Wedding season has arrived, and the greatest trends of the moment seem to be reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s with extravagant celebrations but with a modern twist.

Young couples are bringing their unique generational flair to create the biggest wedding trends of 2023. With COVID restrictions an implementation of the recent past, much like Kristin Wiig in Bridesmaids, people are “ready to party.” Orlando Family Magazine spoke with local wedding professionals who shared the latest in themes, venues, food, personalized additions and more, for weddings that range from traditional and elegant to hip and modern.

Ultimately, each couple’s unique spin on a wedding is what results in the most memorable takeaways. It is clear that millennials and Gen Z love creative small plates, cocktails and craft liquor—and experts are often seeing this incorporated in weddings, either during the ceremony or for the recently-popular lavish after parties.

“Personalized stations are trending big in cocktail hours. … We have different stations that are customized to the bride and groom’s favorite foods so that the reception is a window into what they like,” says Tony Porcellini, director of food and beverage at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. “We’re also seeing a lot of trends for signature drinks that the bride and groom love—whether it’s a special color or a special flavored margarita. … They might name it after their dog and put a picture of [them] on the bar.”

Including a beloved pet can be thematic, but at some venues, they can even be included in the actual ceremony. Jacqueline Stalowy, owner of Gallery J, explains that the pet-friendly venue allows for opportunities to make a couple’s dog the “flower puppy” pulling a wagon of flowers or acting as a ring bearer for a personal touch.

Swan & Dolphin

“Our pastry chefs on property can make the couple’s pet out of fondant and add them to the wedding cake. We’ve also seen live painters paint the reception and paint the couple’s pet in the photo. If a couple holds their ceremony on the terrace of The Vue, their pet can participate in the ceremony, as long as they have a handler and leave following the ceremony,” adds Jennifer Sharpe, senior catering sales manager at Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin.

Customization is always key to creating everlasting joyful moments, and usually a bride’s or groom’s instinct encapsulates the heart’s guidance. It’s similar to what people say about finding the perfect college—you’ll feel it when you know it’s the right match. It is during these key life moments that develop and change lives for the better where love can guide decisions that create a fairy tale ending. That’s why it’s recommended that couples experiment with ideas, have fun with the planning process and check out venues until it matches the envisioned fantasy.

“We’re a very intimate setting and they get that feeling as soon as they walk in. Oftentimes, I know when somebody’s going to have their wedding here because a potential bride will walk in and just tear up,” Stalowy says.

After all, location can be everything—even after the actual wedding day. Brittany Spade, the wedding sales manager at Mission Inn Resort, was a “Mission Inn bride” prior to working there.

“I fell in love with the atmosphere of the property and the romance latched on. I love that I’ve been able to experience both sides. So, I guess you could say my best experience is being able to provide our couples the same experience I was given,” she says.

Perfectly paired with the idea of a fairy tale is the propensity toward a magical nature aesthetic, most commonly influenced by the atmosphere of Florida’s breathtaking oceanfronts.

“Couples love to have their toes in the sand and a view of the water with the sun setting during their ceremony. There’s something magical about it. We also offer our Palm Lawn, which seats up to 160 guests and offers beachfront views under the palms, or our ballrooms for couples that want to be indoors but still have views of the beach. The wedding guests and the couple tend to make a vacation out of their Clearwater Beach wedding and enjoy all the resort and destination have to offer, making for a really memorable event,” says Wendy Baratta, catering sales manager for Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach.

Tara Pierce, director of catering for Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, points out that a beach wedding allows for the ceremony to take place at any time of day.

“You can do a sunrise wedding, a sunset wedding; it’s the perfect backdrop. It’s all about what the bride and groom want for their pictures,” she says.

There are a plethora of local options to achieve that ideal beach wedding ceremony, each with their own unique amenities, packages, perks and opportunities. Shephard’s Beach Resort, for instance, regularly features live entertainment with stages and a DJ—and guests can enjoy its tiki bar or the Wave nightclub perfect for an after party.

“It’s not necessarily more guests, but it’s more of an upscale party. …We’re definitely seeing rehearsal dinners to next-day brunches. It’s more of a weekend celebration rather than a one-day celebration now,” says Porcellini.

The Shores Resort & Spa offers opportunities for bachelorette and bachelor parties, and bridal showers. A perfect self-care girls’ day with bridesmaids is easily achieved with their spa experiences, as well as golf outings, martinis and cigars for the groomsmen.

Art-inspired venues are also popular with backdrops and colors that resemble a starlit, storybook forest. Choosing a venue can be a great way to also determine decorative pieces for a wedding, as a beautiful setting can ignite ideas previously unfathomable.

“The themes we’re seeing are a little bit nature-oriented. … Woodsy, forest touches like deep greens, wine tones, midnight blues that go wonderfully leaning into fall—even green aisle carpets. We have glitter cap pinecone centerpieces that they can add to bridal party gatherings with mud masks. There are a lot of nature-type touches that are popular today,” Stalowy explains.

Maddison Inn

It is no secret that younger generations adore a photo-op. In fact, experts are seeing that perfect “Insta-worthy” moment increasingly factored into every decision. Evidently, venues are already one step ahead.

“We have a second-floor terrace. It is a beautiful space that overlooks the University of Tampa, as well as the Hillsborough River. It’s also west-facing so it gets a beautiful, perfect sunset,” says Skye Marheine, venue nanager at the Tampa Museum of Art. “We have a few gallery pieces that add a different feel and vibe to your pictures. Our education center lobby is floor-to-ceiling of beautiful modern artwork that looks great in an eclectic background for a photo.”

It’s difficult to find a more perfect wedding location than Florida with its range of wedding specialists, environment and local culture.

Marissa MacLeod, director of marketing with the Lightner Museum, says the venue offers unique options to make the big day even more special.

“Couples booked with the museum for their wedding have exclusive access to many photo locations not available to the public. … The museum also offers unique exhibits and stunning architecture inside the museum for wedding photos,” she says.

Next-generation weddings’ inclusion of technology goes beyond photography and social media—and synchronizes with that aforementioned infatuation with tapas.

“In terms of invitations and menus, we are seeing more couples be more mindful of the environment and cutting down on paper. The invitations and menus no longer have multiple layers and we’ve seen the use of QR codes and hashtags increase,” says Sharpe.

Easily transportable foods are also an emerging factor of modern weddings that guests can take back to their rooms.

“Unique late-night snacks continue to be a huge trend. We’ve seen everything from [fried chicken] to flaming doughnut stations, ramen noodle bars and pizza delivery. Everyone loves a fun treat after dancing the night away,” adds MacLeod.

A venue and theme can also help settle on a corresponding plan for food. Mimi Gonzalez, events coordinator at Levan’s Catering, cites the recent trend of rustic, barn weddings and farm-to-table cuisine. Another catering option includes adding cultural flair that can make for another impactful personalized element.

“We have a chef who actually is very versed in doing Latin-infused food or Asian-infused food, and then we have another chef that does all of our American cuisine and Italian cuisine,” Gonzalez says.

“We’ve served couples from diverse cultural backgrounds, and our commitment is to tailor flavors to their preferences. Whether it’s Caribbean, Peruvian or other cuisine, we collaborate closely with our clients to research and deliver the flavors that hold special significance for them,” adds Jess Mack, the marketing manager at Arthur’s Catering.

Caterers are also seeing a preference for plated dinners over buffets, especially since the pandemic. While traditional tiered wedding cakes are making a comeback, small desserts that became prominent in recent years remain popular.

“They mostly just want to have fun, spend time with their friends and family and enjoy good food. Instead of a cake they are doing dessert tables, bundt cakes, doughnuts, cookie displays, etc.,” says Baratta.

Of course, the greatest impression a wedding can have is the outpouring of love between and for the honorary couple. And while that may be encompassed by food, decor, friends and family, a special dance between the bride and groom is undeniably emotional.

“One of my personal favorite things that I always push couples to do is the trend of having a last dance privately at the end of the night. So [during] weddings, obviously you’re getting pushed and pulled everywhere. It’s just chaotic. You barely spend time with your significant other for the day. [So when] everyone is either outside waiting for the sparkler exit, or they’re all gone, you have that last minute where it’s just you two and the photographer,” says Marheine.

Gallery J

With a choreographed dance, even couples with zero dance experience can blow their guests away while a bride is (literally) swept off her feet. Mandi Connor, the wedding specialist at Arthur Murray Dance Studios, recommends that couples should start early to make the choreography become muscle-memory.

“This is the fun part about planning a wedding. You get guaranteed time together at the studio, you get to hold each other in each other’s arms, you get to be creative together, touch each other,” Connor says.

Dance lessons are available for the first dance, social, honeymoon, reception dancing and for the entire wedding party as well as the parents of the lucky couple. Still, the intimacy expressed through a dance between the bride and groom makes for a grand opening or finale reminiscent of royalty. Newlyweds are finding that they can make that feeling last forever.

“We have a majority of our wedding couples that actually continue even past the wedding and the honeymoon, and they come back and learn social dancing and create this as a hobby between the two of them,” Connor continues. “So that’s always really exciting to see because they’re starting a hobby together that they initiated for their wedding and now continue beyond.”