What do you see Changing or Influencing the Wedding Industry in 2018?

“As a destination planner, I see the economy and the age that people marry being a driving force. A more independent mentality where couples are paying for more of their wedding is a key factor in designing their perfect day. Smaller, more intimate weddings are becoming the norm, and we adore this trend!”- Michelle Marquis, Weddings by Michelle Marquis,U.S. Virgin Islands“I see the trend for weddings using mixed metals— gold and silver. Gold is the strongest element. More weddings are using greenery in their centerpieces, instead of a ball of flowers. Both trends will continue into the new year."Gloria Boyden, MWP™, Events by Design, Inc., Carmel, Ind.“I am noticing more couples interested in dark, saturated tones. This is not only affecting color palette, floral, and décor choices but also their preferences in photographer and cinematographer styles.”- Katherine Hoggard, PWP™, Events by Katherine, Irvine, Calif.“I’ve seen a few changes in the wedding industry. It seems that people are getting married outdoors more often, rather than in a traditional church. More often than not, if the reception is at a place that does not have a hotel nearby, brides and grooms are booking shuttles to get guests back and forth safely after a night of partying. It seems the trend lately is [also] to have a second wave of food midway through the night. Photo booths have been around for a few years, but lately, I’ve seen an uptick in photo booths at weddings [too].”- Alan Reed, Total Music DJ Systems, Rochester, Minn.“For 2018, I see a huge emphasis on DJ. Music is finally becoming important again to couples. It’s not just about spending money on floral and décor, couples want to spend money on entertainment to ensure guests have the overall enjoyable experience. They want someone who knows how to interact with their guests and not just play a list of songs.”- Desi Wojtowicz, Desirable Events by Desi, Las Vegas“Our industry will be more influenced by tech in 2018 than ever before. From a business perspective, mobile apps are growing more collaborative and all-inclusive, allowing for easier event organization, and individual businesses are emphasizing strong online/social media presences. Also, given the current popularity of a personalized guest experience, more media entertainment and unique tech features, like image mapping, will continue to be in high demand.”- Nicole Chavez, EVSUITE, San Carlos, Calif.“The trend in weddings is aimed at the ecological—the desire of the couple to make their wedding an event [that is] friendly to the environment.”- Mónica Arteaga, Villa Monica, Pachacamac, Lima, Péru“[I’m] Seeing more [couples] specifically not inviting children to their celebrations.”- Vonda R. Parker, Bella Faire, Leesburg, Fla.“One of the latest trends I have seen is the move away from the friend or family officiant. By this point, most couples have seen the challenges of having a nonprofessional inserted into a professional environment. Many wedding planners are advising couples to choose a professional rather than a friend. Many venues are now requiring all vendors, including the officiant, to have liability insurance. The bottom line is [that] it’s the reputation of the planner and the venue that is at stake. If a non-professional vendor of any type enters the scene and does not provide top-notch service it can reflect badly on the other vendors. If a nonprofessional officiant messes up the wedding ceremony, it can always be done again right? Not! So recommend that your clients choose a professional in every aspect of their wedding. Don’t let them hire someone they can’t fire.”- Alan Katz, Great Officiants, Long Beach, Calif.“We see couples [focusing] on creating amazing and interactive experiences rather than putting so much effort into too many décor details. Couples will want to make their wedding fun and interactive through creative food stations or conversational family-style meals instead of the standard buffet or plated catering experience. Paper is out; couples want easy and quick electronic methods for contract signings and payments.”- Abigail Olaya, Venue at the Grove, Phoenix, Ariz.“Today’s couples are no longer meeting in the town [in which] they grew up. Instead, they met at college or, possibly, at their job in a state other than the one they grew up in. The days of receiving a wedding invitation with only directions to the house of worship and celebration are long gone. Today, the couple will include at least one to three hotel blocks for their guests. They will include verbiage regarding shuttle transportation, a breakfast post-wedding day, and now many will offer an after party. This has been a tremendous shift in the hotel industry. What I believe has had great influence on the industry and will continue in 2018 is networks like the Food Network or the Cooking Channel, which educate couples regarding food and beverage. We are living in a society with many people who I believe are ‘foodies’ more than the couples of past days where what was offered from caterers/venues was never questioned.”- Debra Thompson, Weddings by Debra Thompson LLC, New Rochelle, N.Y.“What I see influencing the industry in 2018 is the appreciation of all things technological and tech savvy. Simple wedding enhancements, such as photo booths, are becoming more state-of-the-art, lighting of all kinds has become intrinsic, food isn’t a basic necessity but the main attraction. The more unique and ‘exclusive,’ the more alluring those details have become.”- Dalia Atisha, CWP™, The Event Planner, Inc., West Bloomfield, Mich.