2024 WEDDINGS - WHATS ‘IN’?

WEDDINGS THAT FEEL LIKE A DINNER PARTY

Gone is formality, stiffness and tradition. You want your wedding to feel like you’re hosting a big dinner party (except you don’t have to do all the cooking). Think huge sharing platters, messy tables, good wine and excellent conversation.

You want your day to flow with ease, ensuring yourselves and your guests feel relaxed and laidback. Having a smaller amount of guests isn’t strictly necessary for this, but it can help to create the intimate vibe you are after. It can also enable you to allocate more of your budget on to your menus, so why not splurge on a tasting menu full of the seasonal and local produce that you love.

Dinner Party Wedding Guests share food, wine and conversation — Photo by Rebecca Rees Photography. Planning & Styling AR Weddings

AUTHENTICITY IN YOUR AESTHETIC

Having your wedding look a certain way because you have seen it done that way by your friends, on Instagram or Pinterest is so not how to approach your day in 2024. Instead first focus on the way you want your day to feel. Perhaps you’d like it to feel warm, buzzy, intimate and considered? Explain this to your planner or stylist and they can work with you, to work out your priorities to ensure your day feels and looks exactly how it should for you both.

Dinner reception at Euridge Manor, Cotswolds UK. Designed planned and styled by AR Weddings. Dried florals and champagne. — Photography by Aga Hosking. Designed, planned and styled by AR Weddings

FOOD AS DECOR

Gone are the days that florals and candles were the only thing to consider on your reception tables. Food styling and the presentation of your menu is set to be integral to the look of your day in 2024. When considering caterers for your day, always pay attention to how they display their dishes. Ask them about the serve wear they use, do they own this in house or do you have to work with a particular supplier for all your serve wear and dinnerware options? Think breads wrapped in ribbons, plentiful silver platters, and various fruit and vegetables tumbling out over bowls and or as sculptural arrangements in themselves.

Florals and fruit on wedding reception table. Spring greens and natural whites. — Photography by Rebecca Emily Photography. Planning, Design & Styling by AR Weddings

SAYING ‘NO’ TO TRADITION

Think, walking down the aisle together; personalised vows; a cold water swim on the morning of your wedding; music processions leading guests to your venue, DJ Live sets; first dance when it’s your ‘first look’; no dress codes; dancing like no-ones watching; cake as your dessert (so it actually gets eaten); no compromise.

Do whatever you want to do. You set the vibe for your day. In the words of the legendary Mama Cass, ‘Make your own kinda music’.

Couple dancing on their wedding day at Dorfold Hall, Cheshire UK. First look. — Photography by HM Weddings. Planned by AR Weddings

FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

The natural imperfections of film photography feels so very right now and many couples are choosing this as an add-on to their digital galleries too. The grain, the natural light and the over exposures reflect perfectly what this whole article has highlighted. An authenticity, a realness a fuss-free approach to your wedding day. Embrace the imperfections, because they are actually quite perfect.

Bride getting ready photograph on wedding day morning at Dorfold Hall. Putting on Bridal shoes. Planned by AR Weddings — Photography by HM Weddings. Planned by AR Weddings

AR Weddings is a modern wedding planner and stylist working with couples all over the UK.

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