The Top Wedding Trends for 2026
Alyssa Van Aman
Editor
Planning a 2026 wedding? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve got the top wedding trends for 2026 from event planners and pros within the wedding industry. Take a look at these wedding entertainment ideas as well as this comprehensive wedding planning checklist to help you get started.
Now it’s time to explore the top 24 wedding trends for 2026 and embark on your planning journey.
1. Immersive, Experience-First Weddings
“The wedding weekend is evolving into a full sensory journey. Guests are no longer just attending a wedding, they’re being invited into the couple’s world. From welcome dinners surrounded by candlelit meadow arrangements to farewell brunches styled with wild, undone blooms, every event has a distinct atmosphere,” shared Kit Ruth, Wedding Director & Lead Wedding Designer at The Perfect Petal.
Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director at Elegante Weddings & Events added, “We are also seeing our couples integrate wellness activities into their wedding weekend much more than previously. They want to offer their guests some sort of interactive, outdoor activity to engage in the day before or the day after the wedding for some great bonding time.”
2. Interactive, Personalized Elements
“Personalization is evolving beyond monograms or signature cocktails,” shared Cathy O'Connell, Co-Founder of COJ Events. “Couples are curating guest experiences that feel like an immersion into their personal story. We’ve seen everything from custom fragrance bars and interactive food stations to weekend welcome lounges styled like their favorite hotel or restaurant. Elements that reflect them as a couple and are inclusive of their guests.”
Kit Ruth, Wedding Director & Lead Wedding Designer at The Perfect Petal added, “We’re also seeing couples request interactive floral moments — such as interactive guest book floral pressing or a floral stamping station to send a postcard to the couple with a floral from their big day.”
3. Experiential Entertainment
“Experiential entertainment is trending, and it adds such a personal and elevated touch to a wedding weekend,” shared Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director at Elegante Weddings & Events.
4. Multi-Day Weddings
“Weddings are continuing as weekend gatherings. Multi-day itineraries are being planned, featuring resort take overs with distinct looks and experiences for each event. This includes pool parties, chef-led tastings, live art, and afterparties that rival nightclub launches. The focus is on connection and surprise: guests should never feel like they’re attending a schedule; they’re living a story,” shared Cathy O'Connell, Co-Founder of COJ Events.
5. Authentic, Unscripted Moments
"Couples are choosing presence over production,” shared Alison Stevenson, Owner of Alison Mae Photography. “Guests don’t want to sit back and watch the day unfold like an audience. They want to feel part of it. They want to laugh during the vows, tear up during the toasts, and feel like they helped make the day what it is.
Couples are also letting go of a lot of the performative, staged moments that used to fill wedding timelines. Instead of choreographed reactions or endless group photos, they’re choosing to actually be present. Emotional candids are taking the place of planned “content blocks.” And more couples are specifically looking for photographers who can create elevated editorial images and document the real story as it happens. They want photos that feel refined but still look like them. They’re attending their own cocktail hour. They’re taking a moment alone before joining the reception. They’re choosing connection over production. In 2026, authenticity is the new luxury."
6. Smaller Guest Lists
“Guest lists may be smaller, but the experiences are bigger than ever,” shared Jennifer Cortiella of Cortiella Photography. “Couples are choosing to surround themselves with their closest loved ones, focusing on meaningful details rather than grand scale. Every moment, from the first look to the final toast, is crafted with intention and emotion.”
7. Layered, Textural Wedding Design
“Texture will be everything: silk taffetas, moiré linens, plaster finishes, and sculptural florals that evoke the feeling of art installations rather than centerpieces,” shared Cathy O'Connell, Co-Founder of COJ Events. “Couples want visual depth and mood, not ‘matching.’”
8. Sculptural Florals
Photo: Sergei Anishchenko/Getty
“Couples are embracing color stories inspired by the earth and art: sculptural arrangements with textural elements and blooms in nuanced, painterly hues,” shared Kit Ruth, Wedding Director & Lead Wedding Designer at The Perfect Petal. “There’s a growing desire for florals that feel organic yet elevated — arrangements that look like they’ve been “grown into” the space rather than simply placed there. Lived in, and lived well.”
Jennifer Cortiella of Cortiella Photography added, “Lush, organic arrangements are here to stay, but expect more sculptural, artistic designs that make a statement. Think monochromatic floral moments or single-variety arrangements that let texture shine.”
9. Bold Color
“The biggest trends our clients are gravitating towards for next year are bold color blocking moments and structural elements,” shared Chloe Skelly of Chloe Alise Events. “This can be for any and every part of the day from ceremony to reception, but our clients are loving showcasing custom structures to display their own level of creativity, while of course allowing us to give them "sky's the limit" ideas to riff off of.”
Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director of Elegante Weddings & Events added, “We are also seeing a lot of yellows and blues to create some bright pops as well as a combination of greens and mulberry tones.”
10. Moody, Preppy-Chic Hues
“Trends we are excited about for 2026 are the use of color, preppy chic and moody hues. Our clients have been leaning into a preppy chic look that is formal without being stuffy. Deep burgundy and plum mixed with a dash of white. Add velvet linens for lush textures,” shared Jennifer Hardiman, CEO of Fabuluxe Events.
11. Drapery
“Dramatic, swagged drapery is continuing to have a strong presence in 2026, but instead of mainly white and ivory we are seeing a desire for bolder colors and picking in patterned fabric,” shared Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director of Elegante Weddings & Events.
12. Soft, Curved Table Designs
“Tables with rounded edges are continuing to trend whether it be serpentine tables, round tables that are open in the center for decor, staggered round tables to create a serpentine shape, people are loving soft edges,” shared Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director of Elegante Weddings & Events.
“We're loving the rise of "caterpillar-style" tables, round tables linked together in a playful zigzag formation,” added Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design. “It’s a fresh alternative to traditional long or round layouts, creating a dynamic flow that feels both communal and visually striking.”
13. Interior Design-Inspired Tablescapes
“Couples are opting to include full-size lamps and fixtures into their table centerpieces. Adding this layer of decor to the floral, candles and linens gives off more of an interior design-esque vibe and brings interest to the full picture,” shared Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design.
14. Patterned Dance Floors
“Patterned dance floors are having a moment, and it is such a breath of fresh air,” shared Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director of Elegante Weddings & Events. “We are seeing our couples think beyond a white dance floor with a monogram or a black and white check and seeing them drawn to tonal patterns and eclectic designs to tie together their stage facade and make it a huge focal piece.”
15. Ombre Ceremony Aisles
“Ombre ceremony decor down the aisle is making a big appearance here with coordination of the chairs and decor to form a uniform colorful look incorporating bright bold colors or even just pastels or neutrals,” shared Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design.
16. Sustainability
“Sustainability continues to inspire wedding design choices. From repurposed florals to locally sourced menus, couples are finding creative ways to celebrate beautifully while being mindful of the planet,” shared Jennifer Cortiella of Cortiella Photography.
Kit Ruth, Wedding Director & Lead Wedding Designer at The Perfect Petal added, “Sustainability and seasonality are central — couples want guests to feel the place and time of their celebration through locally grown flowers, natural materials, and thoughtful, low-waste design.”
17. Communal Dining Experiences
Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images
“Couples are increasingly embracing shared first courses that are a thoughtful, communal way to begin the dining experience,” shared Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design. “For 2026, I’m hoping to see a shift toward more curated and artful first courses that go beyond the traditional salad. It’s such a beautiful opportunity to captivate guests with something visually striking and memorable as soon as they take their seats.”
18. Slab Cakes
“Instead of a round or square tiered wedding cake, couples are opting for a rectangular "slab" cake ornately decorated with watercolor painted flowers, fruit or floral,” shared Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design. “This is a statement piece and can be incorporated into your room layout. Just imagine guests seeing it for the first time and saying, "wow, I've never seen that! It's so beautiful and creative."
19. Creative Food and Drink Towers
“We are seeing a pull towards creative "towers," a fun mix on the champagne tower that has taken weddings by storm over the past few years. Think dessert towers, olive towers, margarita towers, oyster towers....the possibilities are endless,” shared Valarie Falvey, Founder & Team Manager of Kirkbrides Wedding Planning & Design.
20. Custom Cake Toppers
“We are definitely seeing a push for cake toppers that are customized with the couple and sometimes their pet. This vintage tradition is making a resurgence,” shared Lisa Jaroscak, Owner and Creative Director of Elegante Weddings & Events.
21. Stationery as Keepsakes
“From handmade invitations to wax seals and textured envelopes, stationery is becoming a true art form again,” shared Jennifer Cortiella of Cortiella Photography. “Couples are viewing paper goods not just as invitations but as keepsakes that reflect their story and set the tone for their day.”
22. Nighttime Lay Flats
“We are predicting and hoping for more nighttime lay flats. Instead of beautifully crafted bright lay flats we want to see more edgy, messy, direct flash nighttime detail photos,” shared Pavel Adamek of The Adamkovi.
23. Textured, Statement Bridal Style
“Next season's bridal contains a lot of textures and layers such as: ruching, lace overlays, 3D floral beading, and more. Intricate details like beading, lace and overlays add textural interest to the dress, which makes the dress feel editorial and elevated, especially when see in-person and up close,” shared Cindy Chang of Grace + Ivory.
Jennifer Cortiella of Cortiella Photography added, “Bridal fashion in 2026 is about individuality, statement sleeves, vintage-inspired lace, and color-infused gowns that break away from the traditional white.”
24. Movement-Driven Accessories
Photo: Misho Chachanidze/Pexels
“We are seeing this both in bridal and on the red carpet (example: Selena Gomez's red dress at the 2025 Emmys),” shared Cindy Chang of Grace + Ivory. “Long silk neck scarves and fluttering fabric ties are adding motion, drama, and a hint of couture to minimalist gowns. (See Grace + Ivory's Hailee Party Dress and Silk Scarf Accessory.)”
Find more party trends and wedding inspiration here on The Bash.
