Something I did not anticipate about getting married in the month of December – one week and counting, baby – is discerning the trends that are on their way out from those that are on their way in and, subsequently, could set your big day ahead of the curve.
With the 2024 wedding season firmly behind us, however, I have called on the experts for their insight into what wedding trends they expect to soar in 2025. From “living” tablescapes to sustainable fabric signage, keep note of these for the New Year.
Put a bow on it
Bows have been creeping in throughout 2024 but 2025 will see them take centre stage. For discerning brides-to-be, think outside of the box and and tie velvet ribbon around extra-long taper candles for magical centrepieces, a la Edénique de Beaumont Floral Design, or take inspiration from La Jamba’s Colossal Trailing Bow and put a bow on, well, anything and everything.
Ceremonial flowers
Speaking to TWE, luxury event florist and designer Larry Walshe revealed that he has seen a real shift of focus among couples planning their 2025 nuptials with the ceremony becoming the star of the show: “this is unsurprising given that this is ultimately what your big day is all about, however, for many years, it has often been overshadowed by the wedding breakfast”. In 2025, Walshe predicts more and more couples will place an emphasis on the ceremony with large, expressive and gestural installations.
Wedding planner and designer Alice Wilkes has seen the same trend emerge among her couples and expects to see similar requests in 2025. For one recent wedding, she cast a spotlight on the ceremony by surrounding a raised platform with trees, lashings of wisteria and a meadow aisle in jewel tones. Magical!
Bouquets
Larry Walshe has also noticed brides-to-be seeking a sense of movement and fluidity over heavily tailored and compact arrangements. Think free-flowing, organic bouquets that celebrate the natural architecture of the flowers that will “look every bit as relevant ten years from now as they do today”. Just see Rachel Arthur’s whimsical bouquet of Dahlias and Cosmos.
“Living” tablescapes
Though floristry has always been a key element to any wedding, in 2025, Blonde Army predicts we’ll see an increase in avant-garde flowers paired with interesting vessels and accented with fruit, nuts and ribbons that bring a “living” element to tablescapes and a whole “new perspective” to wedding design.
Speaking to TWE, Blonde Army founder Lianne predicts that couples will endeavour to recreate the relaxed yet refined feel of their favourite restaurant with silverware aplenty, just like the recently wed Amy Shaw who curated her own floral arrangements in vintage silverware.
Social Content Creators
In 2024, one of the fastest growing bridal trends sweeping not just the UK but the world was the wedding day social content creator: an individual dedicated to capturing photo and video footage of the day, usually on iPhone.
Anna Miller, wedding and events manager at Middleton Lodge in North Yorkshire, has witnessed firsthand as the new addition to a couple’s roster of suppliers has grown in popularity. “Wedding content creators work alongside traditional photographers and videographers to capture every moment in real time for social media, creating shareable, memorable content that enhances the wedding experience,” she told TWE.
Oversized desserts
With the rise of destination weddings in 2024 has come a micro-trend that is growing its own legs: the substitution of a traditional wedding cake for an oversized Italian dessert such as Millefoglie.
With layer upon layer of pastry, chantilly cream, fresh berries and a great big heaping of powdered sugar, Millefoglie is both delicious and aesthetically pleasing. For added “wow”, invite the Chef to whip one up during the reception just like Alice Wilkes Design masterminded for one couple who had the Ritz’s Patisserie Chef handcraft a phenomenal seven-tier cake.
Fabric signage
When it comes to stationery and signage, there is one trend that is set to dominate in 2025: the use of linen. Whether it be a welcome sign or seating plan, more and more couples are printing their on-the-day signage on fabric for an effortless but expensive touch.
Smith & The Magpie, a team of creatives based in Yorkshire, specialise in design-led wedding stationary and signage. Their USP? Soft white linen signage that is finished with a gently frayed edge. As couples wave goodbye to single-use materials such as acrylic and foam board, in 2025, the studio certainly stands to benefit from the industry’s growing focus on sustainability.
Film photography
Emmylou Kelly has made a name for herself as one of the UK’s best analogue and film photographers and even photographed TWE’s very own Francesa Newman-Young’s intimate London ceremony. In 2025, film photography is expected to continue increasing in popularity with more and more couples opting for a second shooter in order to blend digital and analogue.
For those on a budget, London-based Catch Cameras offers an intriguing alternative: a Reusable 35mm Film Camera. That’s right, in 2025, say goodbye to disposables and give your guests the power to point-and-shoot your wedding on film.
A riot of confetti
There will always be a time and place for crisp white confetti but, for 2025 nuptials, Flutter Darlings have already seen increased interest in citrus shades such as Lucid Green. With the ability to choose a custom mix of shades that perfectly compliment your colour scheme, expect to see a riot of colour and confetti in 2025.
Ceremony aside, Flutter Darlings told TWE many couples are also strategically employing a confetti cannon during their first dance to give them something to hide amongst and signal the start of the party…
Dramatic drapery
Suspended floral installations and festoon lighting have long been the go-to for couples decorating a venue with a vaulted ceiling or a marquee. But, in 2025, Alice Wilkes predicts couples will turn to whimsical draping to set the scene.
Whether it be swaths of fabric in a canopy effect for the wedding breakfast, cascading, billowing fabric as a backdrop to the ceremony or heavy fabric framing the entrance to the afterparty, few other design details have the power to so dramatically elevate a space.
Well, now that the day, decor and ceremony are sorted, discover the wedding dress trends to look forward to in 2025 here.
NEXT READ: The Top Wedding Catering Trends For 2025
