What will weddings in 2021 be like? A look at trends for 'year of intentionality'

When COVID-19 came and changed everyone's lives, it took down engaged couples' wedding and honeymoon plans along with everything else, making many soon-to-be newlyweds postpone their nuptials to later in the year, or into 2021.

Since the way we navigate life has changed, it only makes sense that wedding trends fall in line, too.

Wedding planning website the Knot released its projected trends for 2021 weddings, dubbing it the "year of intentionality." While past trends typically fall somewhere between color palettes and cakes, those forecast for next year were born out of the pandemic.

Welcome boxes filled with hand sanitizer and masks will likely replace the welcome bags of the past for some couples, according to the Knot. Sentimental tabletops with custom linens, diverse vendors, brunch weddings, and nanomoons (trips to a local destination or someplace within driving distance) are among some of next year's trends as well.

Mismatched seating and living room decor also are projected to be elements in many weddings. Tents are expected to be a top request from couples as outdoor weddings continue to become more common.

Lori Stephenson, owner and principal of LOLA Event Productions in Chicago, says that going smaller, being flexible and being outside, if possible, are of the essence to her clients right now.

"The biggest thing for us is that if people are downsizing or planning for something in the more immediate future, that outdoor space is even more important than ever," said Stephenson. "Any sort of option that we can have to provide some fresh air and circulation for an event is something that people feel a little bit more comfortable with."

The Knot expects to see couples using florals in more dramatic and sentimental ways in 2021.

"Weddings I've done that we've pared back ... we've really been doing really beautiful over-the-top flowers," said Stephenson. "I've not only put flowers on tabletops, but we can put decor on a staircase, or a fireplace, or do really beautiful installations around a sweetheart table, really beefing that part of it up. ... So they're still kind of finding some splurges in other places. I think that gives clients who were originally planning for something bigger maybe this is the silver lining."

One in three weddings happens on a weekday, according to the report from the Knot, and the brand projects an uptick in weekday weddings next year.

Many Saturdays in 2021 for Stephenson and her team are already booked because of postponements from this year. That's why she's urging couples to take advantage of having their celebration on another day.

"I have gotten so many inquiries for September [and] October of 2021, and ... those Saturdays were gone months ago," she said. "If you want to look at the second part of 2021 ... there's just nothing left on Saturday.

Dinner, dancing and entertainment will look a lot different, too.

The Knot predicts bistro-style entertainment, multiple tiny toasts, and smaller plates. Seating will likely change, including having socially distanced mismatched furniture during a ceremony or having tables arranged in pods during the meal.

"We're really looking at adding courses for dinner, making it more about the meal than about getting through the meal and getting to the dancing," said Stephenson.

"Instead of a cocktail hour where people are standing around, and then sitting down for one or two courses, and then getting up and dancing, we are planning for a seated meal of five or six courses where we do a plated appetizer, a plated first course, a soup, and a salad, and a sorbet, and potentially multiple small plates for dinner," she said.