Dates with these types of geometric elements, so don’t be surprised if you see some in your mailbox soon!
Image source: Pinterest.
The last wedding décor trend that stands out to me is the use of macramé and origami-like elements to provide texture in neutral color palettes. This wedding trend started off in the realm of wedding cakes as a way to decorate in a white-on-white palette, and we’re seeing it come to life in other day-of elements and wedding stationery. We’re seeing a lot of demand for letterpress and high-end papers that make for an elegant and tactile experience for guests.
“Peony Wreath”, designed by Alethea and Ruth
Q: You mentioned a couple of stationery trends above. Anything else that you’re seeing right now?
A: There are a few very interesting wedding stationery trends that we’re seeing this year. The first is the adoption of more typography-forward designs, particularly in Save the Dates. In years past, it’s been all about the photo, but given the experiences many 2021 couples have had, they are getting creative with what they want to say to their guests and how they want to say it.
The second trend is a resurgence of foil-pressed stationery. We’re seeing brides and grooms gravitate toward minimalist foil elements, but they still want some shine to make their invitation feel extra luxe. A lot of couples actually opt for custom foil text elements so that their names are in foil to really spotlight them.
Finally, we’re seeing couples focus their attention on their envelopes like never before. In particular, more and more couples are choosing daring, darker colors with all-white script addressing for a unique, calligraphied look. We’ve also been getting more orders for envelope liners that match the invitation so a guest’s full opening experience is really special. (By the way, if you have trouble finding them, you can see any invitation’s matching liner when you start customizing your design on the Minted site).
“Must Love Dogs”, designed by Annie Clark
Q: One last question--what is your favorite 2021 wedding trend that you hope will stick around?
A: Well we talked a little before about the move toward remote, nature-forward venues, and the trend we love the most in these venues is how planners and couples aren’t trying to make the space fit a specific or rigid vision or floor plan. Instead, they are allowing themselves to be inspired by the terrain and adapting their plans to fit the natural scenery, almost evaluating the space from a photographer’s eye. Some great examples of this are when couples create long tables with unexpected shapes to snake through a forest of redwoods or when they opt for a simple arch that perfectly frames a spectacular view to make for the perfect “I Do” moment. We hope we continue to see this stick around, but as more couples choose stunning natural venues, it’s all the more important that they and their guests do their best to leave as little a footprint as possible for the next couple to enjoy.
And just as a little bonus, we really hope we continue to see interesting color palettes, particularly in stationery. It’s so inspiring to see all the designs come through in deep emeralds and mustards and corals, and we think there will always be couples to gravitate toward and appreciate these bold, non-traditional statements.
Image source: Pinterest
