Five pandemic wedding trends that are here to stay

The pandemic and it’s lockdowns, restrictions and changing rules has caused chaos in many areas of our lives, and the wedding sector has been especially hard hit. But it’s not all broken hearts and missed parties – some of the solutions this creative, resilient industry has found to combat the uncertainty have been so successful we’re not ready to say goodbye to them just yet! Here are five trends that are here to stay post-pandemic..

Intimate guestlists

**Intimate wedding that took place at 116 during the pandemic**

The most notable change to weddings (and other gatherings) during the pandemic was the amount of guests you could legally invite to your big day. While this caused a lot of stress and upset for some, for others it was a refreshing chance to take a step back and think about who really meant the most, and who they couldn’t bear to be married without.

Micro-weddings, as they became known, may be smaller in size, but there’s no shortage of love or celebration. A more intimate ceremony and party means the bride and groom can spend more quality time with their friends and family, and can feel part of every aspect of their day, not missing a second of the dancing or celebrating to meet and greet a never-ending queue of guest!

Smaller ceremonies also give you more flexibility on venue, catering and even when you can get married – with so many couples desperate to seal their commitment to one another now that restrictions have lifted, having an intimate ceremony means you can make the most of a week day or afternoon booking, saving you time (and money!) to spend with others.

**Table décor with personal touches in the Nash Room at 116 Pall Mall**

Personal touches – without personalisation!

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's how to be flexible! Now we’re not suggesting from now on couples should plan their wedding with a week’s notice, but there is now more of an appetite for less fuss (and more fun!) at post-pandemic weddings.

An important post-pandemic lesson we can take away is to learn from others’ (sadly expensive!) experiences with wedding personalisation for rescheduled ceremonies – for a long time, personalising your decorations and decor, party favours and even tableware with the date of your big day was a huge trend, but with so many celebrations being moved, postponed or even cancelled due to lockdowns and restrictions, we’re moving towards a much less personalised approach to ensure your decorations are evergreen and not banished to the attic when your wedding date moves. This is also a much more sustainable way to host your weddings, as any leftovers can be donated to another ceremony without having your names or wedding date on them!

There are so many other ways to add unique and personal touches to your day – from the perfect bouquet to a playlist that charts your whole relationship – something doesn’t have to have your name engraved on it to be meaningful.

Creative catering

**Bite-sized catering from our partners Searcys**

A wedding cake doesn’t need to be four foot tall and traditionally flavoured anymore – there’s never been a better time to let your culinary creativity flow than during this widespread wedding shake up. Smaller guestlists and less formal ceremonies have led to delicious innovations for your big day – from individual cupcakes for each guest, to “cakes” made of cheese, fruit or even just a spectacular grazing spread with a sentimental centrepiece, bite-sized and breath-taking is the new trend for wedding catering.

And it’s not just your cake – concerns over sanitation over the pandemic have also changed the way food is prepared and served on your big day. If you’re worried about shared cutlery or a cramped buffet space, serving individual portions may seem like a more expensive option, but it can actually keep costs – and equally importantly, food waste - down as you only prepare the food you need, and dietary requirements can be easily taken care of.

Cyber ceremonies

Once upon a time, livestreaming your wedding was reserved for celebrities and Royalty, but clever technology in lockdown meant that loved ones could be miles away but feel as though they were with you on your big day.

Hybrid ceremonies – where some of the party are with you in person and others are watching online in real-time – have been so successful that we’re hoping they’re here for good. With overseas travel still not back to pre-pandemic normal, and others perhaps now not able to travel for health or age reasons, hybrid weddings are the perfect way to have all of your loved ones in one place, with no extra hassle at all for the bride and groom. We have a dedicated hybrid team at 116 Pall Mall who will take care of the technology for you, allowing you to enjoy your day to the fullest without interruption or stress.

And speaking of stress, holding a hybrid wedding can actually take away one of the most controversial aspects of a pandemic marriage – the guest list! We’ve spoken already about how beautiful an intimate micro-wedding can be, but this won’t always be the right solution for those with large families (or those friends-of-friends and distant cousins who want an invite!) so hosting a hybrid party can be the perfect answer. They allow you to offer virtual invitations to the whole family on both sides, without worries around venue size, catering budgets or family politics, and leaves those precious in-person places for those you can’t do without on your big day. You’d be surprised by how many incredible venues are now fully equipped with live-streaming capabilities, so only your imagination (and your little black book!) is the limit when it comes to your RSVPs!

**Intimate wedding in the garden at 116 Pall Mall**

Unexpected venues

Weddings take place in churches, hotels and registry offices, right? Wrong! Thanks to the pandemic, we’re sending and receiving invites to ceremonies on boats, in restaurants, in parks and even zoos! Creative solutions to a lack of available venues has led to an exciting explosion in possibilities of where you can get hitched, and the unexpected nature of it has made for some truly memorable ceremonies!

Being more open to ideas around your venue also gives you more options for layouts, seating plans, dinner service and more – holding your big day outside (as has been a huge trend in 2020 and 2021!) means you’re no longer restricted to the size and shape of a room, and can build your day around your wants and needs more freely, giving guests more space to move around, dance, and – where necessary – socially distance for those who are still nervous about attending these kinds of events.

CELEBRATE YOUR WEDDING AT 116 PALL MALL

An unforgettable day in an extraordinary venue. 116 Pall Mall is one of London’s most majestic London wedding venues. You’ll be spoilt for choice with our wide range of spaces, all ideal for every kind of ceremony.

You can even hire the whole venue on weekends, with capacities of up to 1,500 standing or 50—250 seated.

Make an enquiry for more information or to arrange a tour.

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