There have long been rumblings about a rumored sequel to the hit movie Wedding Crashers, and now just might be the perfect time to reunite Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson on screen. That’s because, after several years of last-minute postponements, mask requirements and limited guest lists due to COVID, large, extravagant weddings are back—and better than ever. 

With a focus on personalized events, unique guest experiences and most of all, fun, Central Florida couples are happy to be preparing for their special day again with the help of local wedding planners and venues.

“I think that I can speak for most wedding vendors in saying that we’ve experienced an uptick over the last year, and even in just the last month or so we’ve noticed that wedding counts are increasing,” says Katlyn Landes, event manager for The Capen House at Polasek. “I think people feel more comfortable with throwing a large wedding and we’re moving away from that micro wedding that everyone felt pressured … to do in the beginning of COVID. People are definitely coming out of their shells and throwing more elaborate events.”

Jessica Pekarik, catering sales manager at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront, says the number of weddings at the resort has increased from the mid-30s for the past three years to 52 in 2022. Jennifer Sharpe, certified wedding planner and senior catering sales manager for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, adds that weddings have successfully taken place all year with an average guest list of around 50-60, but events already in the books for 2023 are up to 120-150 guests.

Misha McRae, executive director at Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, reports a similar uptick. “Rental reservations have been increasing since September 2021,” she says. “Being able to offer large weddings has been capitalized upon and [those] are the majority of our rentals.”

With the schedules filling up, Orlando Family Magazine reached out to area professionals to find out about the latest trends and get their tips for planning a wedding that won’t soon be forgotten.

Personalized weddings

Now that it’s safer to gather in larger groups, brides and grooms are enthusiastic about including more family members and friends in their weddings. But that doesn’t mean these events are looking exactly like they did pre-pandemic, when tradition still reigned supreme.

“Personalization and custom anything is a huge trend in weddings these days, whether it’s a signature cocktail or having custom cake toppers of their pets created,” Landes says. “They’re creating really elaborate seating charts and having complementary—not identical—bridesmaid dresses that each bridesmaid can choose and allow them to have a more personal moment that day. Personalization is definitely having a moment.”

Tony Porcellini, director of food & beverage at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, advises families planning a wedding to spend their money on what really matters the most to them, and to not go overboard on aspects that probably won’t matter in the long run.

“I think [personalization is] important, especially to this generation,” he says. “It’s the millennial generation getting married today, and they don’t like rules or regulations. They want to customize their weddings. The things that were so important to older generations when they were getting married aren’t that important. It’s not all about the florist and the wedding dress and the limos and the photographer; those are kind of passé now. It’s more about the party, the fun, the atmosphere and the vibe.”

Choosing a venue

To that end of making the wedding fit the bride and groom’s personality, picking the right venue is crucial. Dieudonne Thomas-Wilson, planner and creative director at Immaculate Events, works with many couples who want to incorporate the outdoors into their wedding, whether for the ceremony, reception or both. In Florida, locations with the beach or lakefront views provide an added ambiance.

“A lot of people are focused on more unique venue selection, because they’ve been locked down for so long and now it’s time to get out and do what they really want to do,” Thomas-Wilson says. “They don’t necessarily want to do the ballroom, because everyone has been there, done that. They really want a unique venue so when their guests arrive they say, ‘I haven’t seen this before. I haven’t had this experience before.’”

Porcellini says Hammock Beach offers five different locations for outdoor ceremonies with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, and TradeWinds Islands Resorts in St. Pete Beach is also a popular choice for destination weddings, thanks to its sunset ceremonies on the beach, open-air terraces and garden courtyard paired with a grand ballroom.

The outdoor venues at Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden include The Waterfall Courtyard, The Terrace and The Butterfly Garden, and McRae says ceremonies with the sun going down and night-lit receptions are in demand. 

Spicing up the menu

To be classified as a great wedding, the food and drinks must be standouts, starting with cocktail hour and moving on to dinner. Sharpe has seen the focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients common in the restaurant industry carry over to weddings.

“Couples are getting back to comfort, familiar foods,” she says. “It has been so long since people have gathered publicly that the comfort of ‘meat and potatoes,’ salmon or chicken with familiar farm-fresh vegetables is making a comeback. We are utilizing house-made sauces and dressings as well as partnering with local farms and vendors to provide seasonal fruits and vegetables and humane meat sourcing. Our current couples are becoming more environmentally conscious and wanting to make sure that what they do for their event is ensuring their impact is minimized.”

Porcellini says the buffet has gone out of style and that many couples are opting for various stations around the room. Pekarik adds that her clients are getting more adventurous with their food selections, or simply choosing items that they like best, even if they’re not traditionally found at weddings.

“We’re definitely seeing customized menus to fit the couple’s tastes, a lot of special signage and specialty drinks,” she says. “I have a New Year’s Eve wedding where we’re doing a fully customized menu and they’re doing a lot of fun things, like a street taco station with Mexican street corn, a dual-plated entrée for dinner and a very elaborate chilled seafood display. They’re really going all out for their menu, which is nice.”

The fun factor also extends to dessert, where the basic wedding cake is no longer the only option.

“Doughnuts are a huge thing right now,” Thomas-Wilson says. “One of the caterers I work with has a cool experience that a lot of clients tend to select, and it’s a flaming doughnut station. It’s interactive—they prepare them in front of the client and they have the flambé experience. It’s kid-friendly, so kids can have them as well as the adults if they’re at the wedding, and they’ll top it with vanilla ice cream. It’s sinfully delicious and a really different experience for the guests.”

Hitting the dance floor

An experienced DJ will certainly add energy to a wedding, and Landes has noticed more couples hiring bands because of the different element that live music brings to an event. In some cases, both a DJ and band can be incorporated, and Thomas-Wilson has seen a rise in unusual entertainment options such as belly dancers or dance troupes.

Pekarik is impressed with how DJs are getting more elaborate with their offerings rather than just playing the boring old songs normally associated with a wedding. 

“The big trend I’ve seen this year has been Dancing on the Cloud,” she says. “It’s a dry ice machine that the DJ brings into the room for the couple’s first dance, and it puffs out smoke and gives the illusion that they’re dancing on the clouds during their first dance. It’s a big hit and it doesn’t trip the fire alarm.”

The 360 photo booth is another fun add-on that several professionals had high praise for.

“The 360 photo booth is definitely a huge hit now for weddings,” Thomas-Wilson says. “People see it on the red carpet at different award shows, so now they want a 360 experience. It shows the whole room and all of the décor in the background, rather than standing against the wall with a simple backdrop. It’s a really great experience and I have never had a wedding with a 360 photo booth where there wasn’t a line.”

Enhancing the guest experience

In addition to giving guests a memorable night with different food selections, signature cocktails or a 360 photo booth, many couples are now extending the experience beyond just the day of the wedding.

“That’s the trend we see now,” Porcellini says. “The rehearsal dinner doesn’t necessarily have to be classified as a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. A lot of people are including out-of-town guests and they have a casual party, whether it’s a Mexican buffet or a regular cookout. It’s more about friends and family getting together prior to the wedding and having a party. The wedding may be on Saturday, that party is on Friday, and then you’re finishing it off with a Sunday brunch or get-together.”

The rehearsal dinners are not only welcoming in more people, but they’re not just about having a meal, either.

“I’m starting to notice a lot of couples are forgoing [the traditional rehearsal dinner] and doing something more fun with their family and friends rather than just going to a restaurant and eating,” Thomas-Wilson says. “I had one couple who wanted to do a bowling activity, and another who wanted to do a basketball activity because they were really into basketball. They’re doing things that are more interactive than going to a restaurant to exchange gifts, eat and chat.”

Other trends to watch

For brides and grooms who have close bonds with their pets, it’s only natural to include them in the special day by naming a signature cocktail after them or having pictures of them on signs. Some couples even include pets in their ceremonies.

“We’ve had quite a few critters in weddings here: pulling aisle wagons, carrying floral baskets, as ring bearers—and adorably accessorized for the day,” says Jacqueline Stalowy, owner of Gallery J, a pet-friendly venue. “Couples are always welcome to include pets in their ceremony, because they’re family too.”

Sharpe points out that the regular structured aspects that most people associate with a wedding are not always necessary. 

“We are noticing a trend of no longer requiring a bouquet or garter toss and in some instances no more ceremonious cake cutting,” she says. “Also, the welcome speeches and toasts are extending to both sets of parents versus just the parents of the bride. Champagne walls are coming back in style now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, as well as displayed food items for guests to partake in.”

The Capen House’s location on a lake allows Landes and her team to work with the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour and give couples a chance to make a grand entrance or exit on the water. She also sees couples carving out more alone time during the wedding.

“For example, a first-look photo is becoming much more popular than an aisle reveal,” she says.
“That’s a private moment for the couple to see each other for the first time after they’ve spent all day getting ready and allows them to spend more time with their guests during the cocktail hour because they don’t need to dedicate quite as much time to photos.

“They’re also doing private last dances after their group last dance with just the two them, while their guests line up for a grand exit. It’s a moment for them to breathe at the end of the night after riding that high for the entire day. Even things like sweetheart tables as opposed to a head table allow them to get away from such high stimulation for the whole day. We’re definitely seeing that more than ever in the last year.”

What’s next

Now that couples and wedding planners have gotten through the pandemic, the next challenge may be the economy. Because of inflation, Pekarik believes more people will look to hold weddings from Sunday to Thursday to take advantage of the lower prices on those days, and she also thinks shorter booking windows will be popular, with people planning a wedding just a few months in advance rather than a full year or longer. “As long as I have a date available,” she says, “I can plan your wedding in 30 days.”

Budget will surely continue to be a factor, but that doesn’t mean weddings will be slowing down at all. “You can tell everyone is really happy to finally get back to normal, gather with their loved ones and celebrate their love, something they haven’t been able to do for the last couple of years,” Pekarik says.

Landes, who has been working in the wedding industry for a decade, agrees with that sentiment and is pleased to be focusing on the fun aspects of the event again. 

“It’s something that never gets old because there is no one way to throw a wedding,” she says. “There are endless possibilities creatively and collaboratively. I love working with the other vendors, and our brides are really special, so it’s been really nice to see people embracing events again now that we’re a little more comfortable after COVID.”