Experts Say These Are The Biggest Trends For Fall Weddings This Year

Emily Forrest, the Director of Communications for Zola, says couples are looking to put their individualized stamp on their celebration more than ever.

“Weddings in general have been trending toward highly personalized events this year,” she says. That includes details that really represent the couple, like custom cocktails, party favors, and a cute cake topper. The personalized trend isn’t going anywhere for the fall, so feel free to swap out classic traditions for something more you.

Forrest also revealed that for fall in particular, we can expect to see wedding styles that are “big, loud, and dramatic — think bold flash photography, dark and moody decor, and nontraditional brightly colored attire.” It really does seem like setting aside tradition is the way to go in favor of something more fun and exciting. Perhaps you could even go with the dark wedding trend that’s been popular with Gen Z this year, and opt for a dark dress instead of a white one.

Of course, wearing a black wedding dress down the aisle isn’t for everyone, so Forrest also shares that multicolored wedding party attire is another way to showcase bold wedding styles. Giving your bridal party a color palette and having them choose outfits in those colors is also a way to keep it budget-friendly for your bridesmaids.

Etsy Trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, agrees that colorful celebrations will be huge this fall. “While bright and bold colors are typically reserved for spring and summer, I anticipate we'll see vibrant and cheerful hues make a special appearance in weddings this upcoming fall season,” Johnson shares. “Dopamine dressing has been a top trend for the summer, and many couples are adapting mood-boosting moments throughout their big day as a way to to inject pops of joy and show off their personalities.” One simple way to incorporate more color and vibrancy into your ceremony is to go for a holographic wedding invitation ($5, Etsy).

While some people are excited to finally travel for the first time in years, it’s not cheap or easy. Forrest says, “Right now, couples are very conscientious of their guests traveling so we’ve seen that a lot of events — like bach parties and wedding showers — are getting combined or clustered together closer to the wedding.” Planning a bachelorette party on a budget by cutting back on travel can actually benefit everyone, and you can use that extra money on something for the reception instead.

Couples are also ditching tradition for more co-ed wedding parties as well. At Zola, they’re even “seeing more combined co-ed celebrations and a greater emphasis on the couple wanting to spend time together.”

As far as fall 2022 color palettes go, Forrest says that “muted red-toned color palettes are huge.” At Zola, they are “seeing a lot of burgundies, rusts, terracottas, coppers, and neutrals this fall, which highlight the natural beauty of the season.” Getting a red-toned wedding dress may actually be a great way to follow both the color of the season and the bold wedding style trend as well. Also, it definitely has a Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice vibe for Halloween weddings.

Instead of a buffet or catered dinner, Forrest says food trucks are trending for fall weddings. Not only are food trucks big this autumn, but “really niche food and bar stations” are making a big statement. This is another way to really showcase your personality at your ceremony, and some great ideas include pretzel bars, hot chocolate bars, s’mores bars, donut bars, [and] apple cider bars, which Forrest shares “all fit the cooler weather perfectly and offer a really unique, customizable element to the wedding.”

Dried floral bouquets have been on the rise. It makes sense. Who doesn’t want a more sustainable option that lasts longer? However, Forrest says that “dried florals, lush greenery, and pumpkin decor” aren’t just popular because of the fall, but they can also build “off the currently popular coastal grandmother trend” as well.

For some people, when they think of the fall, they immediately think of Halloween. “Moody candles” fit the Halloween vibes and Forrest believes they will have their moment at weddings this autumn. Since the sun goes down earlier this season, lighting really is important. In addition to some fun candles, she also recommends “whimsical LED lighting and neon signs.”

“Rustic bohemian themes are always big for fall weddings,” Forrest shares. Barns and vineyards are venues that really fit this theme. Your red-toned wedding dress will fit in perfectly at a barn ceremony with dried floral bouquets and pumpkin decor.

Just by the amount of ABBA songs trending on TikTok, you could have guessed that the ‘70s are back. Forrest shares that disco has emerged as a major theme for weddings, “which lends itself well to moody romantic fall weddings with vibrant lighting options and neon colors.” Just think of all the disco balls you could incorporate in your wedding decor. Of course, retro inspired weddings are going to be big this fall whether you go with the ‘70s, ‘80s, or even the ‘90s.

Another way to go the more personalized route is to choose a “very niche and non-traditional” bachelorette party theme. Forrest shared, “I just saw a TikTok the other day of a fun Adam Sandler-themed bach party where everyone wore long basketball shorts and oversized t-shirts, and another that was ‘Ben’-themed (the name of the groom) where everyone came as their favorite historical or fictional Ben.” If you’re a Swiftie, you could even throw a Taylor Swift-themed bachelorette party with Lover decor and “Champagne Problems” cocktails.

While large ceremonies will always be popular, Forrest says that more intimate affairs are trending this fall — especially for outdoor weddings. “Fall outdoor weddings already have such cozy vibes with the brisk breezes and beautiful scenery of changing leaves, which is perfect to match a more intimate guest list,” she shares. A smaller ceremony can even help with cutting down wedding costs, and you can use that money to have an even more personalized party instead.

“Forced to rethink and reschedule their nuptials over the last two years, couples are planning weddings that reflect their unique personalities and priorities,” Johnson shares. Since many couples are choosing to have more intimate affairs with just family and close friends, they can “double down on special details they truly care about — like personalized place cards, customized favors, or ultra-romantic stationery.” A wedding invitation trend for fall 2022 is the gatefold style. This gorgeous style invite makes for a sweet keepsake and comes in a variety of themes, whether you’re having a Bridgerton wedding ($100, Etsy), something tropical ($15, Etsy), or just ultra-romantic ($7, Etsy).

One way to cut costs on your wedding budget is to DIY some decor and details. “From save the dates to paper flowers to favors, wedding DIYs allow couples to make a major impact on their guests, while keeping their budget in check,” Johnson says. Etsy is always a great place to shop for one-of-a-kind, handmade items, but you can also find DIY kits for you to make items yourself. A fun activity for you and your bridal party may be to plan a DIY night with wine and your fave throwback movie, while you work on escort cards ($15, Etsy), paper flowers ($21), “meant to bee” honey jars with stickers ($10, Etsy).

Even though couples are more aware than ever of travel concerns, that doesn’t mean they can’t incorporate their wanderlust into the details of their big day. In fact, Johnson says “wedding wanderlust is top of mind.” Searches for things like passport-inspired wedding invitations have increased recently on Etsy, and these are cute ways for couples to create their dream travel-inspired wedding, on their own terms. One super cute party favor that you might want to consider for your travel-themed wedding are luggage tags ($79, Etsy) that say “and so the adventure begins.”