Weddings are a ritual during which former taboos have been set aside: clothing, food, and venues where they take place are changing.
Modern weddings have significantly changed since the times of our great-grandmothers. What is currently trendy? Emphasis is placed on a relaxed atmosphere, privacy, buffet-style menus, and more flexible dress codes. Perhaps the only thing that remains is the fact that a wedding still represents a major life decision for both the bride and groom.
Czech weddings today are different in many ways than before. While celebrations with hundreds of guests were not uncommon before, today smaller weddings with about 40 to 60 people prevail. What remains is the fact that witnesses must, of course, never be missing at such an event.
The choice of venue matters
This is also related to the selection of the wedding venue. There are many wedding search engines and directories on the internet that can help you with this. Popular choices include farms and barns or mills and secluded places, thanks to their relaxed atmosphere or privacy.
The current trend in this context is ecology and sustainability. It's no longer just about cheap-looking recycled paper. Brides are seeking out local growers of seasonal flowers and minimizing single-use plastics.
However, it is important to remember the following: while indoor events have a stable backdrop, clearly defined spaces, controlled conditions, and seamless service making organization predictable, outdoor events often function differently. Guests move around more freely, come and go at different times, and the environment is constantly changing. This places significantly higher demands on logistics and coordination of the entire team.
Buffets Lead the Way
According to IN Catering, wedding receptions are increasingly moving from traditional castle halls to barns, gardens, or industrial spaces, where a more relaxed form of catering naturally stands out. Along with this, the gastronomic style is also different.
“Classic dishes like beef with cream sauce or schnitzel are definitely not disappearing from weddings. However, the way we serve them is changing. Nowadays, most couples don't want to spend hours sitting at a served menu. They want guests to move around, taste various dishes, and for the catering to be a natural part of the entire celebration,”
said Luděk Vocílka, CEO of the company, to LP-Life.
According to the company's experience, buffet style accounts for approximately 70 percent of wedding catering today. Yet ten to twenty years ago, the traditional served menu was predominant.
"Today, guests don't just want to eat well. They want to enjoy gastronomy and have memories of it just as they do of the ceremony or music,"
added Vocílka.
If you have chosen your dream location for your wedding, estimated how many guests you will invite, and what menu will be prepared for them, it is necessary to reserve the venue in advance. Experts recommend doing this at least a year ahead. It is becoming increasingly common for very popular wedding venues to be fully booked even two years in advance.
Couples are also increasingly demanding so-called Unplugged ceremonies, where guests put away their mobile phones and fully appreciate the magic of the moment without taking photos. On the other hand, the new trend is increasingly hiring specialized content creators who capture authentic behind-the-scenes snapshots of the entire day directly on your social networks. This can be especially appealing to those who desire a fairy-tale wedding with complete service at a castle or chateaux.
What to Wear?
A separate chapter involves wedding fashion. Brides want to be flexible in this regard. The trend is dresses with detachable puffy sleeves, detachable trains, or corsets that can be turned into a more comfortable model for the evening party. One dress can thus serve for a formal ceremony and for wild dancing.
Classic jewelry has long ceased to be trendy. Pearls are cleverly sewn onto veils, gloves, wedding shoes, and even woven directly into the fabrics of wedding dresses. Bold bows at the back, which become the dominant feature of the dress, are also often remembered, or conversely, small delicate bows adorning hairstyles and details on shoes.
Grooms are moving away from classic black. Linen suits, bottle green, burgundy, or sophisticated earthy brown combined with comfortable loafers without a tie are taking over.
The emphasis on freedom is also typical for bridesmaids, who often don't have identical dresses from a single salon. The bride only determines the color palette, such as shades of sage green or terracotta, and the bridesmaids choose the cut and material of the dresses that best suit their figure and personal style. The result looks incredibly natural, lively, and tasteful in wedding photos.
A bold phenomenon can be, in some cases, the so-called "Anti-Bride" style, which instead celebrates the complete rejection of wedding clichés and established norms. Do you want short wedding dresses with black accessories, colorful heels, or a stylish pantsuit instead of a veil? If you love pizza or sushi, have them at the wedding reception instead of the traditional menu. This year, phrases like "because it's done that way" are reportedly being rejected. The wedding should one hundred percent reflect the personality of the groom and bride.
Final advice: Whether you are a fan of a more traditional wedding or want to try something new, a wedding embodies a significant life step that will affect your life, property, and family for the coming years. Fortunately, this doesn't change in any era.
Source: author's article, own inquiries, ČTK, IN Catering
