2027 Wedding Trends I Think Are Actually Going to Stick Around
As a Hudson Valley Wedding Planner since 2010, I have seen a lot of wedding trends come and go.
Some are beautiful.
Some are practical.
Some are wildly expensive ways to create 11 seconds of content before disappearing forever.
But the wedding trends I am seeing for 2027 feel different.
More couples are focusing on guest experience, not just how the wedding looks in photos. They want guests to feel grounded in the moment. They want them to remember why they are there. They want the day to feel personal, thoughtful, interactive, and genuinely fun.
And honestly? I love this shift.
Because the best weddings are not just pretty. They are felt.
So let’s talk about the 2027 wedding trends I am seeing as a Hudson Valley Wedding Planner, and why I think these are the ones that may actually stick around.
1. Photo Booths Are Back, But the Props Are Not
Photo booths never fully disappeared, but I am definitely seeing them become more popular again.
The difference is that the old school prop table seems to be fading out.
You know the ones:
Silly glasses
Fake mustaches
Feather boas
Signs with phrases everyone has seen approximately 9,000 times
That is not really what my couples are asking for anymore.
Instead, couples are focusing on the memories. They want unlimited photos, digital galleries, and something fun guests can do together during the wedding.
A photo booth creates a second layer of memories outside of the professional wedding photography. It captures the funny, candid, slightly chaotic moments that happen when guests are relaxed and having fun.
And those moments matter.
What to know before booking a photo booth
With traditional wedding timing, you usually only have a max of three usable hours for a photo booth.
That typically includes:
Cocktail hour
Dancing time after dinner
Maybe 2.5 hours after dinner, depending on how long dinner and formalities take
So before you book a four or five hour package, make sure your timeline actually supports that much use.
Also, photo booths are not always easy to move once they are set up.
If cocktail hour is in one location and the reception is in another, talk to the photo booth company about that before signing the contract. Some booths are simple. Others involve backdrops, printers, lighting, cords, tech, and a setup that is not exactly designed for a quick little stroll across the property.
As a wedding planner, I also usually wait until after the DJ or band is booked before hiring a separate photo booth company. Many entertainment companies offer photo booths as an add on, and sometimes there is a cost savings when you bundle it into a package you already have.
Not always, but it is worth checking.
2. Personal Notes to Guests Are Having a Moment
This is one of my favorite trends, partly because I did this at my own wedding many years ago.
And guests still talk about it.
Personal notes to guests create an emotional pause in the day. They remind people why they are there. They make guests feel seen, loved, and genuinely connected to the couple.
And that is exactly the kind of wedding detail I think deserves more attention.
Because yes, beautiful flowers matter.
Yes, the food matters.
Yes, the music matters.
But the people in the room are the whole reason the day matters.
How to include personal notes in your wedding
There are a few different ways to do this well.
Option 1: Combine the notes with escort cards
One beautiful option is to use envelopes as part of the escort card display.
For example, you might have one envelope per household. On the front, it could say:
Joan Smith and John Williams
Inside the envelope, you could include:
A personal note to Joan
A personal note to John
A table assignment card telling them where to sit
I usually suggest organizing these by household whenever possible. It makes the display easier for guests to navigate, especially when there are 100 or more people trying to find their names at the same time.
Individual envelopes can be lovely, but they can also slow everything down.
And if there is one thing I know after 15+ years as a wedding planner, it is that anything involving a crowd, tiny cards, and cocktail hour timing needs to be thought through very carefully.
Option 2: Place the notes at each seat
Another option is to use the notes as place cards.
In this version, guests first find their table number on a seating chart. Then, when they arrive at the table, they find an envelope at their place setting with their name on it.
Inside is their personal note.
This creates such a meaningful moment once guests sit down for dinner. Instead of only seeing a menu, napkin, and place card, they find something personal.
Cue the happy tears.
Option 3: Include printed photos
For my own wedding, my husband and I took it a step further.
We have both always been avid photo takers, and we had photos of ourselves with every guest at our wedding. So I printed photos of us with each guest and included them in the envelopes with the notes.
Some were childhood photos.
Some were from college.
Some were from trips, parties, dinners, and random everyday moments.
It was a lot of work.
It was also one of the best things I did.
People were crying everywhere, in the best possible way. It made the whole day feel more intimate, more connected, and more rooted in the relationships that brought everyone there.
Start early if you want to do this
This is not a task you want to start three nights before the wedding.
Writing meaningful notes takes time. It also takes emotional energy. You are not just writing “thanks for coming.” You are thinking about your history with someone, what they mean to you, and why you are grateful they are part of your life.
That is beautiful.
It is also not something to pair with a glass of panic wine and 146 unfinished wedding tasks.
Start early. Do a few at a time. Future you will be very grateful.
3. Performers and Interactive Entertainment Are Becoming More Popular
Another 2027 wedding trend I am seeing is a rise in performers and interactive entertainment.
This usually happens during cocktail hour, but it can happen at other points in the day depending on the flow of the event.
I have seen couples include:
A bubble magician
A roaming magician dressed like a guest
Fire performers at the end of the night
Interactive entertainment that gives guests something unexpected to experience
And honestly, I appreciate this trend.
It gives guests something to talk about. It adds surprise and movement to the day. It also helps the wedding feel less like a standard event template and more like a true experience.
One wedding had a magician who moved through cocktail hour doing card tricks, small parlor tricks, and interactive moments with guests. It was subtle, charming, and fun without taking over the whole event.
Another wedding had fire performers at the end of the night, which gave the evening a completely different energy and made it feel like there was a true finale.
The key is timing
The biggest thing to think about with performers is the schedule.
You do not want entertainment competing with important wedding moments.
For example, it is probably not ideal to have a performer circulating while guests are supposed to be finding their seats, listening to speeches, moving into dinner, or gathering for a formal moment.
The entertainment should support the guest experience, not distract from it.
Cocktail hour is usually a great fit because guests are already mingling, moving around, getting drinks, and settling into the celebration.
That is the perfect time to give them something fun to discover.
4. Champagne Towers Are Replacing Traditional Champagne Toasts
I am fully on board with this one.
Traditional champagne toasts at place settings are often a huge waste of money.
Most guests do not need a separate glass of champagne placed in front of them for toasts. A lot of guests will toast with whatever drink is already in their hand. And even when champagne is poured, many people only take a sip or two.
Then the rest gets poured down the drain.
It is expensive.
It is wasteful.
It is often unnecessary.
Champagne towers, on the other hand, give you the fun and festive feeling without pouring bubbly for every single guest whether they want it or not.
You use far less champagne, and you still get a memorable moment.
Why champagne towers work so well
Champagne towers are:
Visually fun
Great for photos
More interactive than a standard toast
Often less wasteful than pre poured champagne
Flexible in the timeline
I have even had couples choose a champagne tower instead of a cake cutting, which I thought was fantastic.
It gave them a formal photo moment, but it felt much more true to them than cutting a cake just because “that is what people do.”
Another couple did multiple champagne towers during cocktail hour. Catering poured a few of them, and then the couple poured the final one for photos.
It was fun, festive, and guests loved it.
When to do a champagne tower
You can do a champagne tower:
During cocktail hour
As guests transition into the reception
In place of a cake cutting
As a late night moment
As part of a welcome toast
It depends on what you want the moment to accomplish.
If you want it to feel like a big guest facing moment, build it into the reception timeline. If you want it to feel more relaxed and interactive, cocktail hour can work beautifully.
Either way, it is a much better use of bubbly than pouring dozens or hundreds of glasses that may end up abandoned on tables.
5. Brooches Are Replacing Boutonnieres
I have been calling this one for a while, and I am thrilled to see it happening.
Brooches are starting to replace traditional boutonnieres, and I am a huge fan.
As someone who grew up around antiques and has my own collection of vintage brooches, I love this trend for both the aesthetic and the meaning behind it.
Instead of giving someone a floral boutonniere that will wilt and be thrown away, couples are choosing meaningful pins or brooches that can be worn on the lapel and kept afterward.
This works beautifully for:
Fathers
Grandfathers
Groomsmen
The groom
Other important family members or honored guests
It turns a wedding detail into an actual keepsake.
And honestly, that is exactly the kind of trend I want to see more of.
Why brooches make sense
Brooches feel personal. They feel intentional. They can be chosen specifically for each person.
Maybe someone gets a vintage bird brooch because they love birds.
Maybe someone gets a floral pin that connects to the wedding design.
Maybe someone gets a piece that feels classic, masculine, quirky, elegant, or sentimental.
There is so much more personality available than with a standard boutonniere.
And unlike flowers, brooches do not die by the end of the night.
Start shopping early
The biggest advice here is to start early.
There are a lot of cheap, flimsy brooches out there. The good ones take time to find, especially if you want them to feel meaningful.
Places to search include:
Antique shops
Flea markets
Estate sales
Vintage stores
Online marketplaces
But do not rely only on online shopping. You are not the only person looking for beautiful vintage pieces.
Sometimes the best finds happen in person, with actual boots on the ground.
And yes, as a brooch collector, I have mixed feelings about more people discovering this trend because now everyone is coming for my inventory.
But as a wedding designer?
I love it.
Why These 2027 Wedding Trends Feel Different
What I find most interesting about these 2027 wedding trends is that they are not just about how weddings look.
They are about how weddings feel.
Photo booths give guests memories.
Personal notes make guests feel loved.
Performers create surprise and interaction.
Champagne towers replace waste with a memorable moment.
Brooches turn a floral detail into a keepsake.
These trends are all pointing in the same direction: couples want weddings that are more personal, more intentional, and more connected.
And that is a trend I hope stays around for a very long time.
As a Hudson Valley Wedding Planner with 15+ years of experience planning weddings throughout the Hudson Valley, New England, and destination wedding locations, I can say this with confidence:
The best weddings are not the ones that blindly follow trends.
They are the ones where the trends are used intentionally, in a way that actually supports the couple, the guest experience, and the feeling of the day.
And if 2027 is bringing us more of that?
I am absolutely here for it.