Our Favorite Wedding Details of 2023

Butterfly Installation Wedding Details in Walkway — Photo by Gideon Photography

As a leading publication in the bridal space, we cover everything within the realm of weddings, from wedding dress shopping tips to expert advice on navigating family dynamics. However, one of the most compelling wedding-related topics we get to explore at Brides is the story of real couples’ nuptials. Many of the real weddings that we feature on our site are filled with out-of-the-box designs and personalized décor that make every celebration—whether it’s an elopement in Big Sur or a multi-day affair in Lake Como—distinctive, meaningful, and moving.

In honor of 2023 coming to a close, we’re taking a look back at our real weddings and all of the beautiful details that brought these celebrations to life. Over the past 12 months, we saw visual masterpieces painted on invitations, floating escort cards suspended from hot air balloons, ceilings engulfed with ripples of fabric, and other striking decorations that took our breath away. If you’re looking for the ultimate source of inspiration for your nuptials, scrolling through these innovative décor moments is the best place to start.

Ahead, the most unique wedding details we saw in 2023.

01 of 20

Hand-Painted Invitations

Hand-Painted Wedding Invitations With Illustration of Italian Villa Venue — Photo by Rossini Photography

Your wedding invitations are an excellent place to relay information about your upcoming celebration—both through the written text and the visual design. Before Jasmin White and Tom Moulton tied the knot at their Old Hollywood soirée in Rome, they used their stationery to highlight their Italian villa venue with an illustrated masterpiece. "Momental Designs created a custom stationery suite for us and completely exceeded our expectations by hand-painting the villa and beautiful white florals on the invitations,” the bride recapped. “It really helped set the tone for the style of our wedding.”

02 of 20

Custom Merchandise Gifts

Custom Merchandise With Camp Siratt Branding for Welcome Bags — Photo by Caroline Lima Photography

Many couples who decide to put together welcome bags for their guests often distribute local goodies that reflect the culture of the surrounding area. But when Julianna Beathard and Lee Siratt got married at their camp-themed wedding in Texas, they elevated their gifts with custom “Camp Siratt” merchandise, which included a baseball hat, a water bottle, and a koozie branded with the label. “To this day, I still see our friends and family wearing their ‘Camp Siratt’ hats around, and it makes us so happy,” the couple shared.

03 of 20

A Time-Efficient Welcome Sign

Arched Welcome Sign With Itinerary of the Wedding — Photo by Brett Seay Photo

Welcome signs are an ideal opportunity to set the expectation for what’s to come, and including a full itinerary for the day ahead is a practical and imaginative way to use the decorative item. On Emily Tsanotelis and Lauren Miller’s core piece of signage for their glamping-themed wedding in North Carolina, the brides included the typical verbiage, but they also added an organized schedule with corresponding times. Putting their plan on full display held everyone accountable to show up on time, so every portion of the event went according to plan.

04 of 20

Picnic-Inspired Ceremony Seating

Plaid Blankets, Pillows, and Picnic Baskets in a Wildflower Field — Photo by Hipster Wedding

Guests often watch the couple of the hour exchange vows from chairs or benches, but Mai Trang Đặng and Tất Đại Nguyễn switched up the typical ceremony seating arrangement at their picnic-inspired wedding in Vietnam. Instead of more formal seats, friends and family rested on picnic blankets and perched on pillows in a wildflower field during the service. The spread created a whimsical, fairy-tale-like effect and made the ceremony feel more intimate.

05 of 20

A Carpeted Aisle

Outdoor Ceremony Setup With Burgundy Printed Rugs Lined With Antique Hydrangeas for the Aisle — Photo by Kate Headley

The bride’s walk down the aisle is one of the most highly-anticipated moments of the wedding, so for Matty Carville’s procession, the bride cushioned hers with carpeting. Before she said “I do” to Sam Joel at her rustic fête on a Virginia farm, Matty waltzed down a spread of printed rugs in burgundy hues, which helped channel a cozy autumnal feel. A border of antique hydrangeas also complemented the arrangement while nodding to the season.

06 of 20

Bohemian Program Fans

Woven and Wooden Fan on White Folding Chair on the Beach — Photo by Lilly Red

The purpose of program fans is twofold—not only do they help guests beat the heat, but they also double as décor. At Rebecca-Lee Chin Merritt and Kieran Walsh’s tropical bash in Jamaica, the bride and groom had a handheld fan placed on each ceremony seat. The woven material and the wooden handle coordinated with the beachy, bohemian aesthetic, while the inscription of the “We Jammin’” tagline and their wedding date added a personal touch.

07 of 20

Hot Air Balloon Escort Cards

Paper Escort Cards Suspended from Floating Hot Air Balloons — Photo by Perry Vaile

Hot air balloons were a recurring motif at Kristy Hawley and Brian Schratz’s carnival-inspired nuptials in Virginia. After the couple took a ride in the aircraft, attendees found their seating assignments on paper escort cards that were suspended from miniature replicas. Each decorative hot air balloon floated above an elevated surface, stamped with a message that read, “Fly away with us.”

08 of 20

A Tailor-Made Bar Design

Custom Blue and White Wallpaper on Bar Inside of a Tent — Photo by Brandon Lata Photography

Catherine Galateria and Dylan Pritchard painted their at-home affair in South Carolina in a wash of blue and white. While most of their wedding details boasted the aforementioned color combination, one standout moment was their bar, which was covered in custom wallpaper. The design—coupled with the sea glass vases and brass lanterns on top—captured the nautical feel of their locale.

09 of 20

A Creative Cocktail Sign

Wave-Shaped Signature Cocktail Sign Next to Pastel Flowers — Photo by Brett Hickman

A rectangular piece of paper is customary for wedding bar signs, but Lauren Taniguchi and James Ebert chose a more creative shape, a wave, for their colorful surf-inspired soirée in Laguna Niguel. Since their nuptials took place on the beach, the bride and groom used the setting and the ocean backdrop as the inspiration behind their vision. The duo even had their signature cocktail menu painted in blue, resembling the Pacific Ocean.

10 of 20

Personalized Signature Drinks

Sparkling Rose Topped With Pictures of the Bride and Groom as Coasters — Photo by Amber Gress Photography

There are so many ways to personalize your drink menu, from the ingredients to the presentation. Taylor Moskowitz and Vlad Popik brought a sentimental flair to their beverages by placing a coaster with a photo of themselves on the rim of each glass. Each boozy refreshment captured the love between the bride and groom, which made their magical pink-hued wedding in New York even more special.

11 of 20

A Doorway Entrance

A Doorway Flanked by Two White Lanterns Surrounded by Greenery — Photo by Elias Kordelakos

Tobi Ojo and Takunda Gwenhure knew how to make an entrance at their fashionable wedding in Greece. Once they arrived at the reception, the couple and their guests entered through a large door, flanked with two oversized white lanterns. This setup integrated an element of interior design into the great outdoors, which created an interesting juxtaposition.

12 of 20

A Colorful Butterfly Installation

Colorful Butterfly Installation Around an Outdoor Door Frame — Photo by Gideon Photography

From the bride’s wedding dress to the reception chairs, butterflies were a focal point of Wylie Abbott and Kelso Stevens’ artistic affair in Mexico. One of our favorite details? An installation made of 5,000 handmade butterflies scattered around the entryway at their reception. The way in which the colorful insects were arranged made it seem as if they were actually flying.

13 of 20

A Clever Neon Sign

Pink Neon Sign on a Pink and Orange Backdrop Above a Retro Couch — Photo by Hannah Baldwin Photography

Neon signs have become a popular trend at wedding receptions—the light-up letters illuminate a space and showcase a telling saying. At the reception for Lindsey Swink and JC Grubbs’ maximalist disco wedding in Maryland, the duo wanted a pink neon sign that said, “Can You Feel the Grubbs Tonight?” on full display in their lounge area. The wording nodded to the couple’s last name, while the vibrant hue fit their retro color palette.

14 of 20

A Reception Runway

Checkered Reception Runway Lined With Lanterns Beneath Chandeliers and Greenery — Photo by Michelle Beller Photography

Emily Beljak and Willy Moffly turned their wedding reception into a fashion show at their elegant wedding in Montecito. In the center of a greenery-clad structure stood a runway, featuring checkered flooring and lined with lanterns, built over a pool of water. The bride and groom made their entrance by walking down that aisle (for the second time of the day), as their friends and family cheered on either side of them.

15 of 20

A Draped Ceiling

Draped White Fabric and Rattan Lanterns Suspended from the Ceiling — Photo by Stetten Wilson

We often see flower chandeliers or hanging greenery installations cover ceilings at couples’ wedding receptions, but Rachel Love and Nic Platt’s innovative iteration at their chic function in Guatemala made a lasting impression on us. The couple had their ceiling draped with curved sheaths of white fabric, which created a dreamy ripple effect. In order to pull this off, the couple and their planner had to remodel the entire venue, meaning they needed to get permits and authorization from all parties involved—in our opinion, the hard work paid off.

16 of 20

A Marble Tabletop

Emerald and Black Marble Tabletop With Matching Place Cards — Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Instead of wrapping their tables in linens, Colleen Melchiorre and Sean Rooney chose an eye-catching pattern for their tabletops: a marble fusion of emerald green and black. The couple even featured that print on the rest of the paper goods, such as their place cards, for their family-focused affair in Florida. The colorful symbol evoked a moody yet natural flair.

17 of 20

Patterned Chargers

White Chargers With Coral Floral Print — Photo by Molly Carr

So often, place settings at wedding receptions feature plain white plates. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with simple china, we always remember a splash of color. Case in point: these cheerful chargers with a coral print at Jen Wang and Matt Ngo’s small wedding in Tuscany. “We wanted to maintain a natural, effortless look with textural centerpieces, organic movement, soft candlelight, and pops of bright coral and orange in both the floral and patterned charger plates,” Jen explained.

18 of 20

Monogrammed Napkins

More and more couples are finding original ways to showcase their custom crests. At Elizabeth Ayer and Brad Nordman’s sophisticated wedding weekend in San Juan, the duo’s monogrammed initials made several appearances throughout their day. Our favorite mention? On their napkins. Tucked underneath blue and white plates, a white napkin embroidered with the joint “E” and “B” gave each place setting a homey feel, while maintaining cohesion.

19 of 20

Flower-Shaped Menus

Paper menus are the norm at weddings, but these flower-shaped versions at Melanie Borinstein and Jake van Leer’s Monet-inspired garden bash definitely stood out from the pack. For dinner, the lineup of dishes was printed on 3D flower cards, stamped with each guest’s name in gold cursive. The botanical touch helped reinforce the couple’s floral-filled vision.

20 of 20

A Realistic Cake Topper

Sculptural Two-Tier Cake With Cake Topper of Bride and Groom — Photo by Larisa Shorina Photography

We’ve seen an abundance of dazzling confessions grace our real weddings, but there’s something about this bride and groom cake topper that made us do a double cake. At the top of Taelor Pawnell and Aaron Fleming’s two-tier sculptural cake stood an exact replica of themselves, even down to the attire they wore for their glamorous wedding in Brooklyn.