Brides-to-be, listen up: Luxury wedding and event planner Olivia Buckley shares her top trends for weddings this year …
Originally from Kerry and now based in Limerick, Olivia Buckley has been creating one-of-a-kind celebrations and weddings for the last ten years. These events have not only contributed to the overseas wedding market in Ireland (which generates €70,000,000 in revenue for the country), but often feature guest appearances by A-list celebrities, including Bon Jovi and Stevie Wonder! In 2022, her agency’s bride and grooms travelled from New York, LA, Toronto, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore to Ireland where Olivia and her team planned weddings in venues such as Adare Manor and Ashford Castle, in addition to historical sites and enchanted forest settings. Clearly, given her expertise and insider knowledge Olivia keeps ahead of the trends. Here she predicts six trends for 2023 weddings:
Meandering aisles
The aisle is the statement piece of the ceremony, and for so long, couples have abided by the traditional, straight aisle. In 2023, we will see more and more meandering aisles. This style aisle is softer and offers a whimsical, enchanted feeling. It’s the perfect option for secular ceremonies taking place in nature – the ceremony area feels like a natural extension of the landscape.
Theatrical entertainment
Introducing theatrical entertainment into weddings is a fun phenomenon we expect to see more of in 2023. Couples are exploring show-stopping, jaw-dropping spectacles that embrace theatre and drama, whether it be aerial performances or gastronomy theatre. These stand-out features are a great talking point for guests (and also encourage mingling) and make for a memorable wedding. Theatrical entertainment can be interwoven with the overarching theme of the wedding, complementing the venue, decor, stationery and music.
Goodbye to bridal parties
First, bridal parties began to reduce in size. Now, more and more brides are deciding to relinquish bridesmaid duties and walk down the aisle unattended. The traditional wedding morning with friends, champagne and music throwbacks is still conducted, but couples are including their friends in alternative ways throughout the ceremony, as celebrants, readers or musical performances.
Individual bridesmaid dresses
If the couple does opt to have a bridal party, dresses and outfits are becoming more unique. The celebration of individuality and uniqueness is being translated into bridesmaid style. Our clients are encouraging their bridal parties to design their own looks, whether it’s on-palette or giving them complete autonomy over the styling. We love the idea that our clients’ friends can choose a look they love, and can repurpose the dress, serving sustainability.
Music programmes
Creating personalised and cohesive musical experiences for weddings is becoming more popular. Music is such an emotional connector for couples. Every couple has “their song” or music that deeply moves them, or represents the best times of their lives together. We have worked with clients to create bespoke arrangements of their favourite music for the walk down the aisle, and fun mash-ups for the first dance. Rather than focusing on a late night party band, there is an emphasis on a full music programme which complements every stage of the wedding event.
Unplugged wedding ceremonies
The ceremony is the essence of the wedding so it’s obvious why couples wish for their friends and family to be truly present, rather than watching this monumental moment through a phone screen. More than likely, the couple will invest in a professional photographer. The flock of smartphones as the bride walks up the aisle can simply ruin the photographs. A gallery of smiling faces is more beautiful than a gallery of iPhones. Ask yourself, which photograph would you prefer to hang on the wall?
For more information visit www.oliviabuckley.com.
