To all you newly engaged couples in the Calgary & Banff area and beyond, we want to say a huge congratulations! As the New Year rolls in, and you dive into wedding planning, we wanted to share some of the emerging 2024 wedding trends that we love. If these are what’s in store for this year’s wedding celebrations, it’s definitely going to be a beautiful year of weddings! 

Overall, we see a movement towards more intentionality and hospitality, of doing the things that hold meaning while creating an unforgettable experience both for couples and their beloved guests. Here are 8 amazing 2024 wedding trends we’re loving seeing emerge:

1. Custom Grooms Attire

Grooms are trending toward a custom-made suit for their wedding day over off the rack options. It’s only fitting since brides spend so much effort, time, and investment in their gowns – we’re all for this trend! A custom-tailored suit presents an elevated, sophisticated look for the groom. Not to mention, a suitmaker will work with the groom to hone in on the perfect style, fit, and material to match the body type, personality, and vision for the celebration. If you’re in the Calgary area and looking to connect with a suit maker you should run, not walk to to Lauren from Atelier Suiting Inc. (If you’re not based in Calgary, fear not! She will travel to you!) 

2. Multi-Day Celebrations

Hosting your wedding celebration over multiple days is such a brilliant way to stretch out the party, linger in the good times, and create an unforgettable experience for everyone. To list a few ideas: 

Welcome parties are a great way to warm up the wedding days for out-of-town guests who have traveled to your destination wedding (perhaps in Banff, Alberta) or for long-distance families who would enjoy more time catching up. It can be as formal or casual as you want, and include anything from food to full-out activities. Rehearsal dinners, which tend to be an intimate gathering of those closest to the couple and those involved in the wedding party, offer the chance to enjoy a meal as a smaller group before the big day. Post-wedding brunch brings a beautiful, relaxed closure to your wedding weekend. A chance to gather one last time before everyone returns to their corner of the world. 

Spreading the events of your wedding day over several days enables you and your guests to enjoy moments more deeply, to be in the moment, and to give more opportunity to connect and or catch up with those who have come to celebrate your wedding. Here are a few incredible venues for hosting these events. We’ve broken them down into two locales – for couples having a Calgary wedding and for those getting married in the Banff area. 

Calgary: 

• River Cafe
• Ryuko (offers a gorgeous upstairs space for private dinners)  
• Teatro (book the Opera room for a smaller, private space)
• Reader Rock Garden (outdoor possibility for warm weather months)
• Deane House
• Fortuna’s Row
• Vic Park
• Major Tom  

Banff: 

• High Rollers (Food + bowling)
• Hello Sunshine (Food + Karaoke)
• Sky Bistro
• Chucks Steakhouse
• Lupo

3. Private Ceremonies & Big Parties

For those couples who don’t love being at the center of attention, this trend is for you. This is also for those who envision a beautiful ceremony, perhaps in a historic or nature setting that isn’t able to host a large number of people (if you’re getting married in Calgary or the Banff area and need location ideas, send us a message!), however, you do want a big, happy party, consider having a more intimate ceremony and then partying into the night with all your friends and family. 

4. Experiential Entertainment

This trend is for those who value and want an emphasis on hospitality. It’s for couples who want to create an unforgettable experience for their guests. Choosing entertainment that interacts with your wedding guests is an excellent way to do just that. Here are a couple of ideas: 

– Live Art: having artists sketch or paint portraits of guests, which could double as a personalized wedding favour or be copied for a guest book as well. So cool, right!? You could also have an artist painting a scene ongoing throughout the ceremony/cocktail hour/reception, like https://mckennaprather.com

https://www.rachaelmeckling.com/book-a-portrait

– Black and White Portraits: We all know photo booths with all those busy, cliche props have been around for a long time, but those aren’t the trend we’re talking about here. Think more along the lines of an elegant, vogue-esque, styled experience where your guests are treated to a much more refined, elevated portrait experience. Our Lavish Guests is exactly what we’re talking about in this emerging 2024 wedding trend.

5. Guest Dress Code

Whether it’s black tie formal, a specific colour or colour palette, or an extravagant theme, assigning a dress code for your wedding guests is a memorable, fun way to set the tone of your event and help create the visual ambiance and atmosphere of the party (of which you will also relive again and again in your photographs!). 

6. Timeless Venues

We love that couples are choosing venues that are a statement piece in itself. It eliminates so much of the stress of trying to make a space fit your vision (read: so much decor needed to make something out of nothing) when you choose a venue that stands on its own already. The best classic Calgary wedding venues that stand as examples are The Fairmont Palliser and Teatro in downtown Calgary. If you want more of a rustic historic timeless feel, you can also check out The Deane House or The River Cafe.

7. Trusted Professionals

Couples trending to more intentional choices around their wedding – for example, what they are wearing, how they want to enjoy their day, and the experience they want their guests to have – are also seeking to build a team of incredible professionals they can fully trust to not only bring their vision to life but work together as an efficient, thoughtful team to take care of all the details and people along the way. It really does matter who you hire as your wedding vendors. (If you’re planning a Calgary or Banff area wedding and are looking for vendor recommendations, shoot us a message!)

8. Timeless Photography

As wedding photographers, we may be a little biased in supporting this trend, but we really do believe that photography for your wedding should be a very intentional decision in preserving your memories for decades to come. We love this trend because timeless portraits are like a fine wine – they get better with time. Your wedding photography should tell the story of your celebration – the emotions, the interactions, wide and close up, the energetic party as well as the intimate moments of stillness. Timeless photography doesn’t hop on every new bandwagon fad – it will preserve the moments and memories for years to come with consistency and intention.

Tell us what you think about these 2024 wedding trends! Do you love them? We really do wish you the best as the New Year rolls in. If you’ve begun to plan your wedding and are looking for a photographer, we’d love to connect! Also, if you’ve begun looking for your perfect wedding venue and need some insight into Calgary spaces, check out THIS LINK HERE. 

Cheers & bring on an amazing 2024! 

xo,

Breanne & David