It’s been a few years already since the global pandemic and the experience has not only changed the wedding industry trends and practices, it has also opened up new desires among upcoming brides. After the drastic challenges of navigating through uncertainty, here are the new desires modern brides have been seeking out while planning their wedding.
Intimate Gatherings
After not being able to connect with loved ones for a long time, more and more brides desire for smaller, more intimate weddings, reflecting a preference for meaningful connections over grandeur. Brides also want to incorporate more ways to better connect with their guests throughout the celebration over and above them feeling like mere audiences to the union.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Since weddings underwent a lot of challenges during the pandemic, couples and vendors then had to be flexible and adapt to changes. Moving forward, new brides and grooms also seek this outlook where vendors are still able to be flexible and accommodate changing circumstances, though of course, these would be less drastic over COVID-19 changes and challenges.
Personalization
The pandemic pushed brides and vendors to be extra creative and inventive. With this, a new desire is to still push creativity to create more personalized wedding experiences. The pandemic taught everyone that anything is possible if a couple and the vendors work together to make things happen. Customization and personalization of wedding details to reflect a couple’s unique personalities, interests, and love story is a top new desire.
Emotional Support
Many pandemic couples found emotional support from all of the people around them–from vendors, family, and friends–particularly in navigating the complexities of wedding planning during challenging times. In fact, many pandemic couples ended up good friends with their vendors. Today, brides also desire a certain level of support and camaraderie with vendors as well as family and friends as this had been a game changer for pandemic couples. Good relations with people while planning a wedding will make the experience even more memorable.
Digital Integration
Desire for seamless integration of technology into wedding events is something modern brides seek out too. After having to turn to digital solutions during the pandemic, couples now understand that technology is a tool that can help streamline wedding planning and make the experience at the event even more unique. Some new use of technology in weddings include interactive digital elements, QR codes for information, real-time digital photo access for photo booths, and more.
Mindful Consumption
Now more than ever, we all know the consequences of being irresponsible consumers. Hence, today’s soon-to-weds desire for sustainable and ethically sourced wedding elements, including eco-friendly decor, locally sourced catering, and donation or repurposing of wedding items post-celebration. This move is a result of increased environmental awareness and how weddings can be a source of a lot of excess and waste.
Overall, modern couples seek out and desire for meaningful experiences over material extravagance when building the wedding of their dreams. Brides now take extra time to focus on creating lasting memories, fostering deeper connections, and celebrating love in authentic, sustainable, and heartfelt ways.