Elizabeth
Seven Bridal and Wedding Trends for 2023
Following the recent New York Bridal Fashion Week, designers and wedding planners are beginning to offer a peek at 2023 bridal fashion and wedding event trends. If you’re beginning to plan your 2023 wedding, here are seven key trends.
First, wedding gown trends:
1. Blue is in
White gowns will forever be the number one choice of brides, but each year a new color becomes popular for less traditional brides. In recent years, these trend colors were beige and pink. In 2023, the trend color is blue, particularly soft shades of blue.
2. Colors accents galore
Color accents will remain popular, as they were in 2022, with some brides selecting floral prints or using color in accessories. But be discreet, wedding experts say. For a vibrant look, less is more.
3. Gloves are back
Inspired by period streaming shows, like Downton Abbey, gloves add a classy reference to the past and a layer of elegance. Fabric may be lace or traditional silk, with colored gloves offering a touch of color to a white gown.
4. Ruffles and Feathers
Brides are adding a softer look with ruffles and feathers in combination with starker lines. An example is a mermaid gown with a ruffled skirt, as shown in the photo.
Next, wedding event trends:
5. Personalized weddings
2023 will see changes that go beyond the bride’s dress. One common prediction is called the “micro wedding.” These are small weddings limited to family and close friends. Non-traditional venues will become more popular, as brides and grooms choose sites that reflect their values, such as a nature center. Eco-friendly touches will be a trend, too, such as invitations on recycled paper, re-use of bouquets as table decorations and serving health foods.
6. Local weddings
The glamor of destination weddings wore off during the pandemic and has given way to local and more personalized weddings in the bride’s hometown. This way, family and friends can afford to attend. It’s all part of a trend away from glamor and glitz and large-scale events that sometimes leave everyone exhausted and unconnected. The new focus is on who you are, not where you are.
7. Longer planning
The backlogs coming out of the pandemic apply to all things wedding. Wedding planners for 2023 events are cautioning brides to start early. Wedding dresses can take six to eight months to order, depending on the manufacturer. In addition, sites are booking a year in advance. Even photographers, musicians and florists want as much lead time as possible. Why the crunch? Competition is growing. Axios predicts 2.2 million weddings will occur in 2023, which would be a record.
And then there is the issue of picking the actual date
Along with these trends is the issue of the actual wedding date. While any date between May and October is common, many brides and grooms are consulting astrologists as to the best date to schedule their wedding. In 2023, astrologists say the luckiest wedding date is September 10, when the sun and new moon are in Libra, which promises less conflict during the marriage.
Start planning now!
No matter what your beliefs and influences, 2023 promises to be a hectic wedding year. It’s best to begin planning as soon as possible and that includes planning for the details related to the bridal gown and other attire. Oceanside Cleaners specializes in wedding dress (and wedding party clothing) alterations, but we book up early so ask that you please plan in advance. Oceanside also cleans gowns before the ceremony (if needed) and afterwards and offers a popular wedding gown preservation service.
Mikaela
Grace
Fallon
Callie
Thalya
Jenna
Sophia
Five Top 2022 Wedding Dress Trends
From May through October, wedding season is in full bloom. While most people think June is the top wedding month (with 15% of all weddings), September actually takes first place, with 16% of all weddings. Every year in the U.S., about 2.4 million weddings are performed.
What are brides wearing this year?
This year, brides are selecting corset bodices, voluminous skirts, square or high necklines, and bridal hoods. Here’s a look at the top five trends.
- A mix of old and new. 2022 brides are combining traditional and unconventionalbridal dress elements. For example, brides are mixing minidresses, blazer dresses and colorful gowns with classic accessories, such as birdcage veils and gloves. The high neckline, popular in the 1950s, is back.
- Exposed corsets. This peek-a-boo into how the dress is structured gives a nod to the craft of the dress as well as being sexy.
- Oversized ruffles and skirts. Just as there is a trend for larger weddings, there is a trend for bride skirts and shoulders to be oversized, with huge, ruffled and textured fabrics.
- Color. While 82% of brides wear white, the recent trend toward colored gowns is gaining steam, as are patterns with colorful flowers. Pastels are favored, but so are stark black and white patterns.
- Personality. More and more, brides want their dresses to reflect their personality, whether it be modern or romantic, dramatic or traditional.
Pastels and oversized ruffles are gaining in popularity. This short dress with a long train mixes old and new.
These styles and trends cost money
The average wedding dress in 2022 costs $1,251, plus $227 for accessories.
While tradition says the bride’s family covers the majority of the wedding costs, including the gown, times have changed. Today’s customs vary and support comes from multiple sources. Sometimes the bride and groom pay for the wedding costs. One study found that, on average, parents of both the bride and groom contribute a combined 51% of the wedding budget, while the wedding couple covers the remaining 49%. The bridal party tends to pay for their own dresses and suits.
The average cost of a 2022 wedding, including the gown, is $28,000.
Protecting that investment
Most brides want to preserve their wedding gown. Some brides hope to share their gown with their daughters when the daughters get married. Others save their gown for sentimental reasons. To best preserve a wedding gown, brides should select a cleaner that specializes in wedding gown cleaning and preservation. The best cleaners mend repairs, use cleaning processes that preserve the material and shape, and provide a storage box that maintains the gown’s integrity over time.