2022 has been the year of the wedding boom. With so many ceremonies and celebrations cancelled in 2020 & 2021, 2022 was a year for us to catch up, squeezing weddings into every slot we had available. We welcomed weddings of all shapes, sizes and varieties which means we have a good idea of what to expect from wedding trends for 2023. Contact Osprey Hotel, one of the premier four-star wedding venues in Kildare to book a wedding viewing and see what your wedding could look like. Here are some wedding trends we expect in 2023.
Wedding Suits for Women
There is no longer a requirement or a societal expectation for a bride to wear a white dress on her wedding day. Couples have free reign to choose the style, shape and fit of their wedding outfits to suit their personalities. That’s why we’re not surprised to see wedding suits for women rise in popularity next year. Wedding suits are often more comfortable for women not usually found wearing dresses and can be dressed up or down with feathers and pearls, depending how feminine she is feeling. They can be tailored, just like a wedding dress, to fit her body perfectly creating a powerful silhouette. We can’t wait to see unique suit styles emerge in 2023.
The Wedding Party
A couple’s pre-wedding celebrations had to be reinvented during the pandemic making them smaller and less gender-focused. Wedding parties are now more inclusive than single-sex Hen or Stag parties and can now welcome those of all genders to celebrate the happy couple together. We’ll see the rise of male ‘bridesmaids’ and female ‘groomsmen’ as couples move to wedding parties that represent their actual friendship groups. We’ve also seen plenty of videos online of male ‘flower girls’ stealing the show, parading up the aisle before the bride – something we expect to see more of in 2023. Outfits for the big day can be coordinated in colour and style regardless of gender meaning a more inclusive, friendly celebration.
Smaller Weddings
Do you remember when we could only have six people at a wedding? Gone are the days of inviting half the town to your big day so no one feels left out. The pandemic has caused a lot of couples to rethink their invite list, leading to smaller, more intimate celebrations. While this might cause a little drama in some families, many people may be happy not to be invited to a wedding out of pressure. Couples are taking the approach of ’if you wouldn’t invite them to a zoom get together during lockdown, do they need to be present for your big day?’. Less money spent per person means more spent on entertainment, flowers, outfits, accommodation and the honeymoon. Luckily our Kildare wedding venue has space for small and large wedding celebrations.
Outdoor Weddings
With fresh air and social distancing a thing of the past, many restaurants, cafes and venues are left with outdoor space hastily erected for outdoor dining. Instead of taking it down, many have pivoted to offer fantastic outdoor wedding spaces that can cater to all types of weather. It allows venues a lot more flexibility with their outdoor space and brings creativity and nature into the ceremony. Couples can enjoy scenic backgrounds for their wedding album and guests can enjoy the warmth of a summer’s day with an outdoor ceremony. Osprey Hotel offers a selection of flexible indoor & outdoor spaces which can be quickly pivoted to cater to the changeable Irish weather.
Alternative Weddings
With a growing population of people bringing their own unique traditions to Ireland and a more liberal young Irish population, we’re seeing a rise in the popularity of non-traditional weddings. Couples are breaking with tradition, using humanist or other alternative celebrants to officiate their wedding instead of traditional church weddings. The entertainment is becoming more unusual too with couples opting for karaoke, hypnotists, comedic MCs and more to entertain their guests instead of the usual show band. Favours are becoming more unusual too with a lot of couples opting for sustainable gifts or opting out altogether.
2023 is the year that anything goes when planning the day of your dreams. Osprey Hotel are open to all types, shapes and sizes of weddings and can accommodate you from your pre-wedding party to your day two celebrations in our Kildare hotel wedding venue. Contact our dedicated wedding team to learn more.
