2021 Wedding Trends

By Wendy Lyons Sunshine | Feature Image by Madison Hope
April 2021

Wedding bells are chiming! Even at a time when social gatherings have been scaled back, couples continue to find special ways to honor this milestone moment and embark on a new life together.

Sarasota Scene asked local wedding professionals to share trends they’re seeing this year, and here’s what they told us. 

Bridal Gowns

In the uncertain times of COVID, love still prevails. We feel it is essential to celebrate life’s special moments, even if the celebration looks different than what our brides had originally envisioned.  Brides should still have the gown of their dreams.  

Wedding photos will outlast the current environment, and you can celebrate the memory of wearing that most special dress that made you feel beautiful and confident. Each bride’s vision is as unique as the gown she selects.  

One popular trend in bridal fashion is crepe, which is a wonderful fabric as it is comfortable, yet still has structure.  It hugs the bride’s curves in all the right places and still allows the bride to dance the night away feeling her best.

Laura Kane
Manager, Truly Forever Bridal Sarasota

Event Planning

I see 2021 as a year that many of my clients are steering away from tradition.  This year is all about personalization, making the day unique, and anything but expected. 

I am seeing color … lots of it … and bold theatrical statements as one of the biggest trends.  Couples are opting to ditch the traditional palettes.  Instead, they are expressing their personal style by incorporating rich, bold colors in their design with their flowers and table linens.

They also prefer a stylish and glamourous vibe.  Designer gowns, crystal candelabrum, custom tuxes, crystal chandeliers, and elegant venues transformed with masses of colorful flowers. And in many areas … the bigger the better! 

The ‘wow factor’ is an important element this year not only in décor, but also in cakes, entertainment, and food. A recent bride requested a bold bridal bouquet that would trail on the floor. Her love of flowers continued to the reception where the trees were wrapped to match her bouquet.  Crystal candelabrum, on the tabletops, complimented the crystal canopy that was draped over the 32-foot head table.

Maria Brady
Director, Choreographed Events

Floral Design

This season we’re definitely seeing a cleaner, more ethereal look for bouquets and centerpieces. Brides are choosing to focus more on key statement pieces and floral installations and keeping their table centerpieces more elegant and refined. 

For example, in February at Selby Gardens our bride wanted something to highlight the beauty of the gardens. For her ceremony décor, we wanted to complement the setting, so we chose to create a climbing floral installation directly on the tree. Using bursts of coral peonies, ranunculus, hellebores, garden roses, and pops of King Protea, we drew everyone’s attention to the ceremony tree without it looking forced or out of place.  

Viktoria Warren
Principal, Victoria Blooms

Wedding Rings

We are seeing brides today choosing larger diamonds and more understated or simpler mountings, and then pairing those with substantial eternity bands. 

One bride-to-be picked a beautiful round diamond solitaire with a “hidden halo”, which is also trending right now, and she chose a wedding band with a floating diamonds band. She said that the hidden halo reminded her of the support her future husband gives her to succeed behind the scenes, and the floating diamonds represent their ever-changing love as they set sail across the ocean of life. 

We hear so many incredible romantic love stories, but this one left us speechless!

Julie Weintraub
President, Gold & Diamond Source

Fine Art Cakes

2021 is the year to start celebrating again!

From micro cakes for weddings of 2-10 guests to a towering 7+ tier castle cake for a bride with fairytale dreams, this is the year of attention to detail. Fine art cakes are what’s in. 

Couples are celebrating with multi tiered cakes that incorporate intricate, elaborate details on display for everyone to admire and devour.

I’m seeing customized texture, with patterns and layers inspired by the bride’s dress, architecture or a favorite pattern. Forget the typical, traditional draping you used to see on a wedding cake. I’m talking about leafy layers and embroidery inspired by a Galia Lahav couture dress; ruffles from the latest Hayley Paige gown; and drapes, swags, petals and leaves made with the thinnest pieces of gum paste to mimic the sheerness of silk and tulle.

This year I’ve started to add lighting elements and it really brings another dimension to the design. I recently made a 6-foot tall castle cake for a bride, and this cake had it all! Seven tiers of architectural details in white and gold, including a petal-shaped tier with floral swags, an arched tier with hand painted gold cherub cameos (lit up with tiny little lights), a double-height tier with dual cascading stairways, and topped by a fairytale castle floating in sugar flower clouds.

Julie Deffense
Principal, Julie Deffense Artistry