Newpark Hotel Kilkenny’s wedding planner Sinead Fortune has identified nine trends for 2023/24 weddings, including conscious spending, emphasis on flowers and photo opportunities, grooms taking an active role in planning, and personalised touches.
Couples are focusing on what truly matters, investing in the venue, food, and drinks, while cutting back on non-essential extras. Floral décor is gaining importance, with couples using flowers to express their style and create memorable photo moments. Grooms are more involved in the planning process than ever before, while personalised elements like neon signs and custom items add individuality to wedding celebrations.
Technology is also playing a bigger role in weddings, with audio guest books and wedding photo social media apps becoming popular.
Sustainability is a growing concern, as guests prioritise local sourcing and environmental considerations. Wedding presents are losing popularity, with many couples opting for charitable donations instead. The emphasis is also shifting towards creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the day, with surprise performances, dancing, and entertainment. Here are the nine trends she has identified:
- Conscious spending: With the rising cost of living, everyone is more spend conscious these days, so wedding planning couples are investing where it counts and cutting down on non-essential optional extras like light up dancefloors or backdrops. Instead, they are spending on venue, food, and drink. It’s ok to cut back on frivolous bits to ensure the most important parts of the day are memorable. I always say the one thing people will talk about after a wedding is great food, exceptional service and quality entertainment.
- Flower Power: A greater emphasis on floral décor is another emerging trend. Photo ops and instagrammable moments are becoming increasingly important for our couples. Flowers are a chance to put your own style on the wedding. We’ve seen everything from floral artists to arches and stunning floral displays, to flower crowns, wildflowers and foliage that the couple gather for the wow without the price tag.
- Planning Partners: Grooms are taking a more active role in planning the wedding and liaising with the venue, celebrant, and suppliers than ever before, with many really enjoying it. This is great to see as it’s the first big event in a lifelong partnership.
- Personality on show: Without doubt modern couples are opting to have their wedding day be a celebration of who they are as people. This means we are seeing lots of personalisation, customised items like neon signs, monogrammed cufflinks, and decals on soles of shoes. There are little glimmers of individual personalities shining throughout the day, popping up in decor, table plans, invites and more. This is really lovely and a trend that we hope will continue as it gives the whole day a very intimate and personal touch, which makes everyone feel even more closely connected to the couple on their special day. We had a wedding during the summer, the brides Mam and Dad were married here in the 80’s. They recreated their wedding photo at the front of the hotel on the day.
- Tech upgraded traditions: In the last few years we’ve also seen technology take more of a front seat from audio guest books to wedding photo social media apps.
- Sustainability: Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for guests, with many wanting to stay local and wanting to know that food is locally sourced.
- Favours out of favour: With people opting to be more sustainable and conscious of spend, it isn’t a huge surprise that wedding favours are not as popular as they once were. While at one point they may have been a wedding essential, they are definitely now seen as a non-essential. Charity donations are a common alternative. God for the earth and good for others!
- Fun Factor: Couples are putting more of an emphasis on fun on their big day, whether it’s a flashmob style performance prepared by the bridal party, a guest performer during dinner, surprise singing waiters, or just ensuring the dancefloor is filled all night. A top tip for any bride or groom planning a wedding is to look for the fun. You really want to enjoy the day and have happy memories of how much everyone enjoyed themselves so keep that in mind and make sure to put fun on the agenda!
- Family Friendly: Many couples getting married nowadays are either parents to their own children or have younger members such as nieces and nephews within their bridal party taking up roles as flower girls, page boys so they love seeing how family friendly Newpark is, with loads to do on site for younger guests and a kids club for 4-12 year olds at weekends and during school holidays.
Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny wedding settings within 25 acres of parkland and private gardens. The venue can accommodate weddings of various sizes, catering to up to 320 guests. Wedding packages at Newpark Hotel range from €60 to €85 per person, depending on the time of year and menu options.
newpark-wedding-brochure-july-2023.pdf (newparkhotelkilkenny.com)
https://www.newparkhotelkilkenny.com/upload/docs/wedding-rate-card-2023.pdf
