Haven’t you heard? 2022 is set to have over 2.6 million weddings in the U.S.—a record 40-year-high—which means there’s a whole lot of couples curious about wedding trends and ideas for their milestone day.

So Vogue decided to ask some of the world’s top event planners to share what, exactly, they've been seeing and doing for their trendsetting clientele—as well as what they’ve stopped seeing and doing. Due to the proliferation of social media, wedding styles can quickly feel overused, unoriginal, and even worse, dated. So without further ado, here are the wedding trends to consider in 2022, and what to avoid.

What’s In

“Now that we’re all double-vaxxed, weddings are doubling down on both fun and tradition. But rehearsal dinners and welcome parties are all about fun, with themes that are all about fun and humor and whimsy: the circus, outdoor bonfires in the woods, masquerades with a point of view, even a rhinestone rodeo.” -Bronson van Wyck, Van Wyck & Van Wyck

“We've gotten so many requests for "themed" weddings or welcome parties—think Monte Cristo, disco nights, Old Hollywood. These are just a few. It feels like clients want an entire concept from start to finish, but executed in a way that doesn't feel trite but rather modern and fun. We have actually really loved this and welcomed any non-traditional viewpoints on celebration.” -Francie Dorman and Britt Cole, 42 North

“Silver touches, moreso than gold. Silver has the ability to add some old-world charm to any modern space.” -Stefanie Cove, Stefanie Cove & Co

“If you added a wallpaper accent wall during the pandemic (or just liked Instagram posts showing before and after), then you’ll welcome wallpaper to wedding design! Whether it’s your grand entrance backdrop or the scene behind the band, these are the perfect places to bring in your signature wedding colors.” -Mindy Weiss

“Wedding guest style is trending in a way where we are seeing people pull out the stops with their looks—head to toe—really using attending weddings as an opportunity to get dressed and wear very special pieces. Wedding guest dressing has become quite theatrical in nature.” -42 North

“We are seeing the big weddings come back! We feel like the ‘micro wedding’ is now a thing of the past and people are ready to have their big blowout bashes again.” -42 North

“Virtual save-the-dates are a lifesaver. We started suggesting this during the pandemic as a way to avoid spending budget on a whole round of custom stationery, printing, mailing, and also as a way to open the line of communication in more of an instant kind of way, in case plans need to change. It feels like it has held on. There is an instant gratification of sending the save-the-date and getting responses right away. Also, being able to start communicating messages about the details of the wedding weekend virtually has been very appealing to our clients.” -42 North

“If we learned anything from 2021, it's the need to communicate to guests in real-time. So many of our friends and family were dispersed during the pandemic, so as we move into 2022, we encourage our clients to go the virtual route for save the dates and invites. Going virtual not only our couples to saves money, but it eliminates the stress of snail mail never getting to guests on time and allows for last-minute changes and is sustainable.” -Bryan Rafanelli, Rafanelli Events

“We all know one of the biggest trends to emerge from the pandemic is dopamine dressing. I’m looking forward to creating ‘dopamine environments.’” -Bryan Rafanelli

“Couples want to celebrate in technicolor! They want to sit at a living table, resplendent in florals and dine under ceilings of florals and lights.” -Tara Fay

“Open air tents (no walls!). We've become less comfortable crowding together in enclosed spaces so an open-air environment allows guests to rest easy while still feeling protected from the elements.” -Stefanie Cove

“Satellite bars were trending in the days pre-lockdown, but couples seem very excited to have them back. In fact, double the amount than ever before, with a tequila bar being the favorite.” -Mindy Weiss

“We are seeing a huge demand for hanging florals and also large floral installations where they are suspended above tables or even move from floor to ceiling along the full length of the table.” -Tara Fay

“The entire room becomes part of the experience. Clients are thinking about custom ways to fill (or add to) empty spaces, creating complex signature graphic or artistic branding into their details. For example, we contracted an artist to paint the couple through his abstract style. While we prominently hung the painting, we also incorporated the artwork in other ways, from the small scale of food to-go boxes to an oversized rendering on a custom dance floor.” -Mindy Weiss

“Our clients want to stretch their wedding weekend out with different kinds of events throughout three to four days, from a large welcome party, a rehearsal dinner, and something active to do during the day, whether it’s a red robin tennis tournament or a group hike/walk/run, all sprinkled into the long wedding weekend. And why not end your wedding weekend with a ‘detox to retox’ event or a day party to send your guests off?” -Bryan Rafanelli

What’s Out

“Goodbye, family-style dinner service (I'm waving enthusiastically)! Leave this sloppy casual supper for summer BBQs. Our clients want formality, ritual and elegance...and lots of room on the table for flowers.” -Rebecca Gardner

“They were beautiful in time, but rather than drawing design upward, we’re metaphorically in the moment, drawing attention to the tables and dance floors—to the present!” -Mindy Weiss

“Toasting is happening the night before or for the smaller group at the rehearsal dinner. At receptions, brides are saying, ‘Let’s dance!’ and dispensing with long, formal dinners. Getting the speeches done the night before (except for the groom, best man, and father of the bride’s) turns the reception into a dinner party, letting the guests get onto the dance floor much earlier in the night.” -Bronson van Wyck

“We’ll always love a monogram, but the statement dance floor monogram we can leave with the trends of the 2010s. If branding the dance floor is for you, think further with artistic touches and graphics to create a statement, pattern, or color that represents your overall wedding style and personality.” -Mindy Weiss

“We're seeing less white/ivory/green this upcoming year as couples gear up for a vibrant 2022.” -Stefanie Cove

“As lovely as white is, couples want to pick a color and go for it. As the saying goes, go big or go home!” -Tara Fay

“As we all try to be more sustainably conscious, couples are now offering a simple yet thoughtful treat or gift for guests to enjoy, perhaps a nod to the wedding location. This also means less 'stuff' for guests to travel home with.” -Stefanie Cove