Jeremy Glickstein Photography is thrilled to feature this guest post by this highly sought after, Chicago based floral design studio. Owner & lead designer, Jori Foreman’s unique & often unconventional design aesthetic caught our eyes many years ago & has wowed us ever since. It’s no wonder that they have over 200, five-star online reviews. We are honored to have our favorite floral wedding designer share her expertise & insights with our audience.

Wedding Trends to Watch in 2024

We’re Romee Willow Florals, a wedding and event florist based in Logan Square, Chicago. We specialize in artful, eco-friendly floral design for events all around Chicagoland. We've been in the wedding business for over a decade now, and we’ve noticed that every wedding season comes with its own unique trends. Some trends stick around longer than others, and some leave as quickly as they arrived. When planning their wedding, couples need to decide if they are going for a more classic or trendy look. Some trends can be woven throughout a classic wedding, as well! Let’s take a closer look at wedding trends we are already seeing incorporated for 2024:

1) Deconstructed arch as the ceremony backdrop. Wedding ceremony decor is kind of a big deal, because many times it is the most photographed aspect of the entire day. In addition to the ceremony taking place in front of it, many couples choose to do their friends and family portraits there as well. We are seeing many deconstructed, asymmetrical arches as the focal point of the wedding ceremony. A deconstructed arch is a floral decor piece that frames the couple when they are standing at the altar, consisting of two asymmetrical floral/greenery pieces that “grow” from the floor and don’t connect at the top. This creates a more organic, artistic look than your run-of-the-mill ceremony arch. Different colors and textures can be used throughout in making deconstructed arches - and they can easily be repurposed in the reception as well. They make a great backdrop for the couple at their sweetheart or head table. We love this option because of its inherently artistic and eye-catching nature.

2) Disco balls. What’s groovy, glittery, and makes any space super glam? Ok, we already said it - disco balls! Disco balls are not just a trend from the disco era of the ‘70s, but they’ve been totally in for the past few years as well. They are not only amazing eye candy when hung from the ceiling, but they look really cool when set on the floor and on table tops as well. We also love it when couples use them as a photo prop in their wedding portraits; they create the best effect when hit by direct sunlight. Disco balls add so much character and light glitter to the space. We love that this trend has stuck around for a while. More disco balls in 2024 and beyond, please!

3) Pantone’s color of the year: peach! We’ve been seeing this soft, feminine color everywhere recently - used in weddings and beyond. This warm, cheerful color is especially great for spring and summer weddings, when the sun is shining bright. We love seeing it incorporated into elements like bridesmaid dress palettes, on wedding cakes, invitations, taper candles, and of course throughout wedding florals. Flowers that can be procured in this comforting pastel color are ranunculus, roses, carnations, gerbera daisies, icelandic poppies, and more. We’ve also seen some gorgeous peach wedding dresses - such a fun departure from your standard white wedding dress!

4) Less greenery, more florals. In our humble opinion, more flowers is always the better choice! Flowers enhance any wedding venue with eye-catching colors and textures. A common misconception couples have when planning their wedding is thinking that greenery is a lot cheaper than flowers. This is not necessarily the case: since demand has gone up, the pricing has gone up with it. Going for just greenery can be less expensive than florals if you’re planning on using it very sparingly, but that’s about it. Knowing this, most 2024 couples are opting in for the enchanting, colorful florals of all shapes and sizes. Using green garland down the center of the dinner table used to be a lot more popular, but now more are choosing to do bud vases or small/medium arrangements with varied blooms.

5) Mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Gone are the days when all bridesmaids are expected to wear the exact same dress, and thank goodness for that! The bride used to choose one dress that all their bridesmaids would wear, creating a very uniform look across the board. The problem with asking bridesmaids to wear identical dresses is that everyone’s complexion, body shape, and budgets are different. We love the “mismatched bridesmaid dress” trend because it allows bridesmaids to purchase (or rent) a dress they’ll actually enjoy wearing and may wear in the future. Not only is this good news for your friends/family, but for the planet too! Mismatched bridesmaid dresses create freedom of personal expression, and also a unique, eclectic look. We love when the group not only mixes different styles of dresses, but patterns and textures too. Some dresses can be silky satin, floral print, sequined, etc. We hope this trend sticks around for good!

6) Statement hanging floral pieces. There’s so much more that you can do with wedding florals than just your ceremony backdrop and dinner table centerpieces. Many couples are now opting for a dramatic hanging piece - over the ceremony space, and many times over the dance floor as well. So, how do we do it?: A wooden or metal pole is first wrapped in layers of chicken wire with greenery in between the layers. We call this a “burrito” - the layers provide a way for the stems to be securely held in place. Then, we hang the burrito low so we can stand on the ground while working on it as opposed to standing on ladders the whole time. Then when it’s finished, we pull it up using metal cables and handy dandy little clips that allow us to adjust the lengths.Greenery goes on first to create the shape and size we want. Then we insert the flowers for the pop of color. No water source is needed on most blooms. They can survive the evening out of water if it’s indoors and cool. These pieces look great in any space, but are especially awesome in a venue that has tall ceilings. This utilizes the tall ceiling space and adds height to the decor. We love how they look over the wedding aisle, dance floor, and/or reception space. Hanging floral pieces add a certain wow factor to the venue - a true conversation starter for guests!

7) Potted plants as wedding decor. As an eco-friendly event florist, we are always looking for creative ways to provide sustainable event decor. Using potted plants as wedding decor is one of our favorite green wedding decor methods, because these plants will last so much longer than cut flowers and stems. One of the best parts of this idea is that couples can encourage their guests to take them home - serving as a beautiful and eco-friendly wedding favor that will last months and maybe even years. We’ve used plants like orchids, monsteras, and pony tail palms in gold or terracotta pots as ceremony and reception decor. If you’re looking for more unique sustainable wedding ideas, we got you!

8) Intimate, Micro-Weddings. Many couples are deciding against having a huge bash in favor of a more intimate exchange of vows. We get it - for some folks, large weddings can be draining to plan and heavy on the wallet. So it’s no surprise to us that more couples are going for small wedding celebrations - with guest lists ranging from 2 - 50 people. Some benefits of having a micro wedding include having more freedom to select a unique venue, easier planning, less cost, increased quality time with those most special to you, and a lower environmental impact. We love working with couples who are having an intimate wedding and are opting for a more DIY approach to decor. We offer an “intimate wedding” option where couples may pick-up their florals from our Logan Square studio, and who are willing to set up and tear down themselves.

What trends are you excited about incorporating into your wedding day? One thing is for certain: 2024 is going to be full of impressive flowers, eclectic bridesmaid dresses, and groovy decor. If you’re interested in learning more about working together on your wedding flowers, contact us through our website. We are available for intimate weddings (which give you the option to pick flowers up from our Logan Square studio) as well as full service weddings (delivery, setup, and takedown included). We mostly service the city of Chicago, but are willing to travel to many nearby suburbs as well.