Meghan Markle & Prince Eugenie just inspired the biggest wedding trends of 2019

(Image credit: Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock)

You can't deny it, 2018 was quite a big year for weddings, not in the least because there were not one, but two royal weddings. In May, Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry, and in October, Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank, with both couples choosing St George's Chapel and then Windsor castle as their wedding venues.

It turns out they've very much set the tone for wedding trends for the year ahead. According to Bethan Davies, Senior Executive of Special Occasions at Celtic Manor Resort, this is what's going to be hot in the wedding market for 2019.

Eco weddings

The Blue Planet effect has seen increased consumer engagement with environmental issues and we’re seeing couples considering more eco-friendly options for their big day. Princess Eugenie went plastic-free on her big day and where the royals tread, others follow.

Wedding gin bars

If 2018 was the year of popping the Prosecco, 2019 is set to be the year of gin-spiration. From infused gin wedding favours to hiring a mobile ‘gin tin’, we anticipate high demand for new and unusual twists on this juniper-based tipple at weddings next year.

princess eugenie's wedding dress

Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

Wedding mirror selfie

The photo booth has been a firm favourite for many years – giving guests a personal memento to take away with them, as a reminder of the day. However, now with the evolution of tech, couples are looking for exciting ways to capture these special moments and make them easy to share on social channels. From geo-targeted social media filters to virtual mirrors, the possibilities are almost endless.

Nature weddings

We’ve seen this trend emerging throughout this year, with floral displays being front and centre of many of our weddings. In 2019 we’ll see this taken to the next level with lines between indoors and outdoors blurring as couples choose to incorporate nature in their big day. We’re not just talking bouquets and floral halos, but instead grasses and other foliage being heavily featured in wedding décor.

Themed weddings

The best part of my job is making sure that everyone’s special day is unique. One of my highlights from the past year was a Harry Potter themed wedding and next year we’re anticipating the rise of brides-men and groom-girls. I’m sure we’ll see some spectacular themed weddings in the year ahead as well as surprising developments across the whole industry.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.