A Guide to the 2020 Wedding Trends After Lockdown
2020 has been a memorable year, to say the least. While it has been a time of grief, struggle and challenge for many, we’re happy to be seeing rays of hope in the form of couples who are getting engaged and looking optimistically to the future. Likewise, many couples whose wedding plans were upended by the lockdown, are looking for new and innovative ways to celebrate.
It’s undeniable that many aspects of our lives are going to look different for the foreseeable future, and weddings are no exception. But that doesn’t mean that your day can’t be just as special, if not more so.
So, what are the big wedding trends for 2020 that we’re going to see once lockdown ends? These are our predictions.
Smaller Weddings
With restrictions on large gatherings continuing, and many couples being cautious with their finances, big, flashy weddings will be seen as a bit of a faux pas. Instead, in the coming months we expect to see more intimate events, with smaller guest lists and fewer showy touches.
Couples will focus on the aspects that really matter to them: perhaps an amazing boutique venue, great quality food and wine, or a beautiful ring that will become an heirloom piece in the future.
Autumn and Winter Weddings
With so few warm days to enjoy here in the UK, Spring and Summer weddings are the traditional choice. However, Autumn and Winter are stunning seasons, and the start of the cooler months can in fact see more stable weather.
Couples who delayed their wedding plans for lockdown will be looking forward to tying the knot once gatherings are permitted, and we expect to see some truly beautiful late-season weddings. Think wedding photos in fall leaves, cozy fires in historic venues, faux fur wraps and shimmering, snowy décor.
Couples may look to jewellery trends to match this vibe – warm coloured stones like yellow or pink sapphires, or glittering ice-white diamonds.
Outdoor Weddings
We have seen more and more outdoor weddings over the past few years, as couples embrace the beautiful British countryside or opt for romantic destination weddings.
In 2020, as people think about resuming gatherings safely, especially where older relatives may be present, this wedding trend will certainly continue, but with a few tweaks.
Simon Wright couples have held stunning weddings on idyllic farms, in Tuscan villas and on tropical beaches. However, in a change to destination wedding trends for 2020 many couples will be looking to avoid unnecessary travel and we anticipate that weddings in our many beautiful city parks and woodlands will become increasingly popular. These events lend themselves to a charming boho style, with canapes or even an outdoor barbecue, flowy fabrics and one-of-a-kind jewellery.
Vintage-style rings are a popular choice for couples who opt to bring nature and the outdoors into their wedding ceremony. Click here for some inspiration!
More use of Technology
Between working from home and connecting with friends and relatives remotely, 2020 has made tech experts of us all.
While Zoom is no substitute for real human connection, our increased adoption of technology has opened many surprising doors and given rise to some remarkable creativity. The incorporation of technology is a wedding trend we expect to see continue in 2020 and beyond.
Not only can couples have ‘virtual guests’ join in the celebrations, but tech opens up an entire world of opportunity. Do you have a cultural background from outside the UK? You can have a band play traditional music from anywhere on the planet. You can screen a dance performance for your guests, arrange a virtual guard of honour for military weddings, have your best man give a speech from New Zealand, or have absent friends and relatives send in photographs or digital postcards that you can project on the walls.
The only limit is your imagination.
Different Types of Giving
One benefit that this year has brought many of us, is gratitude. We have cheered for the NHS workers from our balconies, thought for the first time about the lives of the people who bring us our Ocado and Amazon orders, and truly learned that our health is a gift.
Gratitude, and a refocused attitude to giving, is a trend that we are likely to see continue in weddings in 2020. Big registries with fancy dinnerware and high thread-count sheets will be out. Instead, couples will be thinking longer term and outside of their immediate needs. Gifts might look more like financial support for meaningful purchases, like a first home or a piece of jewellery that will last for generations.
Some couples may eschew gifts altogether, instead asking guests to donate to a cause that is meaningful to the couple.
We are optimistic about what the future holds. Throughout this crisis, the best of humanity has been seen time and again, and we have remembered what really counts – our relationships, our community and our planet.
We love our couples and we’re looking forward to helping you celebrate YOUR relationship in 2020, whatever that might look like.
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