Wedding Trend of the Year: Back to Basics

Call it the wedding paradox: couples get so intent on having a "personalized" wedding that they all start to look the same. Signature cocktail? Check. DIY photo booth? Definitely. But rather than send a unique statement, these overdone details send the message that you're just like everyone else. And with so many brides using Pinterest to plan their weddings, the social media site has helped create a homogenized, over-the-top wedding culture.

This wedding season, we'll see brides go back to basics. Realizing that the marriage matters more than the wedding hashtag, couples will choose more intimate affairs, city hall weddings, and elopements. Alicia Falango, the founder of Alicia K Designs wedding planning business in California, sees this trend among her clients: "People are doing less and less DIY, finally realizing that it often takes more time, energy, and money." Instead, you'll likely receive invites to smaller events, with fresh formats. "Rather than the full-blown reception, people are having daytime lunches or cocktail parties without full meals."

Save-the-dates are going digital, and engagement shoots will also get a low-key makeover, looking less like a posed romance novel shoot at a glamorous location. Couples will opt for relaxed photos taken at home, giving friends and family a look into the couple's real life and authentic style. It's all part of that cozy vibe brought on by hygge.

This is number 12 in our 15-part series on 2017 lifestyle trends. Check out the entire Big in 2017 feature to find out what else will power your style, friendships, and home life this year.