Wedding Trends for 2024: Micro Events, Nontraditional Venues, Statement Attire and More

If you’re looking for some pre-wedding inspiration—no matter when, where or how you’re getting married—I did a little digging on 2024 wedding trends. Whether you’re a guest, a part of the bridal party or a bride or groom yourself, here are four things to look out for in the coming year.

Micro weddings and elopements: Intimate gatherings and elopements are such an endearing way to say “I do.” I can attest to this personally because that is exactly what my husband and I did—eloped on a random Monday afternoon at City Hall, followed by a champagne lunch at Lindey’s. It was sweet, memorable and makes for a good story when asked.

Super small weddings became popular after the COVID outbreak, once people realized that friends and family really do trump everything else. Micro weddings, defined as “any ceremony and/or reception with less than 50 guests,” allow couples to really focus on the relationships they have with their closest friends and family members, with a lot less stress. According to Wedding Spot, couples often combine an elopement and reception to create their own micro wedding. This way, the couple still has “their moment” with just the two of them getting married, followed by a gathering of friends and family to celebrate in a bigger way.

Some married couples even steal this micro wedding idea for their anniversary or vow renewal, which is also what my husband and I are planning to do in January in celebration of five years of marriage.

Nontraditional venues: This wedding trend is modern, fun and often elaborate. In recent years, couples have been exploring nontraditional venues like art galleries, warehouses and even private homes for their ceremonies and receptions in place of traditional wedding venues and event spaces reserved for weddings. Holding your wedding at a nontraditional venue allows for more flexibility in design and atmosphere, and also provides guests with a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

Statement bridal attire: Brides (and grooms) have been embracing bold and nontraditional attire choices for a while, from colorful wedding dresses to custom-designed suits and, of course, the pre-reception outfit change. Words like “playful,” “daring” and “dramatic” were thrown around during bridal fashion week in New York City this year, where stylists, editors and influencers saw a clear, running theme on the runway—wedding dress separates.

Bridal designers are now offering stylish “fixes” to the former ceremony-to-reception outfit change trend, creating separates like gloves, neck scarves, detachable sleeves and hooded veils to ensure brides look and feel as chic as possible on their wedding day, without having to sacrifice getting out of their gorgeous gown before they’re ready, not to mention the cost of wearing two wedding dresses.

Blanc Weddings said the same thing about two-piece gowns being on the wedding industry horizon, stating that we will likely see an increase in brides opting for natural, sustainable fabrics like silk, cotton and linen. We can expect to see brides walking down the aisle in custom cotton dresses and making entrances at their dinner rehearsals in silk suits.

Weekendlong celebrations: What could be a better than an entire day dedicated to celebrating your (or your friend’s) wedding? An entire weekend. There has been a significant rise in people searching for wedding venues that can host newlyweds and their guests for two or three nights instead of one. Think private country cottages or estates, depending on your budget and number of guests.

Extending your wedding celebration into a weekendlong event is a commitment, definitely. If you think about how many weddings today are conducted, though, most include a rehearsal dinner the night before and a morning brunch after the wedding. If you were planning on doing some rendition of that, the weekendlong wedding almost makes more sense seeing as you wouldn’t have to travel to three or four different places. I, along with the trend forecasters, would argue that the best part about a three-day celebration is that it allows for more quality time with guests whom you only get to see a handful of times a year at best.