Celebrating the new normal

Couples are ditching some traditions for a better experience – See how today’s weddings might be more personal (and more fun!)

BY LUCY PROBERT

From mid-week weddings with a favorite uncle officiating, to offering guests during cocktail hour the groom’s favorite drink off of a rolling gin cart, wedding trends have changed in the post-covid years, and the common theme is one of celebration. While the pandemic put a complete halt to big gatherings, delaying some for a year at least, during the reshuffle couples have been putting their own stamp on their big day with both new traditions and keeping up with old ones.

Picking a date

“Because of the rescheduling after 2020, couples who didn’t want to wait in a long line to find a venue started booking non-weekend weddings, like on a Monday or Thursday,” says Kristen West Ciejka, marketing director for The Newport Experience, whose venues include the 10-acre Ocean Cliff on Ocean Drive and Regatta Place on Goat Island.

“Extending past the weekend gives them flexibility on dates and is more affordable,” she says.

Sometimes a couple’s connection to a particular day also determines their date choice. “There might be an attachment to a date because it’s the anniversary of when they met or has another special meaning, like 2/2/22, and that might hap-

“Many of the ‘rules’ have gone out the window. Couples are doing what they want and what feels right, versus what they are expected to do. And that’s been really fun to see and be part of.” pen to fall on a Wednesday,” she says.

The guest list

While the pandemic required smaller guest lists for a time, when restrictions were lifted it didn’t take long for the uptick in numbers to reach pre-covid levels. “We thought the more intimate ‘micro’ wed-

Continued on page 12 dings might become a trend and continue, but it has been just the opposite,” says Ciejka. “We’re getting many requests for weddings of 150 plus. It feels like people are just ready to go back to a sense of normalcy, to get dressed up and have big celebrations again.”

Linden Place, a Federal style mansion and event space in Bristol set on two acres, provides gardens for wedding ceremonies and an historic indoor ballroom and additional space for up to 120 guests. “Although we are adding features like outside lighting and tents to expand our space, receptions are primarily set up inside,” says Susan Battle, Linden Place executive director. A smaller venue, they have seen a slight decrease in weddings this year, but one of their advantages, Battle says, is year-round availability.

“In this area, tents are a wedding staple, but we’re hoping couples will find their way back to us for a smaller more intimate wedding experience, where off-season we can provide a roaring fire in the ballroom and lovely adjacent space for dinner and dancing.”

Linden Place hosted five weddings in December and a few more in January. “It’s a beautiful, charming place for a wedding,” she says.

Choosing the officiant

Even before covid, holding ceremonies at the wedding venue was becoming the norm, as well as choosing a special friend or family member to officiate. “I would say at this point over 80% of our couples are being married by a friend or family member,” says Battle. “They have a personal connection to the couple, and that makes the moment very special.”

The wedding party

Jennifer Neves, a Bristol wedding photographer for more than 20 years, has seen a change in wedding party makeups in the past few years. The numbers of bridesmaids and groomsmen on each side no longer have to match, she says, and instead of a maid of honor a bride might choose a man of honor. Family has also become part of the bridal party, in a nontraditional way: “We recently shot a wedding where the bride’s mother was a bridesmaid.”

What’s different

While some traditions remain (first dance, rehearsal dinners) for many cou- ples some have fallen away. “Along with many times no more throwing of the garter, we are seeing fewer large wedding cakes,” says Neves. “Now it’s a ‘private cut’ of a small round cake by the bride and groom with a separate dessert-filled table nearby for guests.”

Ditch the gift bags, add the cocktail Brides and grooms are veering away from traditional custom wedding favors towards more personalized experiences, says Kristen West Ciejka from The Newport Experience. “Maybe the groom or bride has a favorite drink they can serve during cocktail hour,” she says. Or a popular wedding reception feature has also become the 360-photo booth, a camera that rotates around a platform so guests can pose in small groups. Adding a boat tour around Newport the day before or after the wedding or sending a food truck to where people are staying also adds to the experience.

“The two-day wedding weekend has been expanded to three or four days,” says Neves.

“I would say the biggest change in the past few years is that many of the ‘rules’ have gone out the window,” she adds. “Couples are doing what they want and what feels right, versus what they are expected to do. And that’s been really fun to see and be part of.”

500 HOPE STREET BRISTOL, RI www.lindenplace.org

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