2018's Wedding Trends Include Capes And Cacti, Etsy Says

More than one-third of engagements take place during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. So as warm weather springs into action, newly engaged brides and grooms are busy planning their dream weddings. Luckily, Etsy has revealed its biggest trends for 2018 (and 2019), so newly betrothed couples' nuptials can have modern wedding ceremonies and receptions.

According to Etsy, all-white wedding gowns are a thing of the past. Searches for "embroidered bridal wear" increased by 40 percent last year, with hand-stitched flowers, stars, and other details adding a little something special to a classic wedding dress (or jumpsuit). Wedding dresses with capes are also having a huge moment. Searches for "wedding capes" have increased 44 percent. More dramatic and original than a shawl, wedding capes are perfect for both the conservative bride and the bride looking to make a flashy fashion statement on her big day.

The trend of endlessly customizing your wedding shows no signs of stopping soon. Highly personalized details are trickling down to wedding items that have always been more or less the same. Guest books, those dusty ol' notebooks very few couples look at after their big day, are getting a makeover. Searches for "guest book alternatives," which include everything from Jenga game sets to hang-able artwork to marriage advice cards, have increased by 53 percent.

And what will weddings look like? According to Etsy, 2018 is the year of the Southwestern wedding. Forget burlap and Mason jars, it's all about desert-inspired décor with cactus centerpieces, sunset shades accompanying muted greens, and textured wood. Southwestern cuisine is a natural extension of this wedding theme. So expect to see some midnight tamales, a fajita bar, or some delicious black bean chili.

Etsy's other emerging trends for 2018 include pet-friendly weddings, clear acrylics instead of chalkboard signs, and stacked rings. Oh, and coming up for 2019? The return of the puffed sleeve, so watch out. For now, these trends seem fresh and exciting. But before too long, they're likely to become those wedding trends that desperately need to go away.