Welcome to Park Home Ranch, where love and tradition meet against the breathtaking backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. As we step into 2024, the wedding landscape is evolving with exciting new trends, and at Park Home Ranch, we're thrilled to share them with you. Join us as we explore the latest trends in flowers, wedding photography, music, dancing, food, and more to inspire your dream wedding.
Floral Elegance:
Wildflower Bouquets: Brides now prefer the relaxed and organic charm of wildflower-inspired arrangements. These bouquets embrace a natural, just-picked look with a mix of diverse flowers and greenery.
Dried and Preserved Flowers: Dried and preserved flowers are making a comeback in 2024, offering a unique and long-lasting alternative to fresh blooms. These flowers add texture and vintage touch to arrangements, and they make for beautiful keepsakes.
Monochromatic Color Schemes: Couples are embracing the simplicity and elegance of monochromatic color palettes for their floral arrangements. Shades of a single color, from soft pastels to bold jewel tones, create a beautiful and visually striking aesthetic.
Hanging Installations: Hanging floral installations, such as floral chandeliers or suspended arrangements, continue to be popular for creating a stunning backdrop.
Personalized Touches: Couples might incorporate personal elements into their floral arrangements, such as flowers that hold sentimental value or reflect their cultural background.
We asked one of our preferred florists, Charmi Mitchell with Rockin’ Bar C Designs, what she noticed this year when it came to wedding trends and what she predicts will come in 2024.
“Some new trends I saw in 2023 were rust colors. I had several brides want the burnt/rustic orange color as an accent color or a color of pop in their more neutral colors,” Charmi said. “So far, for 2024, I am seeing more desire for pastel colors and more of the wildflower look. I think the burnt oranges, dusty rose colors, sage green colors, and emerald green colors will carry over to 2024, but I am seeing more blues and pinks than before.”
She has also picked up on more dainty and elegant arrangements over larger, more bold arrangements when it comes to tablescapes. Bud vases have been making a large appearance over the past year and will likely continue into 2024.
While she is seeing fewer flowers in other areas, Charmi encourages brides to keep statement pieces and have that WOW moment of a big bouquet or elaborate arch piece. There is always a way to work the budget to make your dream pieces a reality.
Capturing Moments in Time:
Documentary Style: Couples are increasingly opting for a documentary or photojournalistic style, capturing candid moments and emotions throughout the day.
Drone Photography: Aerial shots and drone photography can add a unique perspective to wedding albums, providing stunning views of the venue and surrounding landscapes.
Cinematic Wedding Films: The popularity of cinematic wedding films continues to grow, with couples investing in high-quality videography to capture their day in a storytelling format. These films are a great way to evoke emotions and capture the day's essence.
Natural Light Photography: Embracing natural light and shooting during golden hours remains a timeless trend, providing soft and flattering illumination.
Artistic Portraits: Artistic portraiture is back, with couples seeking creatively composed portraits reflecting their unique personalities. Photographers experiment with lighting, locations, and props to create visually stunning and timeless images.
One of our favorite photographers, Jeramie Lu with Jeramie Lu Photography, says he hopes to see more customization with couples for 2024 weddings. Couples want to wow everyone with new ideas and things that haven’t been done before, and as a vendor, he’s ready to help you create! Your wedding should reflect your personality and style and capture the moments that mean the most to you.
When it comes to engagement photos, Jeramie says couples are opting for landscapes that are different from their wedding location and want to capture images that help tell their personal story as a couple.
“My couples love having locations that are different from their wedding locations, meaning they are hoping for variety,” Jeramie said. “The engagement session to me is a way to connect with my clients, so it’s more about the spending of quality time rather than the shoot itself. I try to go to locations that have a story for them. They just want to love… Their poses are soft and a little epic because they are dressed in ways that are personal to them. It’s the only chance they usually get before the wedding.”
Music and Dance Trends:
Personalized Playlists: Couples are crafting personalized playlists that tell their unique love story, adding a sentimental touch to the musical atmosphere.
Interactive DJ Experiences: DJ experiences are becoming more interactive, allowing guests to request songs through dedicated apps or interactive screens, creating a fun connection between the DJ and attendees.
Choreographed Dances: Choreographed dances are making a comeback, with couples hiring dance instructors to perfect routines and surprise their guests with well-rehearsed moves.
Music Mixes: DJs are skillfully blending genres, like pop, country, and R&B, electronic creating mixes that cater to guests of all ages and tastes.
Things that are going out of style? Tracy with McClains Mobile DJ has noticed couples are opting out of the traditional bouquet and garter tosses during their receptions, along with not strictly sticking to the typical traditional dances. Couples are also opting to have a simple grand entrance to announce the newlyweds, but opting to forgo introducing the entire bridal party.
New things she noticed during this wedding year include couples having private dances at the end, couples playing the shoe question game during the reception, trivia questions about the couple to determine what table gets released first for the buffet, and even an LED light-up dance floor! Her advice for 2024 couples includes trusting your DJ to keep the day rolling and the party going.
“My advice for 2024 couples is to consider your guests and allow your DJ to read the crowd and take requests,” Tracy said. “People love to dance to music they recognize and are familiar with. It's fine to customize your dinner and cocktail hour music and give your DJ a few of your favorite songs during the dance portion. However, giving your DJ creative freedom to read the crowd and take requests is ideal for a fun atmosphere for you and your guests.”
Culinary Trends:
Global Fusion Menus: Embrace global fusion menus that celebrate diverse culinary traditions. This trend allows couples to showcase their unique cultural backgrounds and create a memorable feast.
Interactive Food Stations: Couples are ditching traditional buffets for interactive food stations and live cooking, turning dining into a personalized journey.
Vibrant Colors and Metallic Touches: Wedding cakes are becoming art pieces with bold colors and metallic accents, adding a touch of glamour to the traditional sweet centerpiece.
Alternative Dessert Displays: Miniature desserts, dessert bars, and unconventional treats like doughnut walls and macaron towers are adding a sweet touch to celebrations.
Edible Flowers and Botanicals: Bring nature to your cake with edible flowers and botanicals, creating a romantic and garden-inspired look.
Crystal at Crysi’s Cake Scene also predicts brides will turn to fun, non-traditional cake ideas and treats. Some things she saw a lot in 2023 that she believes will carry into 2024 are “naked cakes” for their simple elegance and cakes with 50’s vintage hearts and vault line designs. Don’t be afraid to show off your personality with your wedding day cake and desserts.
“Brides are expanding and following current ideas via TikTok, looking for luxury and anything post-worthy,” Crystal said. “Couples should go crazy with their wedding day desserts, choose something that fits their personality, not everyone else's. Keep the possibilities open!”
She also wants to remind couples that wedding day desserts have come a long way in how the industry has expanded to include plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free desserts. There are plenty of options now for everyone to enjoy!
Planning Expertise:
More and more brides are opting for wedding planners and day of coordination to help their big day come to life and play out smoothly. So much goes into a wedding it can be difficult to navigate it on your own, and corral everyone throughout the wedding day. Our wonderful preferred wedding planner and coordinator Lynne Barth with eNVy Event Management weighed in on everything she noticed in the 2023 season.
For the ceremony, more brides are wearing veils than in previous years, especially the long cathedral veil as photographers are getting creative with stunning veil photos. For bridesmaid's dresses, she notices more brides are opting for colorful pallets and allowing their girls to wear different styles of dresses rather than putting them all in the same style. This lets your girls feel comfortable in a style that they chose for their likes and body type!
More couples are also opting for a first touch, private vows, or a first look together before the ceremony. A first touch and private vows can be done without seeing one other before the ceremony, but a first look allows for couples to have that moment in private and then get a lot of their photos done so they can spend time with guests at the cocktail hour.
For the reception, Lynne notices the bouquet and garter tosses are almost entirely gone, as not many couples are interested in partaking in that tradition anymore. She also notices couples personalizing their reception décor to reflect who they are and their interests and hobbies, giving it a fun and personal touch. She is a big fan of the final dance at the end of the night, either surrounded by friends and family or as a private moment between the couple as guests line up outside for the exit. When it truly comes down to it, however, Lynne emphasizes a wedding isn’t always about trends.
“In essence, for a wedding day, I emphasize to the couple that the wedding should be a reflection of who they are,” Lynne said. “Don’t let anyone tell you what is right or wrong for your special day. We can say this is what is in, and this is what is out, but ultimately, it’s their day to create as they wish, and will remember the rest of their life.”
As we embrace the wedding trends of 2024, it's clear that couples are seeking more than just a ceremony – they want an experience that resonates with their personalities and values. They want it to be a true reflection of their love story. As you plan your wedding, consider incorporating these trends to create a celebration that is truly unforgettable. The happiest day of your life starts with finding the perfect venue! Book a tour with us today at events@parkranch.com.