Nashville Wedding Trend: It’s all about the experience

Whether you’re a Nashville native or are about to plan the most memorable Music City destination wedding e-vah, you’re gonna want to know what’s what around here.

And although we’d like to think we are THE best hair and makeup team this town has ever seen, we must admit, when it comes to weddings in this city, it’s not ALL about the hairstyle or the dress or the color palette.

It’s about the experience.

 

 

Trending: Custom Experiences

Brides will still toil over every little detail when it comes to their appearance, but the shift for 2018 is the focus on the wedding guests doing more than just passively observing the wedding. These days, they will be entertained. Instead of just a 

formal, expected post-wedding reception, brides and grooms are planning full-on after parties so that guests can continue the evening festivities into the night. Guests, in many cases, will be entertained with sketch artists, magicians or tarot card readers.

Keeping the guests in mind has definitely been trending these past couple of years with more and more attention to detail as we head into 2019.

Let’s say, there is is a football or basketball game of interest being played the evening of the wedding. Broadcasting the game and having a comfortable seating area and a special “tailgating buffet” set up for guests to watch, is only one of the recent  genius moves we’ve seen executed lately. Thoughtful touches like that are definitely on the rise.

Lately, t’s becoming more and more about the guests and their experience.  Although there are always trends in color, trends in food, dress styles and décor, we are noticing that this year’s weddings are expected to be more about a vibe than just a venue or  color palette. In fact, couples incorporate into their weddings all sorts of thoughtful details designed to enhance the experience for both themselves as well as their guests. We have seen where one couple incorporated a mariachi band at a cocktail hour for Nicaraguan guests and some couples even arrange tours if the reception is at a plantation or museum. Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage or Belle Meade Plantation are just two quintessential examples of Nashville venues that pair rich history, beauty and experience into the wedding event.  Couples are even including fun kids’ areas with toys and activities for the little ones. We are seeing now that the trend now is definitely toward the comfort and enjoyment of guests.

 

Textures & Design

We notice that brides are also attempting to fuse interior design with the wedding more than ever before. Again, so that the guests will feel the vibe and enjoy the experience. We are seeing now that, more than specific colors, brides care about textures and design.  People are definitely getting more creative, using more geometric shapes in their designs and doing more modern things versus sticking to all the traditional stuff. You will always have the outliers who will stick to the traditions, but the trendy people are going for the experience and finding ways to make their big day really amazing.

 

Trending: Non-Traditional Wedding Agendas and Wedding Parties

Sooooo, 2018 was a royal wedding year for sure. With the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, we are seeing some British traditions on the horizon. Way more morning and mid-day weddings will be taking place. We are actually getting wind of wedding breakfasts or luncheons and even more child attendants with much smaller adult wedding parties. Crazy, right?

 

But let’s really go nuts. Believe it or not, another trend that has been revealing itself lately is mixing up the bridal party. We are not only seeing more and more small groups of bridesmaids and groomsmen, but we’ve also seen non-traditional substitutions such as “best dogs” in lieu of best men on more than one occasion.

 

Trending: Food Stations

Another way brides are eliminating anything boring or standard is with food. Gone are plated dinners, and they are being replaced with food stations and other fun food features. It’s definitely about non-traditional foods. Family-style eating is super popular, as are food stations. People are having different kinds of food than you might expect at a wedding reception, which makes it more of an experience than just a meal.

Trending: Non-Traditional Locations

Locations are also becoming more and more non-traditional. In lieu of your parents’ stuffy old church, couples today are seeking out rooftop bars, museums, barns and all sorts of natural settings. “In the South, it’s more traditional to get married in a church, but people are absolutely looking for unconventional spaces like raw warehouses so they can bring in their own design elements instead of having to work with what’s already there. Brides are looking for more neutral spaces so they can use lighting, draping and all sorts of things to make it their own.

 

Capturing It All

Finally, we are noticing that brides are stepping outside the box with their preferred photography style and embracing new technology, such as drones for interesting captures like aerial views.

When it comes to photography, couples are just requesting fun, candid photos of themselves and their guests. Getting classic portraits is still important, but many brides and grooms want to focus on the natural moments that happened on their wedding day.

 

Just some food for thought here for those of you who may be planning your 2019 Nashville wedding. Instead of focusing on a color or a particular font for your invitations or signage, it’s all about  unique personalization, an overall vibe and creating Instagram-worthy moments throughout your big day.

 

Now go crazy cowgirl.