The 2026 Wedding Trends I’m Paying Attention To

January is settling in, and wedding calendars are already filling up.

After seeing trends like smaller guest lists and curated experiences rise in 2025 weddings, we’re excited to see how couples are taking things further in 2026. Mood boards are open, venues are booked, and the focus has shifted beyond dates and budgets to one central question. What should a wedding in 2026 actually look like?

The shift from scale to meaning is exactly why 2026 wedding trends are so exciting. At the heart of wedding trends in 2026 are no rigid formats. Couples want ceremonies that reflect who they are, their shared values, and their creativity. 

What I love most is how traditions are being reworked instead of discarded. This is evident in the 2025 wedding of Shawn and Sharon. The couple had their guests pull up in full Igbo traditional attire for their traditional wedding, and it was nothing short of exciting and stunning. This wedding ceremony had us talking for weeks afterwards, creating the perfect mood board for couples who want something similar. 

Many Nigerian weddings also leaned into cultural crossovers and thoughtful details, like reception décor that mixes heirloom lace with modern drapery. Temi Otedola and Mr Eazi’s wedding tent, for example, the colour and opera aesthetic used in decorating their tent for the traditional wedding in Dubai provided the perfect push for the drapery aesthetic that will continue in 2026.

Pinterest Predictions also seem to have seen some of these trends coming, with searches for lace, heirlooms, and brooches up by over 50%, 40%, and 100%, respectively. These wedding trends make even familiar elements like bridal lace gowns appear refreshed and emotionally grounded.

If you are planning a wedding, attending one, or simply love keeping up with wedding trends, here are the 2026 wedding trends worth paying attention to. 

Mixing Traditions

One of the 2026 wedding trends I genuinely cannot get enough of is how confidently couples are blending traditions.

The combination of traditions showing up in Nigerian traditional wedding ceremonies looks thoughtful and expressive. Add in the Africa plus Diaspora mix, and you start to see why the viral “I’m gonna marry a Nigerian” sound became a touchdown in 2025. 

From multiple outfit changes to music that reflects cultures, couples are reshaping traditional weddings into layered celebrations that hold history without feeling rigid. Every choice, from ceremony structure to reception pacing, shows care and personality, and that balance is what makes this trend so captivating to watch.

Smaller Guest Lists

Another shift shaping 2026 wedding trends is the move toward smaller, more curated guest lists. This trend started gaining traction late last year, especially with couples sending access cards and using guest list boards that had allocated seat numbers to each guest’s name. 

Couples now have the freedom to plan elevated experiences, feel less pressure, budgets stay realistic, and the entire day feels more intimate. 2026 Weddings are set to look less like mass events and more like intimate celebrations, where every detail counts.

The Projected Love Story Wedding Trend

Projected love stories may not be brand new, but there is a rise within 2026 wedding trends that will be impossible to ignore. Couples are leaning into visual storytelling more than ever, using screens to share photos, short films, or carefully edited moments of their journey together. 

This wedding trend adds emotional depth to the ceremony and pulls guests into the couple’s world. Instead of feeling performative, these projections make the wedding feel warmer and more personal. 

Drapery Decor Wedding Trend

Drapery decor is one of my absolute favourites among the 2026 wedding trends. The classic wedding trend instantly changes the mood of a venue without doing too much. Soft fabrics cascading from ceilings or framing the altar make the venue decor instantly elevated and romantic. 

This Opera aesthetic creates softness and that quiet luxury appeal we love. If you need a reference point, Temi Otedola and Mr Eazi’s wedding tent pictures set the stage. The layered drapery reshaped the entire space completely. This is the kind of wedding decor that makes guests remember your wedding venue long after the wedding.

The Content Pros

One thing I love about the 2026 wedding trends is how couples are thinking beyond the wedding day itself. Turning short videos and photos into actual wedding content feels so thoughtful. These clips become an easy way to revisit the day without scrolling endlessly through camera rolls. 

This 2026 wedding trend also gives friends and family who couldn’t attend a beautiful window into the celebration. Short edits capture candid laughter, behind-the-scenes moments, and the beautiful moments that define weddings. Wedding content is the modern upgrade of a photo album.

Laced Up

From the Pinterest Predict report for 2026 wedding trends, it’s clear that lace fabric or lace wedding gowns are having a major moment again, and honestly, I’m here for it. Stones and sequins will always be stunning, but lace brings a different kind of romance to the table.

This soft 2026 wedding trend leans into crochet textures, delicate doilies, and heirloom-inspired details that feel nostalgic without looking dated. Think open-weave table runners, lace overlays on wedding dresses or decor, and tactile layers that add depth to the wedding.

Mystic Outlands

Tapping into nature for your wedding venue? Yes please. 

One of the most enchanting 2026 wedding trends is the shift toward wild, almost otherworldly settings. Think misty ruins, ancient rock formations, dense forests, and landscapes that feel untouched and slightly mysterious. 

The aesthetic follows suit with stone-textured vessels, windswept florals that look freshly gathered, spiral details pulled straight from nature, and earthy linens in foggy greys and mossy greens.

Tables start to feel like miniature terrains, softly lit, atmospheric, and immersive. This is the kind of wedding trend that feels like stepping into a beautiful secret.

The Bouquet Handbag

The Bouquet handbag trend is pure ease, and that’s exactly why this wedding trend works. Instead of the traditional bouquet, many brides are opting for floral handbag arrangements that are stylish and practical. 

Handbag-shaped bouquets are chic, photograph beautifully, and allow for movement without worrying about where to place a bouquet every five minutes. As far as 2026 wedding trends go, this trend is here to stay; a small switch that instantly updates the bridal look.

Icy Blue Colour

While bold colours are having their moment, icy blue is still in our books. Pinterest Predicts already clocked the rise, with Gen Z and Millennials leaning into cool, subzero sophistication across fashion, beauty, and now weddings. 

In decor, the effect is breathtaking. Pale blue florals, translucent fabrics, soft metallic accents, and frosted finishes create a calm, elevated mood that looks modern.

Among the 2026 wedding trends, the icy blue trend is perfect for couples who want something refined, unexpected, and visually stunning without overpowering the space.

Brooched

Grooms are officially having fun with brooches, and we love to see it. One of the standout 2026 wedding trends is the return of the brooch, and the accessory is showing up everywhere. 

Lapels, ties, shirt plackets, and even pocket details are getting adorned with vintage pins, family heirlooms, modern crystals, and playful finds.

The brooch wedding trend is a subtle way to add personality to classic menswear, and wedding photographers are loving it just as much as I do! A small detail, yes, but brooches add a personal touch that feels very current. 

Photo: Instagram/@samanthaclarke