Wedding Series: 2020 Wedding Trends to Bring to Your Big Day

Style Bible Vogue tells us that this year, individuality is key – make your wedding a reflection of your own life and love story. Many couples want to be eco-conscious, too, and may have smaller budgets to work with. So, if you love a certain country - Italy, perhaps, or Morocco ­– instead of transporting everyone there, recreate the mood here at home. If you have doted-upon dogs or horses, make them part of your day. If you love beautiful architecture – ancient or modern – use it as a backdrop.

Your wedding can be environmentally friendly in many ways: sending invites on recycled paper, answers via a website; providing buses for transport for guests; ensuring your food, drink and flowers are locally sourced; vegetarian or vegan catering; completely plastic-free weddings. Your guests are sure to appreciate the effort.

Of course, clothes are the costumes for your wedding story, and quirkiness is increasingly appealing to bridal designers and their clients. Dress for your own and your partner’s taste, and let your personalities shine through.

Zoe Kravitz was the epitome of bridal cool in Paris lately, from the bridal-white cycling shorts she wore to her rehearsal dinner, to the matching leather jackets the happy couple wore on the day, each emblazoned with ‘Just Married’ and a sketch of their significant other on the back. 

You might not go so far, but wedding dresses in relaxed styles, fluid fabrics, knits and separates are all a la mode for modern weddings, and dare we say, more flattering and versatile than the big meringue. Some brides will always want volume, and tulle is big for 2020, a fairytale fabric that can be layered and embellished to your heart’s content.

If you want a more traditional dress, the high-necked Victoriana style with simple veil, as worn by Ellie Goulding at her wedding last year, is increasingly popular and universally flattering. Bespoke embroidery is a sweet, emerging trend – imagine, you could have the words of your favourite love song embroidered into your dress, or as Heidi Beiber did, ’Till death us do part’ sewn into her train, a particularly Insta-friendly thing to do!

And if you can afford it, why not have two wedding dresses? You’ll be following a growing trend that gained in popularity when the Duchess of Sussex changed into a beautiful Stella McCartney frock for the royal reception, even more alluring than her perfectly minimal Givenchy wedding dress. 

In keeping with the 2020 mood, couples are choosing their engagement and wedding rings together, making them all the more precious and unique. How about commissioning your own mixed-metal ring of, say, two or three colours of gold – yellow, white and rose? You can let your imagination take flight with these – or simply choose the stunning Cartier Trinity ring with three interlocking bands of different golds, and if you like, optional diamonds. 

Vintage rings are increasingly popular – trends to look out for are Art Deco pieces, pretty pearls and cushion-cut diamonds in engagement rings, square with smoothed edges that are both practical and beautiful.

When it comes to feeding your wedding guests, relaxed, creative food is taking over from traditional sit-down wedding breakfasts. Food stations offering the flavours and cuisines you love create a casual, intimate atmosphere, and you can provide guests everything from pulled pork to sushi, chicken wings to smoky cauliflower cheese. Choose your favourite cake, or layer up two or three flavours – say, chocolate, carrot and lemon – or have a tower of local cheeses, as alternatives to fruit cake.

Wedding venues abound in the UK and you’re pretty sure to find one that matches your mood. City weddings are becoming increasingly popular, and they are both eco-friendly and easy to access. Middle Temple is right in the heart of London and is a unique and spectacular venue - one of the four ancient Inns of Court built between 1562 and 1573. The main buildings have remained virtually unchanged to this day, with many original features surviving the Great Fire of London and both World Wars. Imagine getting married in such beautiful, venerable surroundings – the star of your own wedding story!