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The 2017 wedding season is entering peak season, which means brides and couples everywhere are scrambling with last minute (or not last minute) wedding planning. For those curious about the latest wedding trends surfacing today, we have assembled a group of photographers from all over North America to tell us what they see as new and popular wedding trends, and what fresh ideas they suggest for couples planning their wedding.
Here are some highlights to help you with your wedding planning:
“DIY weddings are huge! With Pinterest, more and more brides and bridesmaids are doing the work themselves because of cost, and being craft[y] can be pretty fun!”
“Wedding dresses are getting sexier! From plunging necklines, to form fitting silhouettes, to sheer “illusion” materials – princess is out, and sexy is in.”
“A continued drive to ‘own the negatives’ has been a common theme in couples that I’ve talked to – seemingly for them to create DIY albums and print products.” (The same drive behind BrideBox Wedding Albums!)
“2017 wedding trends are looking very exciting- because couples are, more than ever, veering away from traditional weddings and looking for more unique ways to make their big day special.”
“Charity registries– where couples can register to allow guests to make a donation in their honor- will be more common”
Below are the full insights that participating photographers shared with us about 2017 wedding trends
Sara Lynn:
www.saralynnphoto.com
The most popular wedding trend I’m seeing in 2017 is that couples are taking a more fine art approach with their wedding day, meaning an overall vision is achieved with every vendor they pick, composition of the room, decor, styling of their details, textures and color theory. The next trend I’m seeing is an overall trust in the vendor team they’ve hired; couples are skipping Pinterest and giving their vendors more freedom to produce a unique event based off the couple’s overall vision. The third trend I’m seeing is saying goodbye to the white garden themes and introducing modern metallic tones, pops of color and lots of different textures – couples are definitely having more fun with their wedding day and incorporating their personalities into the tiniest details. Lastly, I’m seeing larger budgets for film&hybrid photographers, planners/designers as well as detail-driven items like luxury silk ribbons, personalized gifts and paper goods. Since my background is fine art film photography, I’m extremely excited to see design, composition and color theory all worked into a single event.
Credit: Sara Lynn Photography
John Andrews Photography
https://www.johnandrewsphotography.com/
Photography
“Photo Station” requests have become common. There seems to be a trend shifting from Photo Booths to asking the Photographer for a fun backdrop and manned photo station. Couples want to bring their own props and have a photographer interact and take photos of the guests. Requests for this have gone up 50% for 2017.
Budget
It seems that budgets in general are being stretched as much as possible. Brides have been asking to commit to product purchases such as albums after the wedding. A continued drive to “own the negatives” has been a common theme in couples that I’ve talked to – seemingly for them to create DIY albums and print products.
Videography
There is a large drop off in interest in video services from my clients. In the past 80-90% of weddings that I shot had a videographer there as well. In 2017, as far as I’m aware only 15-20% of weddings that I will shoot also are having a videographer.
Credit: John Andrews Photography
Catherine Hall Studios
https://www.catherinehallstudios.com/
Dresses
Wedding dresses are getting sexier! From plunging necklines, to form fitting silhouettes, to sheer “illusion” materials – princess is out, and sexy is in.
Tradition
Tradition is becoming less on trend as couples are making decisions based on their desires vs what is expected.
Photography
Couples are wanting it all – beautiful, formal portraits AND profound, candid moments. And they want their images captured effortlessly without impacting the overall experience of the wedding day.
Band vs DJ
The days of it being hip to have a DJ are diminishing as bands are making a comeback. Nothing like live music to get a crowd going.
Credit: Catherine Hall Studios
Chris Shum Photography
www.chrisshumphotography.com
As much hype and coolness the trendy aerial photography provides, one of the all-time key trends I found in my wedding couples is the natural, touching moments photography which they could re-live their wedding. With so much happening on the couple’s wedding day, there are so many little yet important moments they wanted to see but bound to miss, and their wedding photographers became their eyes to capture and freeze these memories for them.
Credit: Chris Shum Photography
Sweet Fire Photography
www.sweetfirephotography.com
Bridesmaids dresses seem to be more unique to each girl and just matched to each other by color theme.
“First looks” have become more popular breaking the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before walking down the aisle.
Videography seems to have become a much more popular service to hire and more and more couples are looking to hire drones as well.
We have seen lots of grooms lately with black wedding bands.
Credit: Sweet Fire Photography
Amy – H and H Color Lab
By H and H Color Lab and William Innes Photographer Innesphotography.com
A new trend I see in wedding photography are “Pre Wedding Destination” sessions. This is where a bride and groom will usually travel to an exotic location (think Italy, Paris, Prague or Los Angeles) to have formal photos taken in their wedding attire – all before the wedding date. This trend began in Asia where taboos such as seeing each other in your wedding clothes does not exist. These are usually big productions involving a day of styled shooting, hair and make-up and iconic locations. I recently had a bride and groom who are not getting married until later this year meet me in Venice Italy to photograph them on the Venice canal. I have other clients traveling to Los Angeles from Taiwan later this year for a “Pre Wedding Session” her and Las Vegas.
This is a great way for wedding photographers to earn extra money as most of these sessions take place on weekdays and clients are willing to spend money since they have to travel.”
Credit: H and H Color Lab
Lume Photography
lumephotography.com
2017 wedding trends are looking very exciting- because couples are, more than ever, veering away from traditional weddings and looking for more unique ways to make their big day special.
Photography: Couples are interested in ways to make their images stand out from the crowd. Examples are: drone photography, cinemagraphs, and special effects made with prisms and other unique objects. Photographers who offer avant garde and non-traditional styles like mine are very popular this year. Say goodbye to overdone Pinterest poses, and hello to adventurous one-of-a-kind images!
Venue: More and more couples are opting for non-traditional wedding venues, such as backyard weddings, weddings inside breweries, and weddings at national parks and monuments.
Style: The top trends this year in wedding style will mix vintage and modern, sophisticated and whimsical. Couples will want to wow their guests with personalized decor and elements like signature cocktails.
Food: Couples are offering more than just the traditional dinner and cake. Fun, interactive food is going to be hot this year! Think doughnut walls, mashed potato bars, personal pizzas, or even pie pops…
The Dress: Brides will be spending more and investing more time into finding the perfect gown for their day in the spotlight. Vintage, boho styles are popular, and I’m starting to see brides that opt for a short dress or “convertible” dresses that feature removable skirts.
General: Couples will tend to incorporate more eco-friendly aspects into their wedding, including invitations and programs made of recycled paper, and albums and prints made from earth-friendly materials- like the product line I offer. Charity registries- where couples can register for to allow guests to make a donation in their honor- will be more common.
Credit: Lume Photography
