Wedding Entertainment Trends In 2024
Photo: Paul Robert Berman
Wedding entertainment trends in 2024 will continue to evolve, building on the dramatic changes and innovations we've seen in recent years. After the event industry's hiatus in 2020/2021, both clients and businesses are seeking to create unique experiences for their events. We've witnessed the return of bands and the emergence of Band-DJ fusion acts. My commitment to innovating and advancing the wedding DJ, entertainment, and lighting aspects of my industry has allowed me to share insights at conferences, consult, and travel across the country, bringing a fresh perspective. Here are the wedding entertainment trends for 2024 that I believe will leave a mark.
The Rise of Personalized Music Experiences
Today’s wedding couples are more savvy and in tune with DJs and music overall. The rise of festivals and EDM in the early 2010s has spotlighted what DJs truly do. With music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal, the world of music is literally at our fingertips. This means the typical soundtrack of Top 200 Wedding Songs that many DJs have relied on for years is now obsolete! Diverse music tastes mean that our wedding music should and will become more unique.
There are several fantastic music planning tools available now for wedding entertainment vendors. I personally use Vibo with my couples, which allows us to blend their dream wedding playlists with my curated suggestions and a built-in search of almost every song and version in existence (if it's on the internet, we can probably find it).
When I work with my couples, one of our first meetings is a Music Foundations meeting. We discuss how music plays a role in their lives, their favorite songs, best concert experiences, and more. This part of my process allows me to better understand my clients and delve deeper into their music personalization.
Less wedding traditions
The writing has been on the wall for a while with some wedding traditions such the bouquet toss; and well thankfully the garter toss is pretty much a thing of the past. As weddings get more personalized and less cookie-cutter we’ll be seeing other traditions change or disappear as well.
When it comes to the reception, expect to see a lot more cocktail style receptions. There of course will be food, but limited and un-assigned seating will be the norm here. This style is going to put more emphasis on the party and socialization among all the guests rather than just the people who are seated at each table.
The Grand Entrance is also seeing a lot of changes. Some couples have been opting to only have themselves be announced into the room, or are completely doing away with it. In 2023 I only did a couple of entrances where we did the entire wedding party couple by couple. I expect to see a continuation of what I refer to as the ‘Squad Entrance’ (introducing all the wedding party for each partner all together) in 2024 for those who do want to have this moment.
Finally I think that we will see a change in Parent Dances. I’ve done a few group parent dance this year and rally like this style. It will start with both partners dancing with their respective parent or chosen family member and then half way through the newlyweds dance with each other while the other parents come to the dancefloor to join their partner. This is a nice way of including the parents who often get left out during the parent dance!
Immersive Lighting Design
Wedding lighting design was once an afterthought. During the pandemic, as we spent more time at home, whether consciously or not, we started paying more attention to the lighting in our spaces. Do you have any smart lights in your house? Can you change the color? Automate them?
These are all innovations that originated in the event and live entertainment world! For years, wedding entertainment lighting has gotten by with all-in-one solutions, often called gig bars or effect lights. Quite frankly, these lights are unattractive and can turn any wedding into something reminiscent of a middle school dance or a novelty gift shop.
Wedding lighting should be more thoughtful and can be used to accentuate spaces. When combined with color theory, lighting can be used in conjunction with music to affect energy and the overall feeling in the room. This is more than just placing a few uplights around the room. Immersive lighting design for your wedding requires using multiple different types and styles of lights, along with advanced programming, to create a cohesive experience with the music and formalities of the day.
My approach to this growing wedding entertainment trend has been to focus on results rather than the tools. I don't expect my clients to know or even want to know if they should be asking for 12 or 24 uplights, pin spots, or pixel tubes. However, they can expect that the professional they have hired, whether a DJ or lighting company (or both in our case), does know and also knows how to best utilize those tools.
Photo: Kataram Studios Aerialist: Golden Arrow
Interactive Entertainment
We are not talking about the DJ leading the Cupid Shuffle or any other line dances (shudder), we’re talking about creating experiences again here! There are three areas I really expect to see more of as a wedding entertainment trend in 2024.
The first is performance-based entertainment. This could mean professional dancers moving through the crowd, an aerialist welcoming guests into cocktail hour, or even a drag performance!
The hidden bar is another trend we'll see more of in 2024. This incorporates a wall or fake hedge wall with a bell. Guests ring the bell for service and a white-gloved hand appears through the hedge or a small window in the wall, with a cocktail or champagne in hand! It's a bit silly but fun, and also creates a cool picture or video for social media!
Photo Booths
Photo Booths have been a staple at weddings and events for years, but there are some new approaches to their delivery! One which we have embraced is the Dance Floor Selfie Station! Instead of setting up a backdrop and a large table full of boas and silly hats, we've been bringing a kiosk-style photo booth directly to the corner of the dance floor. This makes your dance floor the backdrop and allows for more spontaneous pictures, all while keeping your guests on the dance floor.
The other move is less of a photo booth and more of a photo activation. This includes actual sets like gold-wrapped spaces, a ski lift, a fancy lounge, and more. These activations often come with a dedicated photographer and produce a high-quality photo that your guests will actually want and may even use over and over again!
I may be a bit partial to this one, but this photo was taken by Banga Booth in one of their innovative sets!
Looking Ahead: Future Predictions for Wedding Trends
We are currently in an AI Revolution, and there is no doubt that it will become part of the entertainment world in the future. I do think that at some level, AI will have the ability to take over some music responsibilities, but it will still lack the human touch. On the other hand, well-prepared professionals will and are finding ways to embrace and integrate it into their work. AI will only replace those who are not willing to change and evolve.
We will also see an evolution in how weddings are celebrated. Traditions are being changed and dropped. We've seen a lot fewer bouquet tosses, and thankfully, I've only seen one garter removal/toss in the last 5 years (so cringe).
Ceremonies will also start to change. In 2020/2021, we saw a lot of micro-weddings and smaller guest counts. Bigger weddings are back, but we're seeing more couples opt for an intimate ceremony with close friends and family, with the rest of their guests arriving later in the evening.
Planned wedding afterparties are also going to continue. Some couples want both a band and a DJ and will split the dancing portion of their reception into two parts, or just extend the night even further. The afterparty also allows an opportunity for music to get a little looser... like playing the stuff you don't want grandma to hear!
Wrapping up Wedding Entertainment Trends in 2024
Customized experiences are the future of weddings in 2024 and beyond. Investing in this life moment should not be cookie-cutter, and couples are realizing that and rightfully asking their vendor teams to be creative and innovative.
Though I had been a DJ for a long time, I had been hesitant about jumping into weddings until I started to see that there were a few DJs starting to innovate. I now pride myself on being an innovator and creative in this industry to make sure that no couple feels like their wedding was just a copy of someone else's.
If you'd like to discuss working together for your 2024 wedding or beyond, I'd love to speak with you. Click here to get started.
