2020 Wedding Trends According to Knoxville Wedding Professionals
Every new year comes with, well, the NEW! New engagements, new fashion and tastes, and new decor trends. And not only that but the start of a new decade! That being said, we need to say goodbye to the 2019 weddings. In 2019, we saw couples embrace their inner-boho with pampas grass and asymmetrical bouquets, opt-out of having large bridal parties, and employed their guests in an active role in their wedding ceremony. We saw an uptick in very personalized wedding decor and we are HERE FOR IT!
So, what are the 2020 Wedding Trends? Well, let’s start with the fact that the average age of a person getting married in 2020 is 33 years old. What does that mean? It means that we are about to embrace a bit of nostalgia from the 1990s! But is that nostalgia coming to Knoxville and the East TN area?
Let’s find out! I reached out to planners, hair and makeup artists, bridal shops, and florists in Knoxville to ask what they expect as the 2020 Wedding Trends. You’ll have to keep scrolling to see what they had to say!
What’s Out
RUSTIC. This trend has been slowly moving out the past couple of years, but it finally may be put to rest. Couples are looking for a less rustic look. What does that mean? Fewer chalkboards and mason jars, less burlap, stumps, and whiskey barrels. – Margaret Claire’s Weddings
The country/rustic weddings are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Mason jars and rustic items are on the way out nationally, but in the Smokies it will more than likely stay around in some respect. – Custom Love Gifts, Events, and Prints
CAPES AND ALTERNATIVE COLORS. Bridal capes and alternative wedding dress colors were a thing in 2019 but is probably not going to last. But, the darker lining is still common for making the details of a dress POP! -Loveliest Bridal
CURLS. It’s so southern and dated. Looking at social media, you will find very few up-dos with curls. What will you see for 2020 Wedding Trends? Lots of hair worn completely down with a lack of defined curls. Updos are deconstructed and flyways are pronounced. Brides want the messy look with zero curly tendrils. -Southern Belle Beauty
PAMPAS GRASS. Pampas grass had its moment, and it was beautiful. But it’s on it’s way out. -Rose Moss Designs
BOHO. Has boho had it’s moment as well? The trend is still super popular to try on, but fewer brides are actually committing to that style gown. – Lillian Ruth
What’s In
COVID-19. Ok. This is obviously updated. But this friggin’ virus put the kibosh on a lot of weddings. But, guess what? It didn’t stop LOVE. So, for those of you who need to hear this: your wedding day will be fabulous. No matter when, or where, or how many people attend. Your marriage and your safety are more important than your wedding. #yeahissaidit
NOSTALGIA. The roaring ’20s may make a comeback in the year 2020. Why wouldn’t it? Look for feathers on cakes, sequins to return, and fringe! -Margaret Claire’s Weddings
MICRO WEDDINGS. Lots of couples are having smaller weddings (75 guests or less). Due to the size, a lot of unique destinations and venues become options to celebrate the experience with their nearest and dearest. Further, with a smaller guest size, a couple can really updo the meal, entertainment, flowers, or whatever is their priority. Each couple is unique and each couple has their priorities. – All About Weddings
Micro weddings are a big trend and are so fun to coordinate! Especially those destination weddings with 30 people or less! – Custom Love Gifts, Events, and Prints
OMBRE BOUQUETS. Are ombré or gradient bouquets on the rise as a 2020 Wedding Trend? Brides are choosing bouquets where the color changes from one side to the next. It’s almost half and half. – Rose Moss Designs
COLOR. Could it be that lavender is back? We believe it is and is making a strong comeback as well as the peach and seafoam green of the ’90s. -Margaret Claire’s Weddings
Color, in general, is in! Fewer brides are wanting the traditional white and blush color palette in floral. What brides want is the earthy tones of rust, sand, and coral. -Rose Moss Designs
THAT BRIDAL LOOK. A-lines and ball gowns are making a comeback. Lace is a mainstay, especially in the south, but unique laces and patterns are definitely more popular than the traditional floral lace. Think classic. Gowns with clean lines with big statement bows come back. Texture, volume, and unique silhouettes are what is in for 2020! – Lillian Ruth
Brides are seeking unique style dresses that maintain a very bridal feel. This is accomplished with alternative necklines paired with classic lace, a detachable overskirt, and textured fabrics. Further, the refined, classic, tailored look is still very much in with crepe and mikado both being fan favorites. Though, brides still request a touch of detail mixed in, whether with light beading, unique laces, or a statement bow. -Loveliest Bridal
BLEACHED, DRIED, OR PAINTED FLOWERS. The new wedding trend is to intermix bleached dried items and bleached greenery into bouquets. -Melissa Timm Designs
Brides are really open to the creative mind of the florist these days – different floral ingredients, like dried or painted pieces, are being used more and more often -Rose Moss Designs
NEW ARBOR SHAPES. There is a lot more variety in ceremony designs with more options becoming available from companies like Marsh Made Design offering shapes like hexagons, round, and triangle in addition to the traditional round top & square top arches and crosses that are still widely used. -LB Floral
Arbor shapes other than rectangle are IN! Think circle, triangle, and octagon! – Echelon Florist
New types of arbor shapes are in – or no arbor at all but floating floral designs making the desired shape. -Rose Moss Designs
VINTAGE INSPIRED GLAM. Think old Hollywood, especially with hairstyles! Polished waves with one side pinned back with elegant blingy combs are in. -Southern Sirens
There are rumors of bridal hats! Now that is something we can get behind. What a statement to make, and something that would look absolutely great in photos. – Southern Belle Beauty
Don’t forget about that makeup! Colored liners and shimmers are in. But, brides want fresh skin that is not overly concealed. -Beauty by Blair
What’s Staying
PERSONALIZED WEDDINGS. Personalization was the 2019 trend that is here to stay. A wedding should reflect the couple’s style, personality, and love story. This can be done in so many ways with personal touches on invitations, dresses, decor, cakes, and so much more. – Erin Morrison Photography (hey, that’s me!)
SMALLER BRIDAL PARTIES. The size of bridal parties is decreasing. Couples are finding other creative ways to include friends and family in their celebration. -Margaret Claire’s Weddings
The stress of picking and choosing bridesmaids and groomsmen can be overwhelming for brides and grooms. Many couples only have one attendant on each side or none at all. Sometimes it’s a sibling, but most of the time it is a dear friend. There is no law saying you have to have attendants! – All About Weddings
BRAIDS. Sort of. Brides still want braids as a request. But more of the fluffed out and deconstructed. -Southern Sirens
BUFFETS. There is definitely a decline in the station movement. The Buffet is still pretty popular as it will always provide a more cost-friendly option to couples. -Margaret Claire’s Weddings
Brides are interested in doing family-style meals, but they are finding that the caterers have to bring in a lot more servers for this type of meal service, and they have to charge more in equipment usage as it requires more serving pieces. – All About Weddings
GREENERY. It will be a trend for another couple of years just the types of greenery used are going to change. – Echelon Florist
Brides are expanding their greenery choices to more dark luscious greens instead of strictly eucalyptus. Greenery runners are still reigning supreme for long table centerpieces and can be changed up by adding candles or small vases of blooms nestled into the greenery. Brides are even getting creative with the use of greenery with the placement and thickness of what they want. It can be used on concrete walls, columns, fireplaces, custom-built structures, and chandeliers. Expect that trend to continue. – LB Floral
SPARKLER EXITS. The sparkler send-off will forever be a part of an East Tennessee Wedding -Marget Claire’s Weddings
ECO-FRIENDLY EVERYTHING. Yes! Couples are becoming eco-friendly, and we mainly see this in the choice of glassware and china over disposable cutlery items. -Margaret Claire’s Weddings
There has always been a number of brides concerned with eco-friendly practices. They appreciate the opportunity to purchase a sample off-the-rack or a dress made in America. This limits their environmental footprint, but we aren’t seeing this at the forefront of most brides’ thoughts based on their requests. -Loveliest Bridal
More and more brands, professionals and clients are becoming aware of the effects of preservative, or paraben, containing products that have been linked to cancer. That along with what we’re seeing happen to the environment all around us are playing a big role in becoming cleaner and eco-friendly. Unfortunately, developing products and tools takes time. There’s a lot of research happening right now in the cosmetics industry to create products in the realm of environmentally friendly ingredients and processes that won’t corrupt the integrity and beauty standards of products today. -Beauty by Blair
Brides are somewhat concerned about the environment and love when you can offer locally sourced flowers and when you tell them it is “foam-free. ” Floral foam is really bad for the environment. -Melissa Timm Designs
A lot of florists are steering away from using floral foam – resulting in designs that are a bit more natural and organic. – Rose Moss Designs
What does this mean for YOU?
Well, I guess it could mean all, nothing, or somewhere in between. Above were some top trends to keep in mind as you plan your 2020 (or 2021) wedding. My advice? Choose the trends that genuinely speak to your own personal style. Don’t embrace a trend simply because they’re of-the-moment. With that said, if you decided to opt-in for these 2020 wedding trends, you won’t be disappointed.
If you are newly engaged and this article makes you overwhelmed AF, don’t panic! And please move away from the Pinterest Board! Grab a drink and click on over to the Top 10 Things To Do After Your Engagement article. I promise it will help.
The one thing that never goes out of style is hiring a professional wedding photographer. At the start of 2020, Erin Morrison Photography has photographed over 180 weddings. My promise to you is this: I will not make you a trend. You and your future spouse are timeless. If you are interested in my services, please contact me at any time.
Knoxville Wedding Professionals
Thank you to the wonderful Knoxville wedding professionals who contributed to this page. Below, you will find the best of the best in the Knoxville area. If you contact them, please let them know that Erin Morrison (and this article) led you their way. #muchlove
Custom Love Gifts, Events, & Prints
