With the arrival of the second half of 2020 comes a fresh crop of wedding trends. This half of the year looks very different compared to the first half. Weddings in the beginning of the year hit a big pause when Covid-19 cases rose. Couples all around the world realized they couldn't have their weddings and had to either postpone or cancel due to the stay-at-home order.
Now as the second half of the year arrives, weddings are slowly picking back up as countries start to re-open. While things are opening up, it is different from what we are used to. We have to adapt to our new normal and weddings are no different. Weddings now are smaller and micro. Brides who made the decision to postpone their weddings decided to elope because love is not cancelled, or planned an intimate wedding in their backyard. Brides are also loving ankle boots and open toed shoes for their garden weddings. As we welcome the second half of 2020, here are the top 2020 wedding trends.
Postponing Weddings
Following the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to limit group gatherings because of COVID-19, an unfortunate current wedding trend is the postponement weddings. For many, it is a tough and sad decision as they have spent so long planning. But for others like Melanee, she decided to have the legal ceremony on the original date but followed one of latest wedding reception trends of postponing the celebrations:
“As Raphe and I were planning our Italian wedding celebration, we were simultaneously planning our legal ceremony in the States before we left. We officially got married on March 6th, 2020, at the Beverly Hills Courthouse!
A week before March 6th, the pandemic was rapidly escalating in Europe, and we officially decided to postpone our Italian wedding celebration, initially scheduled for April 18th, 2020. We're so glad we kept the date as all courthouses have since been closed due to COVID-19. It was a small celebration with immediate family and just what we needed to lift our spirits after the sad news that we weren't going to Italy 5 weeks later.
My advice is to remain hopeful! In the end, what matters most is that we have each other.” - #bellabellebrides @melanee, September 2021 bride
If you find yourself in a similar situation as Melanee and have to postpone, consider having a legal ceremony with just a small number of close family and friends. Your love with your partner is not postponed and you can always have a big party at a later date! Melanee will be wearing Bella Belle Gardenia ankle strap ivory wedding heels for her wedding in 2021.
These heels, like all of Bella Belle beaded shoes are expertly and beautifully hand-beaded by our team of artisans to create art-like shoes. A review we often get is “The shoes are more beautiful in person! The pictures don’t do them justice”. Be prepared to fall in love with your wedding shoes with Bella Belle bridal shoes!
Here’s a review from #bellabellebrides Jasmine: “Bella Belle shoes are so beautiful! The intricate details do not go unnoticed from each bead placed to the thread that they use to stitch them together. You can tell that they are handmade and created with care.”.
Micro & Intimate Weddings
Postponement isn’t the only new wedding trend resulting from COVID. If you decide to go ahead with your wedding day, embrace the latest wedding trend of small, micro intimate weddings (or a minimony). We have the guide you need on how to have a safe wedding during COVID-19. #BellaBelleBrides Nicole made the decision to downsize their guest list so that they can stick to their original date, and it ended up being the wedding of their dreams!
“With the reduced number of guests at our ceremony, we were able to surround ourselves with immediate family and friends. I had a blast with my mom and sister getting ready for the big day. Trying on wedding dresses and my first set of Bella Belle shoes in the style ‘Bridget’ is a moment I will never forget. They were the perfect addition to the fairytale look I was going for. The train and sleeves of the dress were handmade and beaded by my very talented aunt and the necklace I wore was handed down to me from my mother's grandmother. I felt completely surrounded by my friends and family, all while joining my fiance's family that day.
Some last-minute details we decided to include were white paper parasols, and bamboo fans to keep our guests cool, as well as a record player and vinyl for our guests to sign as a guest book. After the ceremony, my husband and I drove off into the sunset. After all the apprehension we had while planning our wedding day, we started to realize it didn't matter where we were or how many guests we had in attendance. Once we joined together as husband and wife, all of our worries and stress washed away”. - #bellabellebrides @shorecat
Like Nicole, wear Bella Belle ‘Bridget’ stiletto heel. The polka dot ruffles at the front is the perfect fun & flirty touch you need for your micro wedding. Hand-sewn from expert artisans and craftsmen, Bridget like all of Bella Belle wedding shoes is handmade with love. The result is stunning and beautiful wedding shoes.
Elopement Weddings - Garden & Backyard Wedding
One of the latest wedding trends of 2020 has couples saying “I do,” at home. Instead of postponing your wedding entirely, consider having an elopement at a backyard and have a garden wedding! Having a wedding outdoors is highly recommended by the CDC as it allows room for social distancing and fresh air circulation. Plus, you’ll be able to save so much on the wedding venue! #BellaBelleBrides Kailyn had her elopement wedding at her mother-in-law’s backyard and it ended up being a dream wedding.
“As most girls I have been dreaming of my wedding the majority of my life. We got engaged in 2019 and immediately jumped into wedding planning, planning most of it within 4 short weeks. When Covid hit, we called off our “dream wedding” pretty quickly. We knew we still wanted to celebrate on our original date with our parents and siblings (because who doesn’t love a reason to party!)
We had an intimate elopement on 6/13/20 in my mother-in-law's backyard. We saved the wedding dress, custom wedding vows, and all the “big wedding formalities” for our July 2021 wedding. It was such a joyous feeling that despite the chaos of 2020 we were still able to walk away on our original date as husband and wife. We truly are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and families that supported our decision to still get married on our original date and will party with us safely next year.” - #bellabellebrides Britt
Britt decided to wear Bella Belle ‘Emma’ crystal embellished ivory wedding heels for her backyard ceremony and she’ll be wearing it again for her wedding next year. The ‘Emma’ heel has extra cushion padding on the insole so you are comfortable throughout the whole ceremony! The worst thing to happen on your wedding day is to be uncomfortable and in pain, so get yourself a pair of comfortable wedding shoes!
Here’s a review from #bellabellebrides Paige: “I am so happy I chose Bella Belle shoes for my wedding day. They make me feel more like a bride than I already did in my wedding dress. They are incredibly comfortable as well.”.
Church and City Hall Weddings
If the outdoors is not for you, one of the latest wedding industry trends is a church or city hall wedding! Bella Belle Real Bride Jaclyn had her perfect small wedding at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with only her immediate relatives. It became the dream wedding that she never knew she had!
“Although it wasn’t the 200-person, big celebration that we had planned, our small ceremony wedding became the dream I never even knew I had. When the pandemic forced us to cancel our original plans, we remained determined to still get married on our date and begin our life together. We instead had an intimate celebration with just our parents, siblings, and grandparents.
We were lucky enough to get married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and roam the empty NYC streets in our newly married bliss. The day was focused solely on us and the fact that love conquers all, even in the most stressful of times. We gathered with the most important people in our lives and the room was just bursting with love, joy, and hope. Our day not only provided perspective but ended up being truly the most magical day of my life. I couldn’t have felt more like a bride, from head to toe, and I couldn’t have imagined my wedding day going any other way.” - #bellabellebrides @jaclyndenicola
If you are having a church wedding, wear Bella Belle Claudia nude lace wedding heel! All of Bella Belle lace shoes are hand-sewn by our team of skilled artisans to create beautiful and stunning embroidered lace shoes. Like Jaclyn, it’ll be the perfect and comfortable wedding shoe for a classic church wedding.
Here’s a review from #bellabellebrides Amanda: “They are the most beautiful shoes. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is sublime and they fit like a glove. The lace detail is almost identical to my dress for my Church wedding!”.
Ankle Boots For Weddings
When you think about wedding shoes, you probably think of a strappy sandal or a classic wedding pump. While those are great options, 2020 wedding trends have shown chic wedding booties are a stunning and fashionable addition to your wedding outfit! #BellaBelleBrides Olivia wore the ‘Belle’ floral embroidered ankle boots designed by Joy Proctor for her outdoor wedding. Not only are booties very comfortable, it gives you the support and stability you need for an outdoor wedding. Plus, these ‘Belle’ booties have hand-sewn beads to create a beautiful floral design. It’s like wearing art on your feet. Booties are perfect for any season, but they are especially perfect for a Fall and Winter wedding.
P.S. We LOVE Olivia’s bridal party outfit! The all-black bridesmaid dress is very on trend right now (and we’re all for it).
Here’s a review from #bellabellebrides James on ‘Belle’ bootie: “I looked EVERYWHERE online for the perfect shoes. I wanted booties with an elegant vibe and I couldn’t take them off when they first came in. I’m obsessed with the floral pattern. They are the perfect compliment to my dress. I compared so many brands for quality, comfort, and price. I never thought I would be this excited about my bridal shoes!”.
Winter Weddings
Bride: Christine, Photography: Hailey Ayson
Shoe: Paloma Blush Beaded Wedding Heel
Winter weddings are becoming more and more the trend as it provides the perfect backdrop for a winter wonderland theme (imagine having your bridal portraits with snow flurries around - love!). While it is picture-perfect, a lot of brides often ask us, “Is it okay to wear open toe shoes for a winter wedding?”. Our answer: Yes!
#BellaBelleBrides Christine wore the ‘Paloma’ blush open toe wedding heel for her Christmas wonderland winter wedding. Since your ceremony will most likely be indoors (unless you enjoy the winter breeze), your feet will stay warm despite being exposed. Wearing an open toe wedding shoe in winter is definitely not a fashion faux-pas.
Bella Belle has some stunning open toe shoe designs that you’ll fall in love with in an instant. Best part? They have 3 times more padding on the insole than any other shoe brand = extra comfortable for all-day wear!
Here’s a review from #bellabellebrides Lyndsey on the comfort she experienced: “I eloped in NYC so I spent over 9 hours on my feet travelling to different locations in these shoes. I thought I would feel pain but I didn't! I had no pain and these shoes stood the test. They were the perfect shoes for me.”
Sustainable Weddings
Princess Beatrice, Photography: Benjamin Wheeler
2020 wedding trends show that more brides are thinking of ways to have a sustainable and green wedding, especially now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since weddings are smaller and more intimate, brides have been finding ways to recycle, reduce and reuse special things for their wedding instead of buying new.
Princess Beatrice of the UK, like many brides, had to cancel her May wedding due to the social distancing order. Instead, she decided to have a very small ceremony with only her immediate family (and of course the Queen of England, Elizabeth II). Since it was a small affair, Princess Beatrice decided to have her wedding dress as a ‘something borrowed’ from the Queen herself. This vintage Norman Hartnell dress was worn by the Queen on multiple occasions and was tailored to fit the bride. She also had another ‘something borrowed’ from Queen Mary’s diamond fringe tiara, which was worn by Queen Elizabeth herself on her wedding day with Prince Philip! Adding to the wedding outfit is the ‘something old’ element - her nude Valentino sparkly pumps which she wore for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding day.
Photography: Franklyn K
Trends in weddings reflect trends of the times. Living a more sustainable life is not only a trend on the wedding day, but a growing popular lifestyle - as seen from Zac Efron’s ‘Down to Earth’ documentary. If you decide to purchase a ‘something new’ for your wedding day, such as wedding shoes, consider how you would wear it again after your wedding! A common myth is that you can no longer wear your ivory or white wedding heels after, but you can rock your bridal shoes with a white dress or even jeans for a date night. Be creative with your outfits and recycle your wedding outfits! You’ll be amazed at how great it is to re-wear your wedding shoes. Not only will you relive the sweet memories, but it’ll elevate your look.
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