How wedding venues can work 2018 trends into any space

Wouldn’t it be incredible to know exactly what a couple is looking for in a wedding venue before they even visit?

Truth be told, a lot of the time, couples don’t really know themselves what they deem most important in a venue until they’ve visited a few and have come to realise what they are, and are not willing to compromise on.

What we can prepare for, however, is the fact that all of us are influenced one way or another by trends, and by what we’re seeing more of in shops, fashion and in wedding shoots.

Trends aren’t unique to each industry – they don’t develop in silos. They’re present in the clothes we wear, the interior decor we lust after and the media we consume. And whether couples consciously opt for a ‘fashionable’ wedding or not, they’re likely to incorporate accents of trends that they themselves may not have even noticed.

By subtly incorporating ideas from predicted 2018 trends in your wedding venue you can position yourself as a relevant and desirable place to wed.

And one of the best things about being a wedding venue is that you can work with other local wedding suppliers to transform your space. You can offer fellow suppliers an amazing venue to exhibit their finest work at, and in return, you benefit from having your venue perceived as on trend – no matter how traditional the foundations are!

Incorporating 2018 wedding trends into your venue

Here are 4 key wedding trends that you need to be incorporating into your wedding space on open days to win more bookings.

1. Open spaces and industrialised architecture is a key trend for 2018 weddings

Ok, so most typical UK wedding venues aren’t going to be dripping in natural, industrialised architecture but you can easily fake it, and include metallic touches to your events rooms and open spaces in a sympathetic and unobtrusive way.

Consider working with local wedding decor suppliers who can provide copper chairs, lanterns, candle holders, cups and cutlery.

Tip: 2018 has seen us move away from rose gold accents in favour of industrial look copper.

For your next wedding fair or open day, work with your preferred supplier to set up an industrial themed corner which would appeal to couples who’re looking to incorporate this trend.

Fairy lights are the perfect accompaniment to an industrial theme as are green garlands – drawing on last years trend. Soft draped fabrics work well to counter the harsher metallic look and add a fairytale feel.

Treat your wedding space like an exhibition and provide a couple of different trends and expressions to suit different tastes. By featuring a trendy theme alongside a more traditional one you’re appealing to couples awareness of ‘what’s hot’ without moving too far away from the typical ‘white wedding’ idea.

2. White and green is still in… just add marble

In addition to copper and metallic details, a super hot wedding trend for this year is to add marble aspects into the mix.

Some wedding venues have the marble monopoly, like Holkham Hall…

By adding white and green tones to floral décor a wedding venue like Holkham Hall can become very current very easily.

For those wedding venues with less natural marble to play with, partner with wedding decor suppliers who can bring marble themed table runners to your next wedding fair or open day…

Or perhaps a marble inspired seating plan with matching place setting cards…

A really impressive way to incorporate a marbled theme in your wedding space is to work with a local wedding cake maker and ask them to produce a marbled cake with wow factor…

3. Keep it light and minimal

2018 weddings are all about natural light and stripping things back to basics.

Leaving ceilings and walls neutral and minimalistic allows more couples to envisage their dream wedding day, and it enables you to work with local wedding suppliers to add the kinds of details we describe above.

Metals and marbles are quite dominating materials to have in a wedding theme therefore it’s important not to add too much elsewhere.

Focus on making the most of natural light and offering a simple, polished space that couples can build ideas on.

4. Blank canvas venues that couples can make their own

Following on from above, it’s now more important than ever for couples to have freedom and options where building on their wedding theme is concerned.

Yes, you can offer ideas and help paint a picture of what their day could look like with the help of like-minded wedding suppliers, but there will always need to be a little room for movement.

Be yourself… AND be the wedding venue that 2018 couples want

Couples will on some level be influenced by popular themes that they may not have even known were on trend because of exposure to them; exposure in the media, in retail and in the ideas wedding suppliers offer. That’s a fact.

It’s important to work with what you already have, own your venue style and compliment it. How does your wedding venue space tie in with the popular trends above?

Don’t try and be everything for everyone but make sure that you’re not alienating couples by refusing to be anything other than traditional.

Incorporate trends with a little help from supplier friends and you’ll be surprised how much a little modern vision can help couples to decide whether you’re the wedding venue for them this year.

Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.