Beyond tradition

The Trend In 2023 Is Toward Individuality In Ceremonies

By Sandra StrieBy

As pandemic restrictions loosened, wedding numbers boomed in 2022. This year promises to be almost as popular for tying the knot, with predications calling for nearly two and a quarter million weddings in the U.S. If you’re among those planning a ceremony for 2023, here are some trends to explore.

Meaningful Choices

If there’s one trend on which everyone agrees, it’s individuality. More and more couples are planning weddings that reflect their

Personalities And Values

“People are really trying to be as authentic as they possibly can in every way around their weddings and what people experience,” said Kier Matthews, director of sales and marketing at Sun Mountain Lodge. That desire to value meaning over tradition plays out in many of the choices that reflect what’s significant to the couple — location and officiant, music and clothing, décor and photography.

A growing number of couples are also choosing to have friends and family members officiate at their weddings. Someone who knows you well may be able to create a particularly personal and intimate ceremony; if you choose that route, be sure to understand both Washington’s law and Okanogan County’s requirements, and investigate the long-term ramifications.

Wedding attire has always been important, and couples are exercising more choice than they’ve enjoyed since Queen Victoria’s day. Color is showing up — not just in bridesmaids’ dresses, but in the couple’s clothes, as well. A sand-colored suit or a flowered dress may replace the traditional wedding-day black and white. Rust and other orange tones are expected to make a big showing in 2023, as are neutrals and shades of green and rose.

Among bridesmaids, uniformity has been replaced by mismatched dresses that reflect the wearers’ style preferences and body types. The attendants may have a lot of latitude as long as they stick to the couple’s color palette — or a bride may choose the fabric and establish some style guidelines, then let each bridesmaid choose a dress pattern that suits her.

Bigger Weddings

Sun Mountain’s Matthews expects to see bigger weddings in 2023 as couples gather with friends and family they may not have seen in a few years. Small intimate weddings were a necessity during the pandemic; now couples are opting for “multiple hundreds” of guests, Matthews said.

“We all miss everybody,” he said. “We miss our cousins, the extended cousins that we haven’t seen. We miss those coworkers that we really loved working with and being in an office with.”

Destinations

Destination weddings will be popular according to most, although not all, of the forecasts for this year. The big question is what “destination wedding” means. The conventional definition is a ceremony held outside the couple’s hometown, but the term may be interpreted to mean a foreign place requiring extensive travel. Although some couples do opt for exotic locales — tropical sites are much loved, and a favorable exchange rate is making

Europe appealing — most destinations are closer to home.

Choosing a place that’s interesting or special to the people being married may be the deciding factor for this year’s couples, and ease of travel may be especially important to those focused on reuniting with a large cadre of loved ones. With a variety of event venues and wild places as potential wedding sites, the Methow has become a muchloved destination that’s within driving distance for wedding parties from throughout the state.

If you are coming from out of town, thoughtful planning is in order. In a valley ringed with mountains, it’s always prudent to expect the unexpected: “Have a Plan A and a Plan B and be flexible,” Matthews advises. And give yourself plenty of time to get here. Otherwise, he says, “traffic and other things that can be out of your control can take control.”

On the lighter side, Matthews points out that inviting guests to a destination that’s significant to you is a chance to share that place with your family and friends.

“Encourage folks to get out and see the community and be a part of the community,” he suggests — perhaps by holding your rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant or arranging activities that let guests experience the valley beyond the wedding venue. Not only will you create a richer experience, you’ll also help visitors become part of the special place in which you’ve chosen to make your vows.

Custom Rings

Echoing a broader trend, jeweler Joanne Marracci, owner of Marracci Designs and a member of the Methow Valley Jewelry Collective, said she’s noticed growing interest in custom wedding jewelry in the Methow.

“Since the pandemic, more and more people are seeing the impact of buying from a local artisan and how it positively affects the community along with the special one-on-one experience the custom process provides,” said Marracci. Marracci said it typically takes her four to six weeks to design and create custom rings. Rings with unusual stones may take longer. Marracci finds that the Methow lifestyle influences couples’ ring choices.

“With such an active and nature-centric culture I have been doing a lot of rustic rosecut diamonds,” she said. “They are not clear or white but tend to be muted natural colors … and are opaque with lots of interesting inclusions.” Also, she said, active valley couples often opt for “designs that are low profile and sit closer to the hand so as not to get in the way of gloves, yard work, throwing hay, skiing, hiking, etc.”

Live Plants

Decorating with live plants — instead of or in addition to cut flowers — appeals to couples who like both the look and the environmental friendliness of living décor. Potted plants are turning up in backdrops and as aisle decorations, centerpieces, and wedding favors. Choices include ferns, succulents, aromatic herbs, flowering plants, and cacti. After the festivities, live plants can go home with you as houseplants or to take a place in your garden. Methow Natives, Poorman Plants, and Wild Hearts Nursery offer both colorful and more muted options. If you’ll be setting up housekeeping in the Methow, consider native plants that will be at home in the local landscape and support local pollinators and other wildlife.

Getting Social

TikTok, Instagram, and Pintrest