Here’s your annual round up of what’s hot in Dallas weddings right now—complete with inspiration for how to incorporate them.
Neck Scarves
Rachel Zachary wanted her wedding look to fit the “sophisticated but whimsical” vibe of the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park, where she wed Clay Cox on June 8, 2024. For the outdoor ceremony, she paired a Martina Liana gown with a butterfly-dotted veil, which she then swapped out for the accessory of the moment: a thin satin neck scarf, worn draped behind the shoulders. “It created a regal second look with zero effort,” she says.
Butterflies
Doves used to be the king of all winged things when it came to weddings, but butterflies have assumed the throne, says planner Julian Leaver of Julian Leaver Events. “I think butterflies resonate so deeply with couples because they symbolize transformation and renewal, both of which feel so aligned with marriage,” he says. Emily Merritt and Brian Adler’s dimensional escort-card wall—created by Chelsea Carpenter of Southern Fried Paper—was not only a memorable way for guests to find their seats but also “double[d] as a selfie backdrop throughout the evening,” says Chelsea.
Painterly Cakes
Trending cakes like this one, which utilize a technique known as palette knife florals, look like a work of art—and that’s no accident. “I basically use the same tools you’d use [to apply] oil paint onto a canvas and apply that using buttercream as the medium,” explains Johnny Rodriguez of Sweet Treets Bakery in Austin, who created this maximalist masterpiece for Regan Wiesner and Mark Prado’s colorful celebration. Sweet Treets owners Anna and Ashley Neave say the beauty of this style is its lack of uniformity. “Every piece cut will be like a fragment of a work of art,” they say. “No two slices will look the same.”
Instant Photography
“When I got married in 2023, our friend surprised us by taking Polaroids throughout our wedding day,” says photographer Lauren Ott, who loved the resulting images so much that she began including them as part of her wedding package for all her clients—like Cortney Kulbeth (pictured) and Collin Page. Similar to the resurgence that film photography enjoyed in the aughts, Polaroids are popular with couples, who enjoy the candid nature of the instant pictures. “[They] capture the real moments from our wedding day,” says Cortney.
Residential-Style Florals
It seems home is where the heart is for some modern-minded couples, as earthen vessels resembling residential-style planters are replacing tall glass vases more traditionally used for reception arrangements. Samantha Mora of Branching Out Events has seen a surge in garden-inspired containers, such as this one at Cheyenne Knight and Easton Stick’s Arlington Hall reception, which she says embody “a modern interpretation of the garden look—clean, refined, and effortlessly organic.” Jess Wegner of Jess Wegner Events says the simplicity and size of the planter was key in achieving the right look. “We wanted something impactful but not busy,” she notes.
