8 Wedding Trends to Watch in 2025

Wedding culture is constantly changing. Wedding hashtags are not as common anymore, wedding parties are often mixed-gender, couples frequently exchange their vows privately instead of at the altar and the days of out-of-the-blue proposals are long gone.

As planning a wedding continues to grow more expensive, and couples seek out new ways to personalize their nuptials, we wanted to hear from experts about what guests could expect to see at weddings in 2025, and what couples should keep in mind while planning.

From décor and fashion to food and officiants, these responses offer a glimpse at what the year may hold in store.

Rise of the QR Codes

In December 2023, Myka Meier went to a friend’s wedding near Boston. It was the first time Ms. Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, an etiquette consulting company in New York, saw a QR code at each table. The couple had set it up so that guests could upload photos that they captured throughout the event.

Though the couple confessed to Ms. Meier afterward that nobody used the code, perhaps because it was so new that they didn’t know what it was, Ms. Meier noticed the following year that a few of her clients had also generated QR codes for their weddings.

Ms. Meier said that she believed this trend would take off in 2025 — whether guests use it or not — because of its convenience. Guests who take photos and videos of the first dance, speeches and candid moments can upload them onto an album, and couples can easily view them all in one place.

If there is a QR code at a wedding, guests can expect to find it on the back of a printed menu card, on a place card or on a table card.

‘Micro-opulence’

Nicole Hernandez has been noticing couples express interest in a special culinary addition to their wedding menu.

“People have accessibility to see everything,” said Ms. Hernandez, the vice president of sales at Constellation Culinary Group, a catering company that operates in Philadelphia, Miami and other cities. “They know what a Michelin experience is like. They want to bring that experience to their weddings, but it doesn’t have to be in everything.”

Couples are willing to splurge on one standout item, she said: “That’s why I always call it ‘micro-opulence’ — getting that Michelin experience in that micro way.”

This might include a one-bite treat like caviar, or a plant-forward small plate. The item — a food, drink or dessert — could be passed around by servers during a seated dinner, or it could be a separate station.

More Loved Ones as Officiants

In an annual study conducted by the wedding platform Zola, which surveyed about 6,000 couples getting married in the United States in 2025, 61 percent of respondents said that a loved one would be the officiant at their ceremony. This is an increase of 9 percent since 2024 from the same Zola survey.

Having a family member or close friend officiate is one the most popular ways that couples can personalize their wedding, according to Allison Cullman, the vice president of brand marketing and strategy at Zola. “It’s an opportunity for them to weave in their unique story and relationship into the event because that person knows them so well,” she said.

Thirty-two percent of couples are planning secular ceremonies in 2025, Ms. Cullman added, “so this is an opportunity for couples to still make the ceremony feel special without introducing religion.”

“Many of my clients have begun celebrating the quirky parts of their relationship at their weddings and letting guests in on the fun,” said Elisabeth Kramer, a wedding coordinator and consultant in Portland, Ore.

The average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2025, based on answers from respondents of the Zola study, is projected to be $36,000. Since couples are spending so much money, Ms. Kramer said, they might as well have some fun.

“People are trying to use the space of a wedding or the celebration of a party to just indulge a bit on silly stuff that might not be formal, might not be elegant in a traditional sense, but means a lot to them,” said Ms. Kramer, who has been planning weddings since 2016. One of her couples this year, for instance, is passionate about games and will have various game rooms at their wedding.

Dramatic Draping

Aysha Jalal, the founder of Yesmin Events, a wedding-planning company in New York, said she had noticed that couples were opting for more elaborate draping.

Though draping has long been used at weddings, whether on stages or to enclose a room, dramatic draping is on the rise, Ms. Jalal said. That might include draping in an entrance area so that it becomes a tunnel, or ceiling draping at a tent wedding.

“It’s going to be taller; it’s going to be a little bit more dramatic; it’s going to be having more movement to it,” Ms. Jalal said.

“Weddings are becoming such a big production,” she added. “Draping brings a lot of texture, movement and dimension.”

Sculptural Flowers and Fruit

“I think weddings are becoming more like art installations,” said Jove Meyer, the owner of Jove Meyer Events in Brooklyn.

In addition to dramatic draping, Ms. Jalal and Mr. Meyer, each of whom is engaged, have noticed a rise in sculptural floral structures. Though people typically think of pastel roses and hydrangeas for weddings, Ms. Jalal sees the rise of bolder colors and more distinctive flowers, like anthurium and fringed tulips.

“I’m seeing 2025 and 2026 couples wanting stacked, artistically shaped fruits and vegetables and very minimal floral,” Mr. Meyer said, noting that couples were thinking of new ways to move away from tradition.

Love for Green

According to Zola’s survey, green is the most popular wedding color for 2025. Eleven percent of couples said that their predominant wedding color was sage. Shades of green like hunter, emerald, forest and olive are also popular.

“I think this speaks to green being such a neutral color that really picks up in these outdoor landscapes that we know are very popular with weddings,” Ms. Cullman said.

Live plants, trees and succulents are also in, according to Ms. Kramer. “I think it’s coming from a desire of wanting to create a lush space,” she said. By renting plants and trees, couples can also avoid spending loads of money on flowers that are discarded after the wedding day.

Vintage Accessories

In 2025, there are lots of new trends in the world of weddings, but there is also nostalgia for the old. Lindsay Mix, the head of merchandising at Park & Fifth, a store that sells bridesmaid and wedding dresses, has noticed that many couples are pairing their wedding outfits with a vintage pair of shoes or accessories from, say, a thrift shop — consistent with the retro throwbacks of recent red carpets.

“It’s become really impressive to be able to source an archival pair of shoes to go with your white dress,” Ms. Mix said. “So I think within the wedding wardrobe, we’re absolutely going to see people sourcing a mix of new and vintage.”