As of 2020 and, at the time this is being written, into the middle of 2021, there has been a marked increase in outdoor wedding events. Though mask restrictions were lifted in a number of places by the middle of June, 2021, the end of the month saw 

local officials shift back to previous safety suggestions; and certain areas of Canada have hardly relaxed at all. How did many couples get around such restrictions in 2020 and 2021?

Well, a lot of them elected to have more outdoor events where there were less restrictive venues available. This can be a good thing, as the natural décor of the great outdoors can certainly enhance associated festivities—this is especially true in summertime environments.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you must have the event in the summer. You might just go to a place where temperate climate predominates throughout the year.

There are downsides, though; chief among them weather issues. The weather is not going to cooperate with you all the time. Regardless of society’s woes, rain storms come and go.

On the lighter side, greenery and dried flowers are becoming increasingly popular. It’s a strange thing, but there are floral designs with flowers that have dried that incorporate earthy tones in a way that’s really quite beautiful.

There’s an avant-garde, almost ironic nature to such decorative designs as well; further enhancing their increasing popularity. Basically, bouquets of flowers that look beautiful when dried and arranged are making a notable splash.

But on the opposite end of things, you’ve got an increase in greenery. For example, along the aisles of an indoor or outdoor wedding there might be English Ivy, vines, or floral arrangements where green leaves are more visible than the flowers atop them.

Some weddings in 2022 are going to incorporate both dried flower bouquets and greenery at once for a contrast. Instead of flowers around aisles and end-pieces, there will be exceptional greenery.

Brides will carry finely arranged dried bouquets. Alternations of both may adorn the walls roundabout a given space, or be attached to outdoor gazebos built for the purpose.

Because of supply chain breakdowns and economic woes, many decorative solutions commissioned at the planning stages of weddings in 2020 fell through. To fill the void, many weddings elected to design Do It Yourself decorations.

DIY décor actually started getting a little popular as a result, and has carried over into 2021. Given the increasing uncertainty, the unique charm involved in DIY décor, and the cost-effectiveness of this route, you can expect to see an increase 

in DIY arrangements over the next year, into 2022, and likely beyond. There has always been a DIY element to many weddings; but you can expect this to be a lot more mainstream going forward.

Accordingly, you might just plan for it. It depends on how “crafty” you are when it comes to decoration; but you’ve likely got some friends who would love to help. If you don’t, a bit of planning beforehand may reveal surprising, effective, beautiful possibilities.

Look for an increase in DIY décor in 2022; and maybe even plan to include some anyway for fun.

Imagine an outdoor wedding where, in the distance, over the lake or ocean where the gazebo with flowers shaped like a heart looks upon a pristine cerulean blue expanse as the sun sets; in such a locale imagine a hundred drones put on a brilliant light show of the bride and groom.

Something like this could take place during the ceremony, or it could be a feature of the reception. Drone technology has gotten to the point where such machines aligned via programming remotely can be used to paint pictures in the sky.

Generally, this is best done at night, but there are a lot of creative applications of the DIY variety which could be fun in the late afternoon as well—or even in broad daylight. Think: streamers. Imagine drones flying a message via banner high in the sky in a way more 

affordable than hiring a plane to do the same. Also, imagine augmented reality; or IoT décor which can be nebulous enough to shift based on guest proximity.

Expensive decoration, certainly; but as these things become more tangible in the mainstream, they’ll be applied more often. A great example of tech options of this kind changing wedding plans is this series of portrait paintings.

If you’re going to turn wedding photos into luxurious paintings, you want to get pictures in a way conducive to later enhancement. Lighting, angles, focus—these things will come into play.

Expect tech to play a bigger part in 2022’s wedding events during and after.

Weddings are expensive when there aren’t restrictions—and there’s a family of thought that says they should be. However, getting young dreams manifested in the real world with increasing expenses is something intangible for many young couples.

Sure, if you’ve got the resources, you can travel to places where there are no restrictions. Not everyone can. What 2020 and 2021 saw as a result were more intimate weddings.

In many places, venues can have ceremonies provided no more than a set amount of people attend. Well, even before 2020, there were plenty of occasions where weddings only included a dozen people or so.

As 2022 looms, such events may be by design rather than necessity. An intimate affair can still feel large owing to technology, though; so there’s that silver lining.

Through tech vehicles like Zoom, secondary guests can tune into the event. Maybe the bride and groom have their immediate family at the venue with attendance restrictions, and livestreams the event to friends who aren’t able to come.

Speaking of livestream ceremonies generally, 2020 saw the rise of Zoom weddings. These represent a creative way to overcome lockdown restrictions, and in some places they’re really the only option.

If the present uncertainty as regards restrictions continues, it’s just possible Zoom events are still going to be defining certain ceremonies in 2022. The silver lining here is, you can have quality footage in a quality location at much less expense, while 

simultaneously including everyone remotely. There’s no getting around it, though; Zoom weddings just aren’t going to have the same kind of reception.

Still, if there’s no other option, going this route is better than nothing—maybe you and the groom plan a better event a few months or years down the line when you can afford it.

It’s just possible that when all the oppressive measures ostensibly designed for safety have run their course, that there will be a trend built around redoing weddings which suffered from restrictions.

If that happens, you can bet those throwing these wedding redos will be quite well represented statistically. So maybe you get to be married twice, and the second time results in a knock-down drag-out party of a reception.

After all, once the pressure is off, you’re just throwing a well-designed soiree. So go all out! It could be like a Ball out of the Victorian age, but with the fun of modern sensibility.

Perhaps the most expected trend of 2022 is going to be destination weddings. Maybe you can’t afford to leave Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver or Calgary or Edmonton.

Maybe you can afford to book a destination in Red Deer of Alberta, near pristine spots along the river that snakes through town. Maybe you go to the many fine locations around Vancouver, north of Puget Sound.

Perhaps you head out of Canada entirely; to countries who have fewer restrictions, and allow for more traditional venue reservation. There are a lot of different ways to get around localized restrictions through simple travel.

It’s the cost that tends to be the boss here. Maybe James Brown paid the cost to be the boss, but a lot of young couples are fighting budgets.

Still, if you can swing it, this may be the way to have your wedding cake and eat it, too. The Caribbean is going to be hot in 2021, and it will likely remain that way into 2022.

Just because your home is in Montreal doesn’t mean you can’t have a wedding on the beach in The Virgin Islands, or some similar tropical locale. Expect more destination weddings in 2022.