The 3-day wedding comes to Dallas
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Couples are thinking far beyond "chicken or beef" as they turn weddings into highly personalized, multiday experiences for their guests, according to a new report from The Knot.
Why it matters: Nearly 1 in 3 weddings now spans at least three days, with couples devoting more time and money to making guests feel entertained and cared for, per the wedding planning platform.
Zoom in: Dallas wedding weekends now often stretch from a bridal brunch a day or two before the wedding to a farewell brunch the day after, with welcome parties and tightly planned after-parties in between, wedding planner KC Cloud tells Axios.
Between the lines: The receptions themselves are getting more over-the-top, too.
- Couples want guests to have "tangible moments" they haven't seen before. It's "almost more like the Moulin Rouge — 'Are you entertained yet?'" Cloud says.
- Think performers in silver bodysuits and disco-ball helmets on the dance floor, or servers wearing hoop skirts lined with champagne flutes for guests to grab.
Favors are getting personal, too:
- 🪡 Stitch stations: Embroiderers personalize bandanas and scarves with guests' names during cocktail hour, Cloud says.
- 🔥 Branded keepsakes: At Fort Worth's Hotel Drover, guests can get leather luggage tags branded with their initials.
- 🎨 Portrait favors: Watercolor artists paint guests in their black-tie attire.
More trends local planners are seeing:
- 🏨 Hotels are back: Big hotel weddings at spots like Hotel Swexan and Fort Worth's Bowie House are in demand for their food and service, Cloud says.
- 🛋️ Living-room vibes: Couples want lamps, soft seating and unique candleholders that make a space feel "curated rather than simply decorated," per Gathered Events owner Brittney Samford.
- 💐 Fewer, bigger florals: Couples are choosing statement installations over covering every surface, she says.
Zoom out: Nationally, searches for coastal Italian "beach club" weddings are up 315% from a year ago, according to The Knot. (Spritz bar and cabana stripes included. Mediterranean venue optional.)
- And searches for interactive food and drinks — think roaming caddies for caviar, oysters and cannolis — rose 66%.
- "[Couples'] No. 1 priority is now the guest experience," The Knot editorial director Esther Lee tells Axios.
Reality check: That wedding weekend can add up.
- The average spending on wedding vendors rose 8.5% through May compared to the same time last year, partly driven by inflation and tariffs, Bank of America Institute data shows.
The bottom line: Couples are making weddings more personal — for themselves and their guests.