The Rise of the Anti-Bride
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
During his appearance on The Late Late Night Show, Machine Gun Kelly revealed with host James Corden some plans for his upcoming wedding with Megan Fox. He announced that he finds it rather difficult to pick a wedding spot that fits his “artistic vision” for the ceremony. MGK intends to have a gothic wedding with Fox and just based on what we have seen from the couple in the press, there is no doubt that the ceremony will fall nothing short of unconventional (a light way of putting what I expect to see from their wedding). However, MGK and Megan Fox are not the only couple that has chosen to shy away from traditional wedding ceremonies. I mean, who gets married in a church anymore anyways?
Recently, we have seen couples host weddings on beaches, in barns, farms, and even forests more and more frequently. Truthfully, there are no limits on where a wedding can be hosted nowadays because nothing is too extravagant. We have even seen a drastic change in wedding dresses. Even ten years ago, nearly every bride wore a long, white gown. However, today we see many brides wearing black gowns or dresses of other colors. This rise of anti-brides is challenging America’s conventional views.
In a more contemporary fashion, wedding planners are forced to find new and exciting ideas for weddings that set them apart from others. There will be 2.6 million weddings in the United States this year: a record 40 year high, making one wonder just how unconventional weddings will get? Luckily, Vogue was able to interview some of the top event planners in the country and uncover what is in store for us this wedding season. According to Vogue, themed weddings are in. These themes can range anywhere from disco night to old Hollywood, or even a masquerade ball. Couples have decided that micro weddings are a thing of the past. In 2022, we are expected to see big, blow-out weddings. In addition, Vogue discovered that guests are to be dressed nearly as well as the bride and groom themselves. In other words, everyone will be dressing to impress.
Image Courtesy: Business Weddings
This shift in wedding styles likely emerged from our desire to dress for ourselves and do what truly makes us happy. The concept of dopamine dressing reached a high during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events told Vogue he is “looking forward to creating dopamine environments,” seeing more and more couples dressing in all different styles and wearing any color of their choice. Many Americans no longer feel pressure to sport the white gown and black tie look. Event planner Stefanie Cove warned Vogue that bright color schemes would be expected throughout 2022. Covid-19 had us locked inside our homes for so long, all we want now are things to be big and bright. We feel like we need to compensate for lost time. This drive will lead to many extravagant celebrations in the years to come.
This shift to unconventional wedding styles makes us eager to see what other traditions millennials and younger generations will start to challenge. According to recent studies, couples today are even waiting longer to get married. The Pew Research center reports that millennials are significantly less likely to be married in their 20s than previous generations. More and more people are discovering that they do not necessarily need a partner to be happy. Recent generations have found a new sense of independence and have decided that they do not want to be in unfulfilling relationships. Newer mindsets encourage us to never settle for less than what we deserve and commit to a life with a person we are not completely devoted to. This mindset has led to a decrease in divorce rates across the country.
In the long run, there is no doubt that American views are changing, and weddings are just the start. Finally, we are becoming more likely to do what makes us feel happy instead of following mainstream beliefs. I am excited to see the weddings 2022 has in store for us. Hopefully, it will provide us with new pictures to add to our “wedding inspo” Pinterest board we have all been secretly compiling since middle school.
Strike Out,
Bella Kubach
Boca Raton
Bella Kubach is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca Raton. Most of her free time is occupied by buying things she doesn’t need, reading her horoscope religiously, and making an endless amount of Spotify playlists. You can reach her at bellakubachxox@gmail.com
