March 28, 2023

What Does it Mean to Host a Luxury Wedding in 2023?

Luxury weddings are often seen as a symbol of extravagance, with no detail left unconsidered. From the venue(s) to the décor, every element is carefully chosen to create an unforgettable experience for the couple and their guests.

What Does it Mean to Host a Luxury Wedding in 2023? The future of luxury weddings and how to make them more personable
When it comes to luxury weddings, the couple and the guests expect nothing but the best. They want to be completely relaxed, entertained, and surrounded by beauty and their loved ones. From top-notch catering and specialty bar services to live entertainment and lush floral arrangements, guests expect a high-end experience that leaves them feeling completely immersed in a luxe experience for not only the entire wedding day, but often the entire weekend.

An aerial view of a luxurious outdoor wedding ceremony at Fairmont Grand Del Mar's Aria Lawn. A white catwalk-style raised aisle adorned with 22 floral arrangements leads to a large-scale chuppah decorated with hanging greenery, white roses, hydrangeas, and baby's breath. The breathtaking scenery is perfect for a dreamy wedding ceremony. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

Indoor luxury wedding reception at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar ballroom. White sweetheart table with gold band around the base for the bride and groom with white leather chairs featuring gold backs. White roses of different sizes, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus floral arrangement cascading down the table and along the floor. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
An elegant indoor luxury wedding reception in the ballroom of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A long table with white leather chairs featuring gold backs is adorned with tall floral arrangements of white orchids, roses, and hydrangeas mixed with southern smilax for greenery. Tea light candles hang from the tall flower arrangements. A low flower runner adds to the table's decor, accompanied by a mix of low and tall candles, creating a romantic ambiance. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

Your First Step in Hosting a Luxury Wedding

So, what does it mean to host a luxury wedding? One way to ensure that a luxury wedding meets your expectations is by hiring a wedding planner. Top-named wedding planners specialize in creating extraordinary events. When booked for full service planning and design, they manage everything from finding the perfect venue to coordinating vendors and managing the timeline as well as ensuring your dream aesthetic comes to life. With a wedding planner onboard, couples can relax and enjoy the planning process, confident that their dream wedding is in perfect hands.

An elegant outdoor wedding ceremony at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar on the Aria Lawn. A raised white catwalk-style aisle is adorned with 22 floral arrangements, leading to a stunning chuppah decorated with hanging greenery, white roses, hydrangea, and baby's breath. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

An elegant outdoor luxury wedding ceremony on the Aria Lawn at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A white catwalk-style raised aisle with 22 floral arrangements in white vases featuring white roses, hydrangea, and greenery. Clear Chiavari chairs placed on the lawn provide seating for guests. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
An elegant indoor luxury wedding reception in the ballroom of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A long table with a mirror top is adorned with a low flower runner designed with white roses of various sizes and hydrangea mixed with greenery. A clear charger and a round menu accompany an acrylic table number with gold calligraphy. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
An elegant outdoor luxury wedding ceremony on the Aria Lawn at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A white catwalk-style raised aisle with 22 floral arrangements in white vases featuring white roses, hydrangea, and greenery. Clear Chiavari chairs placed on the lawn provide seating for guests. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

Dresses in Luxury Weddings

Another icon of high-end weddings is the dress. Many luxury brides opt to wear multiple dresses (or even a jumpsuit!) throughout the day, changing their look to coordinate with different parts of the weekend. From a traditional ceremony gown to a more modern reception dress, multiple outfits can add a sense of glamour and fun to the day. This is a growing trend that is so fun for photos and while it might not seem sustainable at face value you can make it more sustainable if the 2nd (and 3rd) outfit changes are pieces you can wear again (think chic white midi or mini dresses).

Bride in lace Watters sweetheart gown with large bridal bouquet of pink tones with peonies and roses. Miramonte Resort wedding. Film photography by Cavin Elizabeth.
BRide wearing a midi white reception dress cutting the cake with the groom. Miramonte Resort wedding reception. Photography by Cavin Elizabeth.

Gen Z and Millennial Luxury Weddings

While some couples are merely interested in throwing as much money at their wedding weekend as possible with no interest in personalizing the event (no judgment here!), there is certainly a growing movement among Gen Z and millennial luxury couples in America to make their wedding feel more like them. This can be achieved by incorporating personalized elements into the décor, such as favorite colors, meaningful objects, or unique design elements. Think custom watercolor cocktail or dinner menus with a portrait of the location you first met or of your beloved pet as the backdrop for the food/drink text.

Custom watercolor portraits of the bride and groom's cat for their wedding signature cocktail menu
Escort card display with soap favors covered in Southern Smilax and hand painted. Play on words pun ideas. Thank you soap much for coming. Cavin Elizabeth Photography.
Luxurious outdoor wedding ceremony at Fairmont Grand Del Mar's Aria Lawn. A white catwalk-style raised aisle adorned with 22 floral arrangements leads to a large-scale chuppah decorated with hanging greenery, white roses, hydrangeas, and baby's breath. The breathtaking scenery is perfect for a dreamy wedding ceremony. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
As more Gen Z are becoming marriage age, we will continue to see a shift in the luxury wedding sphere. Luxury weddings won’t disappear, though we will continue to see more and more “organic luxury” weddings (like actor Sophia Bush’s) with slightly smaller guest counts. Gen Z in general are increasingly conscious of the environmental and social impact of their choices. Luxury weddings that focus on experiences rather than flashy, glam aesthetics may appeal more to Gen Z couples who want to create a meaningful and sustainable event.

An elegant indoor luxury wedding reception in the ballroom of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A long table with white leather chairs featuring gold backs is adorned with tall floral arrangements of white orchids, roses, and hydrangeas mixed with southern smilax for greenery. A low flower runner adds to the table's decor, accompanied by a mix of low and tall candles, creating a romantic ambiance. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

It’s All About the Experience

Hosting a luxury wedding is all about creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To go above and beyond for the experience, you’ll want to personalize the wedding experience for each guest by adding unique touches such as customized welcome bags, handwritten notes, or personalized favors. If the wedding takes place in a unique destination, ensure there is a customized itinerary planned for the weekend and exciting experiences suggested to the guests during their downtime in their welcome materials that focus on the culture of the city.

While guests expect the best of the best, it’s important to remember that the event should also reflect the personality and preferences of the couple. With the help of a wedding planner, unique design elements centered around the couple, and a focus on creating a relaxed and cohesive theme, a luxury wedding can be a truly unforgettable experience for all involved.

Indoor luxury wedding reception at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar ballroom. White sweetheart table with gold band around the base for the bride and groom with white leather chairs featuring gold backs. White roses of different sizes, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus floral arrangement cascading down the table and along the floor. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
An elegant indoor luxury wedding reception in the ballroom of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. A long table with white leather chairs featuring gold backs is adorned with a low flower runner designed with white roses of various sizes and hydrangea mixed with greenery. A clear charger and a round menu accompany an acrylic table number with gold calligraphy. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.
An elegant outdoor wedding ceremony at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar on the Aria Lawn. A raised white catwalk-style aisle is adorned with 22 floral arrangements, leading to a stunning chuppah decorated with hanging greenery, white roses, hydrangea, and baby's breath. Cavin Elizabeth Photography. Jennifer Cole Florals.

SHARE THIS STORY
COMMENTS
EXPAND
ADD A COMMENT