Like styles of clothing, wedding trends come and go. Over the last five years, we’ve seen geometric arches soften into organic shapes, party favors replaced by activities and traditions taken over by new ideas. Today’s couples, it turns out, are ditching repetitive Pinterest themes and creating something unique.
“People are going more in the direction of, ‘We want our wedding to be absolutely unlike anybody else’s,’” says John Ski, DJ and owner of Howe Eventful, a wedding entertainment business based in Loveland.
Even vendors like him are surprised by couples’ plans for their 2026 weddings—but that’s the point. Here are the trends they’re noticing as celebrations become more customized, right down to the smallest details.
Festival feels
Wedding playlists have always varied based on music taste, but more young couples are leaning into electronic dance music (EDM) and seeking a festival feel these days, Ski says. He recently had a couple request strictly drum and bass for their wedding reception so it would feel like a Red Rocks concert.
“They were banging their heads the entire dance party,” he says.
More couples are also opting for a fusion of a DJ and a live musician, Ski says, a trend that has grown in the last few years to include different instruments. Denver-based EDM artist GRiZ helped popularize the concept with his saxophone, and couples have since mimicked that live performance element with the addition of an electric violinist, keyboardist or drummer (or a combination).
“Last summer, we did a wedding with a DJ, saxophonist and keyboardist, which was actually a keytarist playing that old-school ’80s keytar,” Ski says. “People are starting to mix and match.”
Couples ultimately want their music to be danceable, he says, so no matter what their music taste is, they usually throw in some ’90s and early 2000s club hits to pump up their guests and give them a hit of nostalgia. Crowd favorites he’s noticed are “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot, “One More Time” by Daft Punk and “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada.
The goal, Ski says, is to get people on the dance floor. Even that looks different these days.
“A lot of couples are doing private last dances, but what’s becoming more popular is the song before that, which is the last dance with their guests,” he says. “They pick a song, and everyone circles around the dance floor. The bride and groom get in the center, and they have a whole celebratory dance for the couple one last time before everyone starts lining up for the send-off.”
Photography by Sam Clauson Photo.
Unconventional florals
According to Lyndsay Whitlock, two styles of wedding florals are popular this year: the whimsical wildflower look and sculpted tropical arrangements. Brides are personalizing both themes with nontraditional flowers, like amaranthus.
“I have a gal who I get most of my local blooms from, and she says amaranthus is going to be the flower of the year,” says Whitlock, a wedding florist and owner of The Joyful Poppy in Fort Collins. “Everyone loves them in everything, but definitely in bouquets to get that drapey, dramatic look.”
Recently, she’s had brides want to modernize traditional white and green bouquets by replacing greenery with chartreuse amaranthus, hydrangeas and anthuriums. But she’s also noticing more color this year with popular blooms such as lisianthus, ranunculus and delphiniums. One color combo that’s especially trendy is lavender with silver accents.
“We’re seeing what I like to call a ‘color creep,’” she says. “I think in a couple years we’ll see a lot more color-saturated jewel tones.”
That’s a trend she’s noticed in floral arrangements on tables and around the altar as well. Creative pops of color can be found in compote bowl centerpieces and in “garden aisles,” which are floral arrangements lining the aisle that are moved to the reception area once the couple has said “I do.”
“If they don’t have a structure at the venue [for the altar], standing flower columns are very popular,” Whitlock says. “They’re like a broken arch with two pillars of flowers. Ground arches are also popular, usually in a half-moon shape.”
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Flower Preservation Tips
More brides are saving their wedding flowers so they
can display them for years at home.
Click here to get Whitlock’s tips on drying
and preserving your wedding bouquet.
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FLEXX Productions
Draped decor
Since couples are breaking the mold of what weddings look like, they’re changing up their rentals, says Maddie Kahn, event specialist at FLEXX Productions, an event rental company based in Fort Collins. Her clients are customizing everything from the decor to their floor plan to make the space feel truly unique.
“People are getting a lot more confident in being bold and not feeling like they have to do the same thing everyone else is doing,” she says.
Kahn has seen a surge in “dimensional and textured” table linens that allow couples to create a more dramatic look, often paired with colorful table settings or black china. Drapery is making a statement too, she says, as couples are using it to dress up their tents and venues.
“So many people want a really pretty and elegant venue, but sometimes the price of it or the location might not allow that,” she says. “You can set up a tent almost anywhere, and you can turn any mountainside landscape or view into your wedding venue by putting up a tent and dressing it up however you like.”
More couples are customizing their tent ends with monograms of their last name or wedding date, Kahn says, and some are even putting their name on the dance floor. They’re also illuminating pathways to their tent as well as backlighting or uplighting their drapery with soft, warm light to create a luxe ambiance.
It’s important to couples that their reception has a social atmosphere, Kahn says, whether that means arranging dining tables in a U-shape so that guests can face one another or weaving serpentine tables throughout the space.
“In the past, it’s been long rows of seating or just the traditional round tables spread out,” she says. “People have liked to be really creative with nontraditional reception seating to bring their guests together.”
Creative flavors
Not only do couples want their wedding food to be delicious, but they also want it to be fresh, healthy and creative, says Tracie Reeves-Hartman, owner of Fresh Plate Catering and Hub Café by Fresh Plate in Loveland.
“Right now a trend is reimagined comfort foods,” Reeves-Hartman says. “We have a chicken meatball that we are doing with a truffle oil and basil. Meatball is a comfort food, and everybody loves different unique twists on it.”
Couples are cooking more and experimenting with different flavors at home, she says, so they aren’t afraid to try new things on their wedding day. Some of her most popular dishes incorporate hot honey, bacon jam, edible flowers, pickled veggies and halloumi cheese—a white cheese that softens when hot but still holds its shape, so it can be grilled or skewered.
Plant-based dishes are also at the forefront of many couples’ wedding menus rather than being served exclusively as sides, she says. Her roasted veggie boards change with the seasons, and she offers a plant-based cheese board in addition to her charcuterie and caprese boards.
“People are so much more conscious of the food they’re eating,” Reeves-Hartman says. “They want to feel good.”
A growing number of her clients are requesting personalized menus that incorporate their favorite cuisine (Asian and Mediterranean are the most popular, she says). She’ll even include family recipes to make the spread more meaningful for them and their guests.
“I had a bride and groom who traveled extensively for a couple years all over Europe, so we took their five favorite places and brought in a food from each of those locations,” she says. “That was a lot of fun.”
The Thirsty Mule
Daring drinks
Culinary trends are spilling into the beverage industry as couples are choosing more adventurous drinks for their wedding bar service. Those include savory cocktails such as briny martinis with blue cheese-stuffed olives coated in olive oil, red pepper flakes and parmesan, says Jenna Schaefer, owner of The Thirsty Mule, a Berthoud-based horse trailer turned mobile bar.
“It’s almost like drinking your meal,” she says. “I love the classics, but I also love seeing people make them way more personalized and a little more risky and bold.”
His and hers cocktails have remained popular over the last few years, Schaefer says, with most grooms choosing an old fashioned and brides opting for a strawberry margarita or French 75. Except now couples are also providing low ABV alternatives and making mocktail versions available.
“Weddings are very mocktail forward these days,” she says. “We make sure that even the mocktails have the most beautiful garnishes and the freshest of ingredients.”
Freshness is a must for today’s couples, Schaefer says. She finds that wedding guests appreciate her house-made blueberry compote and herb-infused simple syrups, which she makes with organic and local ingredients when possible.
Another trend she loves is nightcaps served toward the end of the reception. Espresso martinis are a longtime favorite, along with hot toddies and spiked cold brew coffee.
“It sets the mood for people to wind down a bit,” she says.
