Top Five Ceremony Trends of 2022/2023

When searching for wedding ceremony trends, you won’t find much about ceremonies. If anything, you’ll find a couple of blogs about ceremony decor — alternative florals, hand painted details and garden venues, etc. but nothing about the ceremony itself. So I thought I would share some ceremony trends with you here.

#1

The Ceremony Actually Matters

Quick and painless, generic, “get it over with so we can move on to the party” wedding ceremonies are a thing of the past! Couples understand that the ceremony matters, a lot. They have woken up to the fact that the ceremony is the emotional, communal (and in some cases spiritual) heart of the wedding… that it isn’t something to be rushed through… that it can set a mighty tone for the rest of the wedding, and even more importantly, for the rest of their marriage. Couples caring about the actual contents of their wedding ceremonies is now in vogue! They know that the words matter, the delivery matters, and how present they are during the ceremony matters. Their first question is no longer “How long is the ceremony?” In fact, they leave ample space in their wedding day timeline for a robust ceremony. They are as excited about their ceremony as they are about other aspects of their wedding day, and, when it’s all said and done say things like “Our ceremony was, far and away, the highlight of our wedding day.”

#2

Unplugged Ceremonies

Our days are a blur. We are plugged in, but tuned out. We depend on our devices for dopamine. But we miss so much when we witness life from behind a screen — as if real life only happens if we capture it and then post it and pin it... Thích Nhất Hạnh said “to love is above all to be there.” Couples have caught on and in 2022/2023 they prioritize presence. They insist on unplugged ceremonies. And their guests actually respect their wishes and put their devices away. There’s no longer a need to have archers in the bushes because people are putting their phones away on their own. No longer are ceremony photos obscured by a bunch of hands holding phones in the air. Instead guests’ heartfelt reactions are quietly captured while they actually experience the ceremony.

#3

Hiring a Professional Officiant

Technically anyone who has an online ordainment can officiate a wedding ceremony. But anyone at all can apply makeup, style hair, take photos, and prepare food (sans ordainment,) and yet couples make sure to hire pros for those services. Couples have come to appreciate the many merits of having a professional officiant who knows how to write an eloquent and cohesive ceremony, command a crowd, and create a true sense of occasion for them. Couples are budgeting for their officiant the way that they budget for their venue and other “big ticket” wedding items. Unlike in the past, couples are now booking their officiant first among their vendors instead of last. Appreciation for their officiants’ hard work, dedication and professionalism is shown in the same ways that appreciation for other professional wedding vendors are shown. This includes tipping and tagging them on social media. Wedding magazines, wedding podcasts, and big name wedding markets like WeddingWire, Zola and The Knot are publishing more content about the importance of a great wedding ceremony and a super skilled officiant. These wedding websites now reflect accurate, modern day pricing for officiants, too.

#4

Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies & Land Acknowledgement

The natural beauty of outdoor ceremonies adds so much to the experience. Not only are couples choosing to have their ceremonies outdoors, they are also taking time to express gratitude for the earth and all her beings. They recognize that we humans are not the protagonist, but part of a vast web of interconnectivity. Their ceremonies reflect this in a myriad of ways, like adding earth honoring poems and land acknowledgements. (Including a land acknowledgment in your wedding ceremony is a tiny first step in acknowledging indigenous people and their immense contribution to this country. Another way to show real respect and not be an asshat, is to STOP using native inspired wedding decor like tipis, dream catchers and antlers in your ceremony design. It is hurtful, appropriative and ignorant, and does nobody any good. In 2022/2023 this behavior is a thing of the past.)

#5

Inclusive Ceremonies

Couples and their communities unanimously agree that love is love. That black lives matter. And Asian lives. And Native American lives. And Jewish lives. And transgender lives. They emphatically believe that anyone at all (of any shape, size, income level, ability, skin color, sexual orientation, etc.) has the unequivocal right to get married, be outrageously celebrated, and be represented in the wedding industry. In 2022/2023 everyone experiences love fully, equally, without shame, and without compromise.

Truth be told...

Trends are traditions that are entirely fabricated to keep us humans on a hamster wheel of craving and longing and wanting more. And when you want more, you spend more! Trends are random AF. They are invented to keep you consuming and spending your hard earned $$$ on things that are frivolous and unimportant. They are created by people who have vested interest in pocketing your moolah! This blog post is currently much more serious-satirical ‘wishful thinking’ than what is actually trending IRL. But since trends are made up anyway, why not make up trends that are useful and beautiful and change wedding culture in a way that adds more substance and soul.