How To Do A Wedding In 2019

Choreographed first dances and cupcake towers are so last year. Rosie Mullender reports on the nuptial trends taking over big-day planning.

- Rosie Mullender

In the heady, innocent days of the 80s, wedding snaps were kept in an album in a drawer. Back then, if you got hitched clad in so much blinding white satin that it was a wonder you didn’t slide out of the church like a human luge, you could keep the evidence to yourself.

Today’s brides don’t have that luxury – photos of the cake, dress, and venue are uploaded to Instagram before they’ve even sipped their first glass of champagne. ‘Weddings are far more global these days, and people are much more influenced by what they see online,’ says luxury wedding planner and bridal author Sarah Haywood (sarahhaywood.com). ‘The most popular searches on Instagram relate to weddings, and there are several global companies whose work people are sharing and copying.’

With a checklist at the ready, here’s what you’ll be ticking off…

Say yes to the dress

The ripple effect of that dress (we mean Meghan’s, of course) has seen a huge swing towards minimal, sculptural gowns with long, slim sleeves. And for brides who want to think outside the box, there has never been so many alternatives to the traditional full-on frock. ‘Highstreet labels from Topshop to River Island are offering fresh, fashion inspired bridal collections and casual combos – a T-shirt-style top teamed with a dressy skirt, say, or a 90s-inspired slip dress – which is a big trend,’ says Jess Wood, Marie Claire’s fashion features director.

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