Bride Wars: Battling Wedding Trends of the 2000s

Many of the trends that rotate event and wedding planning today are based around long-standing traditions slightly altered and combined by varying cultures, through many years of celebrations thrown since the dawn of time.

In the 21st century, continents across the globe have shifted priorities to capturing a newlywed’s love in the relationship within the decor, food, and activities presented, instead of the long-standing wedding traditions, shaping a perfectly unique aesthetic to each couple for their friends and families to come together for.

With couples celebrating their special day every day amongst the global population, the traditions chosen and broken remain entirely up to the newlyweds!
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Large-tiered wedding cake vs. dessert buffet

Large-tiered cakes became popular for weddings in medieval times: multiple individual cakes would be stacked atop one another, to which the couple were then invited to kiss over the top of, if they were able to successfully kiss without knocking over any of the tiers, it supposedly meant a happy and thriving marriage. 

These grand, tall wedding cakes have been deemed as a classic picture focal point for many wedding photographers and newlyweds, and are even beautiful in the backdrop too. What used to be many individual tiers amongst royal weddings, has slimmed down to a reasonable, yet still grand, three tiers. Like many traditions within a wedding, each tier of the cake has a purpose: the bottom tier is eaten at the ceremony, the middle tier distributed after the event, and the top tier is saved for the couple for a special occasion in their new marriage.

Many weddings still opt for the large cake, a dessert centerpiece if you will, however, some couples began choosing to lay out a lineup of desserts for their guests, varying from pastries to fruit to frozen sweets, this gave an extensive variation for people of all tastes, and because they are individually portioned usually mean less waste as more can be distributed out to guests after the celebrations, some even continue snacking from the table throughout the night.

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Dessert lineups or buffets for the big day have grown in popularity since the early 2000s. However, this concept can be traced back to the early 19th century, stemming from the Sicilian tradition of the “Venetian Hour”, also known as the separation of desserts from the main course, with a great variety of sweet treats like fresh fruit, pastries, frozen sweets, etc.

Specifically, cupcakes for weddings became popular in 2005, catering to the individuality of a wedding party’s or guest list’s flavor palette, and the variety of allergies within a large gathering, though some couples still order the small tier of cake to be split between the two of them, the rest saved for their first anniversary. 

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Matching vs. varying bridesmaid dresses

Until the late 2010s, matching bridesmaids were still the majority of bridal party decisions, with the variations staying in the cut of the dress to fit one’s body size, rather than the color or style entirely. This tradition comes from ancient Roman times, as it was believed the bride and her bridesmaids should all wear the same dress to confuse and ward off the evil spirits who were devoted to stealing the bride from her happy ending. 

Although wedding parties quickly ditched having the same bridal gown as the bridesmaid’s dresses, there are plenty of weddings that still follow this tradition of uniform bridesmaids’ dresses. However, there has been a shift since the 2020s has taken its place in the decades.

In recent years, many bridal stores and sites have reported an upward trend of bridal parties opting for mismatched dresses with various shades of an overarching color, different colors to compliment the couples’ chosen wedding color palette, and varying cuts, lengths, and styles of dresses. 

This contrast in colors or styles provides a pop and adds a fun element to group photos, as well as giving the wedding party the option to find something that coincides with the wedding theme and fits their style, everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin!

Florals vs personalized props

Big, bold bouquets emphasize the grandiosity of a wedding and have been an iconic wedding staple for centuries, with wealthy families placing florals in as many spots for detail as they can find, displaying their wealth and good fortune. Smaller weddings, such as elopements or ceremonies and celebrations reserved for a small group of friends and family, will scale down the size of the bouquets for smaller, locally sourced collections.

It’s not only florals decorating the aisles and tablescapes, but greenery of all kinds such as tropical leaves, succulents, terrariums, driftwood pieces, bowls or cornucopias of fresh fruits or vegetables, and even small trees! Whatever resonates with the engaged couples’ taste from the selection the florist or farm chosen offers. 

With this rise in popularity for customized and individualized features sprinkled throughout wedding decor, many couples first move to replace the centerpieces or an aspect within the cocktail hour. These areas of wedding planning leave the most room to integrate personalized decor, and most event planners are happy to help coordinate these unique features!

Some of these personalized items include DIY floral bouquets such as something they’ve grown or picked themselves, wooden or Lego flowers, candle arrangements, film or polaroid cameras, a dessert arrangement, fresh fruit or similar skewer snacks as a snack between and after courses, etc. These personalized centerpieces can even double as party favors for guests as the evening concludes!
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Black and white vs. neon bright

The early 2000s through mid-2010s held a lot of room (and time) for bright and vibrant colors, and bold patterns strewn throughout the venues and attire – similar to the late 70s and 80s desire for maximalist design and bright colors! This includes the intertwined “theme weddings” as well, with the overarching desire to go over the top for the special occasion. 

Colors like bright aqua, pink, and purple were many brides’ go-to for that pop in their wedding palette in those eras, paired with either a darker or lighter neutral like brown or beige, varying shades of grey, etc.

The late 2010s began to display a shift in colors chosen as an ombre effect began to take place, and the 2020s transitioned into a preference for monochrome palettes of the same shade varying in deep, rich, and neutral shades. Frequent themes wedding planners and designers have seen recently include varying shades of earthy greens, browns, reds, oranges, and even pastels. 

The general consensus seems to agree these varying shades give an organized and fuller look to many decor options, and leave the opportunity for pops of color to fun furniture, personalized decor, and photo opp features.

Maximalist vs. simplistic wedding gowns

Like the vibrant, maximalist colors that dominated the 2000s-2010s in decor and venue setup, wedding dresses were also much more extravagant, maximalist, and detailed than they are now. Following princess or mermaid silhouettes, strapless cuts, lots of crystals, and ways to draw the eye in every way, it was all about feeling glamorous in the most lavish of ways!

The 2020s have shown just as much of an interest in details, but in a different approach. Many brides are showing more interest in a subtle, airy, and naturally falling style with light sparkle, leaning toward intricate lace and floral designs. 

The corset waist has been in style in many dress shapes for centuries, with the corset primarily concealed to the viewers by the bodice or cut of the dress. The corset has now grown more defined in recent dress designs, integrated into the actual appearance of the dress to create an illusion of a fairytale’s delicate ‘damsel dress’.

Royal Court vs. Sweetheart table

Dating back to some of the first royal and prominent families, specifically the Middle Ages, the large banquet-style tablescape has been used for celebrations, such as weddings, to bring a sense of unity for all friends and family as the couple enters their new phase of life together, and families have now come together. 

Many couples still do this today with their entire wedding party seated at the front of the event, while their guests take up a few other banquet-sized tables, and more banquet-sized tables hold the many offers of food. 

In the early 2000s, a fondness for a single table for the just married couple started to take the front stage, dispersing their wedding party to tables amongst friends and families throughout the venue. This individual couple’s table has been deemed, “the sweetheart table” and allows the newly wedded couple some time to eat their carefully planned meal together, as well as their wedding party the ability to sit amongst their friends or plus ones sitting with the rest of the guests.

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Guest book vs. guest activity 

The guest book did not start with the warm intentions it is used for in events today. During the Victorian era, families of high status or aristocratic value would leave out a book for guests to leave their names and titles for family records, and to look back on how notable their family was considered to have hosted such grand titleholders. While these origins are a far cry from romantic, that hasn’t stopped the transformation of the tradition.

The allure of guest books today comes from the love of nostalgia within the world’s population. People love to look back on moments throughout their lives, sometimes monumental, sometimes not, and see who has been there, where they were, what moments friends and family remember when thinking of you, etc…Now we keep records of love.

Variations of the guest book have been done time after time, ever since this tradition transformed from one of status to one of memory, and are typically where most couples put a personalized twist to the loving tradition. 

What started as a book to sign names and well wishes from wedding attendees, morphed into features like photo albums, signing a variety of things more personal to the couple like a map, puzzle, bottle (or multiple) of wine, etc. to leaving recordings of words of love and encouragement with the couple to be listened to on milestone anniversaries for example.

People are very nostalgic and sentimental, to hold on to kind words from friends and family, in whatever means, is a wonderful way to celebrate a new chapter of life and to look back on in many years ahead. 

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Sources:

Cakes and Dessert

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-decor-trends 

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jul/06/wedding-trends-whats-hot-whats-not/

https://www.thekentweddingcentre.com/blog/wedding-cake-tiers-sizes-and-servings-all-you-need-to-know#:~:text=The%20art%20of%20serving%20a,happy%20marriage%20for%20the%20couple. 

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Bridesmaid Dresses

https://www.vogue.com/article/death-of-the-matching-bridesmaid-dress 

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Centerpieces

https://www.brides.com/gallery/wedding-table-decorations-centerpieces 

https://www.theknot.com/content/centerpieces-we-love 

https://lifeinbloomchicago.com/centerpiece-styles/ 

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Wedding Gowns

https://www.lulus.com/blog/lifestyle/the-most-popular-wedding-dress-styles-by-decade/ 

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Tablescapes

https://thelane.com/unique-table-configurations/ 

https://organiceventssupplyco.com/blogs/news/evolution-wedding-tablescapes?srsltid=AfmBOop1AwfngdJ5xt3sLQE17linM-Q0nOvUDSlAkqP4SUspQceZw2CB 

https://gloam.co.uk/wedding-planning/what-is-a-sweetheart-table-and-why-you-should-consider-one-for-your-wedding/ 

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Guest Books

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-guest-book-alternatives-creative 

https://www.brides.com/gallery/alternative-guest-book-ideas 

https://raiseavoast.com/blog/guest-book-origins-and-history-hrmth#:~:text=Guest%20books%2C%20born%20out%20of,their%20status%20and%20social%20standing. 

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