Weddings are a day to celebrate marriage and love. But, in a world of Pinterest and Instagram, some questionable trends have infiltrated the wedding world. So many wedding ideas are made for big impact and amazing pictures. Viral trends have taken the sacred union a *little* too far, though, and you won’t believe some of the things people do to stand out on their wedding day.
Here are some wedding trends that will have you wondering if people actually do them. And, as you can tell from the linked Instagrams, the answer is yes.
33. Dogs down the aisle
Lots of people have a furry friend in their life that is more than just a pet. But recently, people have put their dogs (or sometimes even their cats) into the wedding party, going as far as to get them a tuxedo or a matching bridesmaid gown. They also are sometimes given the honor of carrying the rings down the aisle. Quite honestly, that seems like a massive risk that I, personally, wouldn’t recommend for anyone.
32. Wedding live streams
Going “live” on Instagram or Facebook has become part of our everyday lives, so why not stream your wedding? With the new features on various platforms, it’s as easy as a click of a button. Brides and grooms even assign it as a special job for one of their guests. The only problem is the viewers will be all the people who weren’t important enough to get a real invite. At least they can watch you tie the knot from the comfort of their own home.
31. Crazy bride shoes
Gone are the days where brides wear high heels all night. Comfort is KEY. They want to be able to dance the night away and avoid sore feet and blisters. The newest trend? Sneaker wedges or Crocs under the big ballgown, usually customized or bedazzled. Crocs even offers “bridal shoes.” YES, CROCS! Or, you can DIY your own with gems, letters, and glitter.
30. Drone photography
Talk about EXTRA. While “doing it for the ‘gram” is the motto of our time, taking the step to get sky high photos is really going the extra mile. Brides and grooms are hiring drone operators to capture the perfect movie-like shot or video from soaring heights. It’s recommended that a professional do this, or else your drone will probably end up in a tree somewhere.
29. Goofy Photos
A polarizing trend in the wedding community is the cheesy, posed photos. From bridesmaids all flashing their butts or groomsmen standing in a line peeing, the opportunities to be silly are endless. Many bridal parties copy movies or reenact scenes from pop culture to make the “perfect” photo. The opportunities (and inspiration pics on Instagram) are endless.
28. Solo Wedding
In a world where people are finding it hard to find their soulmate, women (and some men) have taken it upon themselves to throw a huge wedding and invite all of their friends and family to celebrate the union of… themselves to themselves. “Sologamy” is when you marry yourself, and many have used it as an excuse to throw the wedding of their dreams. From vows to a solo cake topper, this tradition is gaining traction and keeps popping up in news headlines worldwide.
27. Live animals at the reception
Wedding, zoo, or both? Live animals such as llamas, swans or even tigers have been making guest appearances as special wedding attendees. They make amazing, ‘grammable photos but we have to wonder how good they smell. There are even some traveling zoo companies that bring their animals solely to wedding receptions and dress them up to fit the theme and color scheme of your big day. Talk about party animals!
26. Wacky socks
Socks with patterns, emojis, colors, shapes… you name it, they make it! Grooms and groomsmen everywhere are embracing the funky trend of wearing the craziest socks they can find. It adds a pop of color to their outfits but sometimes can be taken too far with inappropriate words, sports teams or uncoordinated patterns.
25. Hiring a bridesmaid service
Stressed that your maid of honor won’t be able to pull everything together? Don’t worry, there’s an app for that! Services like “Bridesmaids for Hire” allow you to pay for bridesmaids services and someone to be your right hand. This MOH may not be your best friend for life, but they will be super organized and get the job done.
24. Brides wearing diapers!
You’ve probably seen the cliche movie scene of a bride having to go to the bathroom in their big puffy dress. Well, some brides think that is too big of a burden, and have opted to wear diapers for the evening so no moment will be wasted (even going to the bathroom). Quite frankly, that’s taking things wayyyyy too far and we’re NOT here for it.
23. Picnic blankets as seats
A trend that may look beautiful on Pinterest, but is totally uncomfortable IRL — we have the picnic blanket wedding. I’m sorry, but did these brides forget the difficulty of sitting on the floor in a dress without flashing the whole world? Or how uncomf the hard, cold ground can be? It is one of the most re-pinned things on Pinterest, but the actual reality may not be so sweet. Save your guests from aches and pains and give them a chair to sit in.
22. Live goldfish centerpieces
This is a little… fishy. Party planners have been using live goldfish in water vases as a centerpiece at weddings to add movement. We can’t help but wonder where the little fish go once the party is over. Even if you’re having an Under The Sea theme, this may be a trend that takes it a little too far. I guess you can allow the guests to bring a fish home as a party favor? Either way, this is a wedding not a carnival!
21. Marijuana Bar
This one is a little questionable… Some brides & grooms just want their guests to feel as relaxed as possible. Marijuana bars are available to adults of legal age in certain states where weed is legal and include edibles, joints and more. This takes the idea of “open bar” to a whole new level and will totally make sure your guests have the munchies so they eat all the food you pay for!
20. Choreographed dances
This can go from super cool to super cringe-worthy real fast. Some bridal parties have decided that it’s a good idea to practice their dances months in advance and really, really break it down. If you’re looking for an opportunity for your wedding to go viral, this may be your chance. Our personal preference is that it’s cute if it’s a surprise for the bride but not necessarily if it’s been orchestrated by the host herself.
19. Crazy #Hashtags
While this trend started a few years back, they have become long and ridiculously stretched in order to cleverly incorporate both the bride and grooms names in a creative way. Yes, we understand that it’s great to document your wedding with a hashtag, but it’s time to find one that concisely and cleverly combines the names or the event. There are even hashtag generators online to help you think of the perfect one so there’s no excuse to have a completely ridiculous one. Brides and grooms also usually plaster the hashtag all over the wedding (signs, napkins and more), seemingly forgetting that subtlety is key.
18. Dress Code Required
As if spending the whole weekend celebrating wasn’t enough commitment, and as if that wedding gift off the registry wasn’t expensive, some couples have taken to requiring guests come in certain colors, themes or costumes like vampires or the Great Gatsby. We get that wedding themes are fun, but shouldn’t it be totally optional? It may look great in photos, but just know your guests are probably a little annoyed.
17. Cake in the Face
Is it just us who think this is the worst trend ever? It’s been around for ages, but we can’t help but wonder why people still think it’s a trend they want at their wedding. Not only is it messy AF, but it’s so mean. Brides pay so much money to look beautiful on their special day, so it seems really dumb for the couple to smash cake in each other’s faces. There’s also the possibility of the cake getting in your hair. OMG so many things can go wrong — hence, why this trend should go away ASAP!
16. Over-the-Top Entertainment
Some couples feel the need to showcase their love with grand gestures – their wedding day included. That’s totally their prerogative. However, sometimes they can go a little overboard. These days, weddings can include everything from doves, fog machines, and even fireworks. A little dramatic, don’t you think? What happened to the good ol’ days when a DJ and a killer playlist was enough? Couples want the biggest and most over-the-top entertainment to put on a show, but we think sticking to the basics is the best way to go. After all, a wedding is about the happy couple not how much money you spend.
15. Large Bridal Parties
This is a trend we definitely see everywhere – HUGE bridal parties. We can bet that many of you have attended a wedding that included five or six bridesmaids AND groomsmen. That’s 10-12 people! As nice as it is for the bride and groom to have all their friends with them during their special day, it seems a little excessive to have them all in their bridal party. After all, they’ll still all be at the wedding. Many couples blame it on the fact that they can’t choose just a few, which we totally get. However, when all of your bridal party has a hard time fitting in a photo, there’s a little problem.
14. All-White Dress Code
This trend is debatable only because the bride is always right and if she wants to wear the same color as everyone at her wedding, then that’s her choice. However, it isn’t the bridesmaids that are getting married, it’s the bride! Hence why she should be the only one in white. Not only is the all-white dress code trend passé, but so many things can go wrong. Drinks can be spilled, food can be dropped, the list of things that could potentially dirty the bridal party is endless. Plus, white isn’t exactly the most flattering color and some guests make feel seriously uncomfortable rolling up to a party in an outfit they feel they don’t look good in.
13. Flower Crowns
This is a tough trend to criticize because who doesn’t love a good flower crown? Unfortunately, people have overdone it in the last couple of years, so wearing one on your wedding day probably isn’t the best idea. We’re really sorry to break it to you, but your wedding isn’t Coachella. Therefore, flower crowns are not a trend you’ll look back at in the future and say “Wow I’m really glad I did that.” Instead, you should probably save it for your next Lana Del Rey concert.
12. Food Trucks
This is another tough one considering everyone loves food trucks. What’s not to love? There are so many options and you get to wait in line in anticipation about what you’ll eat. Sounds really fun if you’re attending a festival or maybe even a birthday party. But a wedding? Weddings can be whatever the couple wants it to be, but do they really want their guests waiting in line to eat?
11. Quirky Cake Toppers
A couple’s wedding cake is one of the most important parts of the night, so why ruin it with a bad cake topper? With all the beautiful, modern cakes out there, it’s probably best to leave the cheesiness for another day. Besides that, there will be a million photos taken of the bride and groom with their cake – and one version of the couple is more than enough.
10. Candy Bars
Candy bars are fun and all, but do guests really need to satisfy their sweet tooth after a seven-course meal when they know the dessert is on the way? We think not. Who feels like chewing on gummy candies or sucking on a lollipop when you could be enjoying the party? Many couples/wedding planners use this trend as a way to make the crowd happy, but would guests really miss a candy bar? Again, we think not. Besides that, they have the sweet table full of desserts and cake to look forward to.
9. Roast Toasts
This is definitely a trend that’s fun for everyone… except the person being roasted. In this case, it’s at either the bride or groom’s wedding, so do they really want everyone to hear about their embarrassing stories? Like when they got pissed drunk at a college party? Or when they slipped and fell in front of their graduating class? Probably not, that’s why it’s safe to say roast toasts are not appropriate. Whatever happened to saying something really nice about your friend on their wedding day?
8. Donut Walls
Why is this even a trend? What happened to plates? Who thought displaying donuts on a wall was a good idea? We have so many questions. Yes, they’re delicious and yes, we’d eat them no matter how they’re served, but really… a donut wall? It’s a really random trend that started this year, and so far, it’s all the rave. We’ll see how long this trend lasts before they figure out a better way to serve donuts.
7. Second Wedding Dresses
A wedding dress is the most important thing a bride-to-be needs to choose (other than her S.O., of course), so it seemed odd when women started buying a second dress. You see, brides decided that they wanted two: one for the church and photos and another for the reception. It’s a cool concept – we can all agree on that – but doesn’t it take away from the whole process of finding the perfect wedding dress? If you’re choosing ~the one~ to be your lifelong partner, it only makes sense to choose one dress to bring you into married life. Plus, you’re never going to wear either of these dresses again, so cutting the amount of time you actually do spend in the dress in half seems a bit overly extravagant.
6. Macarons
Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE macarons. The trend is just kind of over now. It was a hot commodity five years ago, however, now it’s just too common. Although they still taste delicious, macarons kind of lost their flare thus why serving them at a wedding is no longer something a bride and groom will do to stand out. They’re just like every other dessert on the sweet table now.
5. Punny Wedding Favors
Wedding guests always love to leave the party with something. In the past, they would leave with some sort of dish or a bottle of wine, but nowadays, couples have decided they want to be punny. That means that many guests will leave with a wedding favor that includes a punny joke about the bride and groom. For instance, giving guests matches that say “Match made in heaven” on the label. It’s definitely cute, but we hope it’s not a trend that sticks around for much longer simply because you shouldn’t choose your wedding favors based on what you can make a good joke out of.
4. His and Hers Sneakers
This trend was super cute when couples first started doing it. They would show up at their wedding in matching his & hers shoes and everyone would say “Awwww!” However, now that it’s not particularly ~unique~, is it really that cute? Pairing sneakers, like Converse, with tuxedos and gowns seems quirky/cool when you’re the only one doing it — but when you’re not, it’s kind of just… boring.
3. Chalkboards Signs
Wedding chalkboards are a thing of a past. They’ve had their time, but they now belong to coffee shop owners and bars who want to attract customers with a coffee or alcohol-related pun. You know exactly what we’re talking about, don’t you? Let’s not forget to mention that it’s a little weird that every chalkboard sign has a minimum of three fonts. What’s up with that?
2. Bouquet and Garter Toss
We should probably just toss this trend! At every single wedding, the bride throws her bouquet and the groom throws the garter belt. There’s no getting away from it. Everybody knows that at one point in the night, men and women will attempt to catch an object that will supposedly reveal the next two people to get married. Not only is it a tradition that’s done its time, but does anyone really enjoy jumping over one another to catch some flowers? We think not. Also, it kind of just reinforces stereotypes. We’re over it.
1. Raunchy Wedding Photos
This is a trend we really didn’t see coming. Couples have decided that they want to pose for raunchy photos on one of the most important days of their lives. It’s basically the equivalent of “okay, now let’s do a funny one!” but somehow even worse. Not only will you one day have to show your grandchildren these weird AF photos, but it’s kind of a waste of time. The pics will be funny the first two or three times you look at them, then be something you kind of cringe at for years to come. Wouldn’t you rather be enjoying your wedding reception rather than helping your bridesmaids tuck their dresses into their underwear? We thought so. To ensure that couples do not look back at their wedding in horror, we advise that they stick to the classic poses rather than make a fool of themselves with this trend.