As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the weddings I’ve been lucky enough to be part of this year and looking ahead to what’s on the horizon for 2025, to bring you my honest thoughts from a wedding planner. If you’re newly engaged and starting to plan your special day, here are my thoughts—what’s been brilliant, what’s been less so, and what I’m most excited for in the year ahead. This should all really help you when you are starting to plan your big day! The things you need to think about, what to avoid and why we love the wedding industry!
Loved Seeing This Year
Large One-Tier Cakes Simplicity at its finest! This year, couples have embraced the beauty of large, single-tier cakes. Whether adorned with intricate piping or fresh flowers and fruit, they’ve proven that you don’t need a multi-tiered masterpiece to make an impact. My thought as a wedding planner: they’re elegant, and a true Paul Hollywood showstopper (yes, I am a Bake Off fan!) We had a couple this year, the beautiful R&A, who even cut theirs with a sword! Top tip – you may not necessarily be looking for a wedding cake maker for this, but an actual baker. We used an amazing local baker for this who had large ovens to bake the pieces of the cake in, which were then constructed at the venue. Great if you have a local bakery you love to use!
Stripping Back on Traditions It’s been wonderful to see couples being selective with traditions, only keeping the ones that truly mean something to them. Skipping the bouquet toss, writing their own vows, or even walking down the aisle together—it’s all about making the day feel personal. You need to think about what makes sense to you, and what is important. We have seen more couples than ever this year skipping the cake cutting! We’ve had couples who have gone without bridal parties as they struggled to segregate people, and we’ve also seen a surge in couples signing the legal bits at the registry office, and having a celebrant or family member to marry them on the day – so much more personal!
Big Parties, No Separate Guest Lists The days of splitting guests into “day” and “evening” are fading fast. This year was all about big, inclusive celebrations where everyone felt equally valued. It’s such a lovely way to create a warm and lively atmosphere. You may be wondering how you can achieve this if you have a set catering budget, but you can of course have a later celebration with a more informal dining experience for all of your guests.
Couple More Immersed In Planning I’ve loved seeing couples and their families throw themselves into planning and being fully present on the day. This was one of the first years I have had working with lovely couples that the planning process has been driven by both of the couple and not just one of them! We’ve seen a lot of family involvement too this year, which, yes, having more than two opinions can be difficult, but as long as parents etc understand that ultimately it is your final decision, getting other opinions can be great! I’ve also seen couples enjoying their days more than ever! It’s only been once this year that I have had a Bride who just couldn’t switch off from planning mode, however much we tried! But this is a first! The overwhelm of planning and just the day in general usually causes many more couples, brides especially, to still be stressing about what is happening around them and behind the scenes, so it’s an improvement! I feel there is so much more advice online now about truly immersing yourself in your day! As a wedding planner I have loved to see this and have thought at the end of each wedding how much I hope this continues!
Focusing on What Matters More couples are tuning into what their guests really care about: delicious food, flowing drinks, great music, and an unforgettable party. Cutting out unnecessary extras and focusing on the experience has been a breath of fresh air. From formalities such as confetti shots, to bits and bobs you *think* people want, such as personalised napkins, guest favours and flip flops, we are seeing more couples cutting back on these extras, then putting that budget into making sure the food is amazing, the wine is flowing and the band are the best they can afford.
Not Loved This Year
Champagne Towers Yes, they look stunning in photos, but champagne towers are more hassle than they’re worth. They’re fiddly to set up, prone to mishaps, and often feel more style than substance. Let’s toast to seeing fewer of these in 2025. If you really need champagne in your wedding photos, let’s go back to a good ole champagne spray!
Completely Open Bars Offering every drink under the sun can be a logistical nightmare and unnecessarily costly. Not to mention the state of the guests at the end of the night! I’ve seen couples opt for a pared-back bar with just a couple of signature cocktails, beer, and wine—and it works so much better. Thoughtful and streamlined is the way forward.
Couples Overloading Themselves Wedding planning is a big task (as a wedding planner, we truly understand this!), and my thoughts are that I’ve seen too many couples take on too much, leading to unnecessary stress. Delegating, hiring professionals, and leaning on family and friends can make all the difference. Remember, your wedding should be enjoyable—not a chore. Be realistic in what you’re actually going to have time to do around the stresses of everyday life. Writing every guest an individual poem maybe isn’t the one when you have a full time career and a house to run!
Looking Ahead to 2025
Exciting New Colour Schemes Bold and unconventional colour palettes are on the rise, and I’m loving the creativity they bring. We are seeing less strict colour palettes and far more range of colours, not sticking to one particular colour. With Pantone’s Colour of the Year now revealed, I’m excited to see how couples incorporate it into their themes. I absolutely LOVE this mocha colour! And yes, some people are thinking, brown?! But you can pair it with some beautiful bright colours to make a really stunning, sophisticated colour palette!
Unique Venues I’m thrilled about working at more unconventional venues next year. One I’m particularly excited about is the Eden Project. Those iconic biomes have been on my radar ever since I visited as a child when it was still being built. It’s a truly magical place to tie the knot. This is just one of the venues we are working at next year that people we are chatting to are actually surprised you can get married at!
Personalised Touches Personalisation is set to be even bigger in 2025. Couples are going beyond monogrammed napkins and table names, and making the day more about them as a couple, so guests stand back and think, wow that’s so them. It’s all about creating a day that’s uniquely theirs, from food options, to bands they are hiring, we are cutting out the noise of ‘what will everyone else want’ and thinking about what is more ‘them’! That’s what guests love most, when the wedding day feels like the couple.
Celebrating Sustainability Eco-conscious weddings are gaining momentum, and it’s fantastic to see. From sourcing local food and drink, to reusing decor, keeping all suppliers to the local area to keeping it within the UK and not hopping on flights abroad, couples are finding creative ways to make their weddings more sustainable. It’s a trend that as a wedding planner, I fully hope isn’t just a trend, and my thoughts are that it’s something I’m fully behind.
Final Wedding Planner Thoughts
2024 has been an incredible year for weddings, and it’s been a privilege to help couples bring their dreams to life. As we move into 2025, my advice to newly engaged couples is to stay true to what feels right for you. Whether you’re planning an intimate affair or a grand celebration, make it a reflection of your love story. I hope you’ve enjoyed my honest thoughts from a wedding planner!
And remember, planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Hiring a wedding planner can take the stress out of the process, letting you focus on the joy of the journey. We can chat further here. Here’s to a fabulous year of love, laughter, and unforgettable weddings ahead!