2020 Wedding Trends

With the arrival of the New Year comes a fresh crop of accompanying 2020 wedding trends. The Knot Editors are seeing bold pops of color and serious statements touch everything from inventive ceremony aisle ideas to food and beverage to the invitation suite. The best reason of all? Couples are making each aspect of the wedding uniquely their own, meaning sentimental color palettes that extend beyond your Something Blue to inventive themes that reflect your one-of-a-kind love story. Welcome to a dazzling new decade. After all, it’s time for 2020… weddings, that is. The Knot by Lauren Kay

1. Green Vibes

Sustainable weddings are on the rise and we’re here for it. Consider “upcycling” your wedding, by committing to zero waste or a reduced carbon footprint. A lighter version of this 2020 wedding trend includes resetting a family stone or heirloom engagement ring, repurposing ceremony florals, sourcing locally grown food or hiring vendors who also prioritize sustainability.

2. Micro Weddings 

This wedding trend is by invite only—think 40 people or less. But like any exclusive party, a celebration of this kind delivers big. The budget per guest is higher, which means your very nearest and dearest are treated to bespoke touches, elaborate meals (tasting menu anyone?) and tons of personalization. This style soiree is perfect for introverts or people hoping to celebrate with a smaller group of loved ones.

3. Magical Mysticism 

If there’s one theme you need to know about 2020 wedding trends, this is it: mysticism is in. This spiritually charged vibe combines all the things: crystals, saging, palo santo, even aura photobooths. Don’t force this though, make it work for your unique couple style—send guests home with a rose quartz crystal, the classic stone for love, or ask your guests to pass around your wedding rings during your ceremony, imbuing them with good energy and well wishes.

4. Inclusive Menus 

Couples are being more thoughtful about inclusivity when it comes to every aspect of wedding planning, reception menus notwithstanding. Eats are going to check all the boxes in 2020. Vegetarian? No problem. Vegan with a nut allergy? We got you. Be considerate of all your guests by offering up a variety of cuisines and sips too (delicious non-alcoholic drinks are being crafted with care by mixologists too).

5. Barrettes and Combs

Veils aren’t going anywhere, but tiaras have given way to the latest in hair jewelry—barrettes and combs. These wedding hair accessories are often adorned in pearls, rhinestones and colorful enamels. They’re great for holding back natural curls or creating a second style for your wedding reception. 

6. Trending Hues

You probably didn’t start planning your wedding with a color scheme in mind, right? Settle on your vibe or style first and then find a way to add a serious pop to your celebration. Color is one of our favorite 2020 wedding trends. Expect to see a lot of neo mint, a.k.a. the new millennial pink; cassis, not quite pink, not quite purple; yellow, a mellow, rich hue with earthy undertones; and faded denim, a blue that equally fresh and serene.

7. It’s Lit 

Good lighting is the surest way to get those 2020 wedding decor trends noticed. From hanging installations to tube lighting and LED bars, the options are endless. Change up the feeling of your party from dinner to dancing with a light show or add strings of fairy lights to a concentrated space, like above your cake table for maximum effect. And fret not, candlelight is still on trend for creating an intimate and romantic vibe. 

8. Edible Florals 

Frozen in ice-cubes, tossed in salads, sprinkled on tops of dessert, edible flowers are a big wedding reception trend for 2020. This pretty extra is perfect for floral-loving duos and an easy way to elevate virtually anything from infused water to classic vanilla cake. Florals and weddings are synonymous so pair your edible petals with dried flowers for a romantic effect (think: pressed in invites, or as confetti after I do). 

9. Table Remix 

As far as wedding reception trends go, this one is budget friendly: instead of only ten-top rounds or a long farmhouse table, opt for more artful settings. Winding tables—multiple tables pushed together to create a design—add an extra element to reception set ups. Not enough room to snake your seating? Configure your long rectangular tables into a fun design (think: X marks the spot). 

10. Self-Serve Refreshments

We’re not talking a cooler full of cold ones, this wedding trend dresses up the actual serving of a signature sip. An artfully created wall-mounted dispenser, a tricked out bar of pour-over drinks, or a slew of specialty garnishes allows guests to create their perfect cocktail. Bonus: you’ll need one less bartender to pull it off.

11. Statement Wedding Decor  

Go for the wow-moment. Instead of stretching your decor budget to include many things, narrow in on one or two true statement moments, like hanging florals over dining tables, a neon installation that doubles as a ceremony altar or an explosive firework sendoff. Your guests will be sure to remember a real standout detail, especially if it feels very “you guys.”

12. Dressed To Impress 

Black is taking a backseat to blue. Navy, teal and cobalt hued jackets are trending when it comes to tuxedos and suits, while accessories of all kinds continue to be the favored way to really personalize a look. Unique wedding dress codes (think: white party!) are also on the rise. 

13. The Cheese Hour 

Think of this 2020 wedding trend as the savory twist on the Viennese Hour (traditionally an opulent dessert display following the cake cutting). Instead of tables of sweets, wheels of cheese, crackers, nuts and fruit are piled high. This lux charcuterie board can also check the box for end of night nibbles for your guests—win-win!  

14. Charity Check 

Instead of dolling out party favors at the end of the night (or in addition too!) thank your guests for celebrating with you by making a donation to a charity that means something to you as a couple. One of our favorite 2020 wedding trends is giving back, in all forms.

15. Personalized Paper 

Your wedding invite can set the tone for your whole celebration—but it doesn’t have to. Lean into the wedding trends of 2020 with something that speaks to you as a couple, like using recycled paper and soy based inks for eco-friendly correspondence. Opt for a modern vibe by embracing bold colors, pattern and texture in your wedding invites. Or delight a more intimate guest list with a pop-up or acrylic invite that will really wow.

16. Interactive Eats

Donut walls are giving way to more interactive (yet equally delicious) culinary moments. Conveyor belts doll out appetizers, while molecular gastronomy shows up at dinner. It’s all about the presentation and the flare factor. And flavors are getting an update too. Opt for a moment of fusion cuisine on your wedding reception menu (like: Mexican ravioli, pastrami egg rolls, or breakfast dumplings at the after party).

17. Spray Painted Stems

Greenery is still hip, but this year’s wedding decor trend is getting a colorful makeover. Spray-painted greens, branches, and grasses are adding texture and pops of unnatural color (think neon, frosted pastels and metallics) to arrangements and bouquets. Dip dyed petals are also hot and a fun way to add an unexpected pop of color into the decor mix.

18. To-The-Max Fashion

Our favorite 2020 wedding trends extend to fashion too, and this craze speaks to the classic loving crowd. Big ball gowns, exaggerated sleeves, embellishments and lace—a big departure from the sleek and sexy gowns of years past—are very now. There’s a regal undertone to these looks that feels uber romantic and classic without being expected.

19. Spirited Sips

Mocktails aside, there are a few trending spirits for 2020. Gin is all the rage with no slowdown in sight—it’s perfect for mixing simply or for creating an elaborate, multi-ingredient cocktail. Mezcal is also trending with many new varietals to explore. Lastly, the addition of fizz (sparkling water, champagne, anything with bubbles really) continues to delight partygoers for its celebratory nature.

20. The New Amenity Basket 

Think of this as the ultimate wedding trends #extra. Instead of treating guests to just mints and hairspray (psst, here's what else to include in a wedding bathroom basket), make their trip to the loo more memorable. Stationing tarot card readers, magicians and champagne stations just outside restrooms ensuring the party doesn’t stop, even if you leave the dance floor. Want to really go all out? Stock up on dozens of tubes of drugstore lipstick and watch the ladies go wild.

Rasberrys recommended February reads

Maeme was gifted the green thumb in the family.  During the growing season, where can you find Maeme? In the garden of course!   This month her recommended reading is the cookbook "Let's Stay In".  Yes, Pinterest is a source of inspiration, but there is something about the feel of a book - cookbook for that matter. 

Let’s Stay In: More than 120 Recipes to Nourish the People You Love by Ashley Rodriguez

Let's Stay In is all about effortless hospitality, meaningful family meals, and an appreciation for the magic of meals shared with others. Families, neighbors, friends, and loved ones will find a different kind of love around the table together, connecting over memorable meals. The recipes walk you through every meal of the day with delicious breakfasts, easy lunches, inviting dinners, and Ashley's signature incredible desserts:

• Breakfasts of Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew with Poached Eggs, Breakfast BLTs, and Spiced Raisin Scones

• Midday meals of Zucchini, Gruyere & Basil Quesadillas, Ricotta, Speck and Plum Salsa Tartine, and Ivy's Split Pea Soup

• Table-groaning dinners of Steak Tacos with Radish and Pickled Onions, Oven Baked Risotto with Squash and Rosemary Candied Walnuts, and Grilled Leg of Lamb with Green Sauce

• Sweets and drinks like Blood Orange Poppy Seed Upside Down Cake, Guava Coconut Punch, The Easiest Pear Tart, and Cardamom Cream Soda

Ruth Reichel visiting Sun Valley was definitely a 2019 highlight for Callie.  (Thank you Sun Valley Center for the Arts for bringing her here!)  Winter is a good time to grab a cup of tea, a cozy blanket and a good book.  This is Callie's February pick for recommended reading.  Enjoy!  

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl

My Kitchen Year  follows the change of seasons—and Reichl’s emotions—as she slowly heals through the simple pleasures of cooking. While working 24/7, Reichl would “throw quick meals together” for her family and friends. Now she has the time to rediscover what cooking meant to her. Imagine kale, leaves dark and inviting, sautéed with chiles and garlic; summer peaches baked into a simple cobbler; fresh oysters chilling in a box of snow; plump chickens and earthy mushrooms, fricasseed with cream. Over the course of this challenging year, each dish Reichl prepares becomes a kind of stepping stone to finding joy again in ordinary things.

The 136 recipes collected here represent a life’s passion for food: a blistering ma po tofu that shakes Reichl out of the blues; a decadent grilled cheese sandwich that accompanies a rare sighting in the woods around her home; a rhubarb sundae that signals the arrival of spring. Here, too, is Reichl’s enlivening dialogue with her Twitter followers, who become her culinary supporters and lively confidants.

Do you have a new favorite book or cookbook? Let us know what it is! We love recommendations too!

Food Trends 2020

Whole Foods in their fifth year of predicting food trends for the year, called out the following. Regenerative agriculture, West African foods, meat-plant blends and new varieties of flour are the food influences and movements anticipated to take off this year.

1. Regenerative Agriculture

Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. While the term “regenerative agriculture” can have many definitions, in general it describes farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change. You can help by seeking out brands that support regenerative practices.

2. Flour Power

As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an array of interesting flours are entering the market making baking more inclusive and adventurous. Consumers on the baking bandwagon are seeking out ingredients used in traditional dishes, like teff flour used for Ethiopian injera. 2020 will bring more interesting fruit and vegetable flours (like banana!) into home pantries, with products like cauliflower flour in bulk and baking aisles, rather than already baked into crusts and snack products. Consumer packaged goods are getting in on the trend by replacing traditional alternative flours with tigernut flour in chips and snack foods, and tasty pastries made with seed flour blends. As consumers look for more ways to boost their bake, “super” flours delivering protein and fiber join the trend. Let the adventures in baking begin!

3. Foods from West Africa

From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy dishes, traditional West African flavors are popping up everywhere in food and in beverage. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chili peppers form a base for many West African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and lemongrass are all common additions. The 16 nations within West Africa share similar foods, but each have their own specialties based on subtle influences from the Middle East and Western Europe. Brands are looking to West Africa for its superfoods too like moringa and tamarind, and lesser-known cereal grains sorghum, fonio, teff and millet.

4. Out-of-the-Box, Into-the-Fridge Snacking

Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options are more than keeping up. The keyword is “fresh” in this new generation of grabbing and going—gone are the days when the only options were granola bars and mini pretzel bags. The refrigerated section is filling up with the kind of wholesome, fresh snacks typically prepared and portioned in advance at home: hard-boiled eggs with savory toppings, pickled vegetables, drinkable soups and mini dips and dippers of all kinds, all perfectly portioned and in convenient single-serve packaging. Even nutrition bars have made their way from the shelves to the chiller, thanks to the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables. These snacking innovations mean ingredients lists are shrinking and there’s a lot less guesswork in picking up a quick snack you can feel better about.

5. Plant-Based, Beyond Soy

Tofu scrambles may always have a place at the vegan breakfast table, but in 2020 the trendiest brands are slowing down on soy, which has traditionally dominated the plant-based protein space. Some of the products touting “no soy” in the next year will be replacing it instead with innovative blends (like grains and mung beans) to mimic the creamy textures of yogurts and other dairy products. In the supplement aisle, brands are swapping soy for mung bean, hempseed, pumpkin, avocado, watermelon seed and golden chlorella, maintaining the smooth textures in vegan protein powders and bringing a spectrum of plant-based amino acids to the table. As the plant-based movement gains traction with flexitarian eaters, brands are looking to avoid as many of the top allergens as possible, so look for plant-based prepared foods (especially meat alternatives) and traditionally soy-based condiments going soy-less!

6. Everything Butters and Spreads

Has (insert nut, seed, snack) been made into a butter yet? It’s likely to happen in 2020. Think seed butters beyond tahini – like watermelon seed butter – and seasonal products like pumpkin butter year-round. Nut butters beyond cashew, almond, and peanut (hello, macadamia) and even chickpea butters (no, it’s not a new name for hummus). Look for creamy vegan spreads perfect for toast, crackers, bagels and celery sticks that get their full flavors from trending superfoods like pili. It helps the trend that spreads and butters are touting paleo- and keto-friendly attributes, but transparency is also a key player in this trend. Many brands are looking to either eliminate the use of palm oil or promote a Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil certification and use nuts that are grown in ways with less likelihood for environmental impact.

7. Rethinking the Kids’ Menu

Are the days of picky eaters numbered? Judging from the number of kids’ cooking and baking competitions on TV, kids are kitchen-savvier than ever. By 2026, 80% of millennials will have children, and many parents are introducing their kids to more adventurous foods — with great results. (Seeing kids chowing down alongside parents at the Whole Foods Market sushi bar is a common sight.) Food brands are taking notice for the next generation – possibly our first true “foodies” – expanding the menu beyond nostalgic foods with better-for-you ingredients and organic chicken nuggets. They’re bridging the gap from old-school basic kids’ menus and taking more sophisticated younger palates into consideration. Think non-breaded salmon fish sticks. Foods that are fermented, spiced or rich in umami flavors. Colorful pastas in fun shapes made from alternative flours. Maybe it’s time adults start taking some cues from the kids’ menu.

8. Not-So-Simple Sugars

Sure, there’s sugar. But for those seeking sweetness outside of the usual suspects like sugar, stevia, honey and maple syrup, there’s lots more to choose from for your cooking, baking and tea- or coffee-stirring needs. Syrupy reductions from fruit sources like monk fruit, pomegranates, coconut and dates are one way to add concentrated, unique flavors into recipes for desserts, meat glazes and marinades. Sweet syrups made from starches like sorghum and sweet potato can be compared to the deep flavors of molasses or honey, and can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Swerve, a cup-for-cup zero-calorie non-glycemic replacement for sugar, combines erythritol with ingredients from fruit and starchy root vegetables to produce a sweetener that’s available in granular, confectioners’ and brown versions.

9. Meat-Plant Blends

Butchers and meat brands won’t be left out of the “plant-based” craze in 2020, but they’re not going vegetarian. For the health-conscious at-home chef, adding plant-based ingredients to meatballs and burgers has an added bonus – it’s budget-friendly! Major brands like Applegate are seeing if meat-eating consumers will swap a traditional beef burger for one with 30% plant-based ingredients, touting benefits of less fat and cholesterol when compared to USDA data for regular ground beef . And other brands are taking note, too, with products like the Lika Plus Burger made using 75% ground beef blended with 25% Lika Plus (wheat, mushroom, barley yeast and water), showing up at meat counters in Whole Foods Market’s Southwest region. Flexitarians looking to strike a tasty balance between meats and plants can expect more blended products in their future.

10. Zero-Proof Drinks

With so many consumers seeking out alternatives to alcohol, unique non-alcoholic options are popping up everywhere, from menus at the world’s most acclaimed bars to specialty stores. Many of these beverages seek to re-create classic cocktail flavors using distilling methods typically reserved for alcohol, creating an alternative to liquor meant to be used with a mixer rather than a drink on its own. Think alt-gin for gin and tonics and botanical-infused faux spirits for a faux martini. Add to that options enjoyed straight from the bottle or can, like hops-infused sparkling waters and zero-proof apertifs, and you can be sure guests avoiding the bar cart will never get bored.