The top trends for 2024
In 2023, we brought you the first-ever Poppy Wedding Trends report. We forecast five key trends; rust-colored flowers, monobloom bouquets, Vegas-inspired weddings, Italian countryside vibes, and raw and candid photography. This year, we’re excited to show you the five big trends that we believe will shape how couples choose to make their impact with flowers.
Rebecca Glayzer, Senior Manager of Merchandising, noted, “We see couples looking to make more of an impact with flowers – even if making a bigger impact is done in small ways, like with bud vase trios or mixing and matching high centerpieces with smaller vases.”
Bows What's the perfect pairing for flowers? It's a unanimous vote: bows. This year, the bow trend is making waves, and it's not just a passing fad—it's here to stay. We expect bows to be huge in 2024 weddings and beyond. We are seeing bows on candles, bows on fruits, bows on champagne glasses – bows everywhere.
Photography by Joss Li Photo In 2023, the demand for bows was so intense from Poppy couples that we sold over 10,000 feet of ribbon, a 210 percent increase compared to 2022. Bows are not just an accessory; they're a statement.
“Bows are going to continue to evolve. We’re seeing bows around flowers and around the table. People will incorporate bows into their champagne stems, on taper candles, bows in hair. We’re even seeing entire centerpieces made of bows and flowers,” Rebecca noted. Get ready to tie the knot—literally!
Floral jewelry Wedding flowers aren’t just table adornments, they are wearable art. In 2024, we are seeing the timeless corsage and boutonniere transform from small accents into lavish floral jewelry. Boutonnieres have continued to evolve, particularly with the chic "pocket bout." This stylish floral accessory effortlessly slides into the jacket pocket. For 2024—the trendsetting "lapel bout" is stealing the spotlight. The lapel bout features a cascade of blooms adorning the suit lapel, making a bold and unforgettable statement that will echo the wedding's color scheme.
At Poppy, our data show that couples were investing more of their wedding floral budget into boutonnieres and corsages. We’re just starting to see trends toward more lavish boutonnieres and corsages. In 2023, corsage spending increased, on average, by 15 percent accompanied by a 4 percent increase in the average number of stems per corsage.
For corsages, gold cuffs have become the new standard for corsages. Truly stopping the show are the emergence of large, lavish corsages designed to complement a gown. These corsages can be worn around the shoulder or around the neck.
“The pocket bout is super popular and the lapel bout is a newer thing we’re seeing. The lapel bout is a bold choice for couples that want to make big statements with flowers. For corsages, the gold cuff is a new standard and they are so easy as keepsakes too, people can wear their cuffs after the weddings. We’re also seeing shoulder corsages, a spray of flowers that can compliment a gown,” said Rebecca.
Monobloom Throughout 2023, we’ve seen a huge uptick in monobloom florals – imagine wedding flowers that are only sweetpeas, anemones, or roses – a single type of flower in a single color. On the coasts, in California and New York we’re seeing the revival of red. Monochromatic red. Imagine a whole wedding of red Nina roses. It’s not your standard classic red rose, instead we will see people choosing flowers that take red to another level.
Photography by Wisteria Jade Photo We’re still seeing a deep love of rust, as we noted last year. The earth tones are still beloved by couples. We’re seeing monobloom done in more vibrant palettes. For example, we are seeing earth tones as accents in all-white palettes. Toffee roses, terracotta colored roses, aren’t going anywhere, they are just being used in new ways.
“This true deep red is going to be big in 2024. We’re also seeing reds and blushes mixed together. Doing monobloom in deep red makes a statement without using 5,000 different types of stems to create an impact. You really only need two types of stems – and bam. We’re also seeing big heart shaped cakes with retro designs. Like 80s over the top, pretty-in-pink vibes,” noted Rebecca.
Quiet luxury Deeply understated opulence, meticulous care and craft, and subtle beauty define the quiet luxury trend. This year, quiet luxury is coming for wedding flowers. Bouquets are becoming smaller, more petite, and even tiny. Refined and petite, these smaller bouquets complement the wedding outfit without stealing the show. We’re seeing many different styles of smaller bouquets – a small bouquet of baby’s breath, stock, or ranunculus – but we’re seeing an uptick in a preference for petite bouquets.
Photography by Jamie Park Photo Another quiet luxury design we love for ceremony aisles are grounded florals, where the stem comes directly out the ground. This design works best with heartier, durable stems like carnations, roses and spray roses. There is no vessel, it’s luxurious and very stylized.
“We’re seeing this trend of quiet luxury mix with the monobloom. Think, just sweet peas, anemones, or roses, a single type of a flower in a single color. We’re seeing the petite bouquets done beautifully in white. You can mix and match a bunch of stems in all white, and it always looks wonderful. It’s timeless. Bows are playing a role here too. The ultimate trend: a single stem bouquet with a bow tied around the stem,” Rebecca noted.
In Poppy’s data, we saw a huge uptick in bridesmaids bouquet designs, which are typically smaller than the bridal bouquet, being used for bridal. In 2023, we saw a 267 percent increase in these smaller bouquets being used as bridal bouquets.
Photography by Jamie Park Photo Victorian-core We are seeing the resurgence of the Victorian era in wedding decor, a trend being called “Victorian Core.” Think rich fabrics, bright colors, opulence, florals, vines, patterns – more is more with this aesthetic.
Photography by Kelly Adriana Photography At Poppy, we’re already seeing an increase in requests for Victorian style weddings — couples getting married in 2024 have asked for Victorian style flowers 67 percent more than couples we worked with in 2023.
“For receptions, we’re seeing many different ways to do Victorian style florals. For example, you can mix and match high centerpieces with bud vases. For the wedding couple’s first meal together at the reception, roughly half are choosing a sweetheart table for their first meal as a married couple together, and about half are choosing the long banquet-style tables where the wedding party is sitting together,” said Rebecca.
Photography by Keith Garland “For the sweetheart table, we’re seeing a lot of daintier flowers, loose greenery with pops of flowers, which is very Victorian. Some want elongated flower gardens trailing off the table. Banquet tables are getting decorated with Victorian-esque vines, candles, centerpieces and bud vases.”
Photography by Fox and Ivory
The spring rush for wedding flower bookings The most popular months to book wedding flowers As soon as couples embark on their wedding planning journey, the excitement of booking vendors takes center stage. But when is the perfect time to secure those dreamy wedding flowers? As engagements soar in 2024, vendors are in high demand with bookings stretching well into 2025. Making informed decisions early is the key, and Poppy offers couples an efficient platform with 24/7 access to proposals for seamless edits and changes.
According to Poppy's data from 2020 through 2023, the second quarter of the year—April, May, and June—emerges as the prime season for couples to lock in their wedding floral arrangements. In 2023, our data revealed that couples, on average, booked their wedding flowers approximately 5.7 months (or 171 days) before their big day. Cameron, CEO and Founder of Poppy, emphasizes the benefits of early decision-making, ensuring couples stay within budget while securing their floral dreams.
“Couples are prioritizing booking vendors that take less time to book. Booking in advance is a great way to adhere to your budget, because you know the costs. We are seeing a boom in engagements coming in 2024. Vendors are getting booked out well into 2025 already. If couples know where they want to spend their money, then they can and should make those decisions sooner. Poppy is a very efficient way to book your wedding flowers. Poppy couples also have 24/7 access to their proposals to make edits, so they benefit by making the decision and having more time to make changes,” shared Cameron.
Fall weekends are for weddings The most popular days and months for weddings Autumn months bring changing leaves, sunny days, crisper temperatures, and a whole lot of weddings. Based on Poppy data, it’s clear that couples getting married have been waiting for summer heat to cool off before saying “I do!” And in terms of days for wedding celebrations, the inimitable Saturday is everyone’s favorite.
What are the least popular months to get married? January and February are the least popular wedding months, with only 2 percent of couples choosing these wintry months.
The most popular wedding day of the week is Saturday, by far. The runner up for wedding day bliss is Friday. And coming in for third place: Sunday. Across all Poppy weddings, 59 percent of weddings occurred on a Saturday.
In 2023, 57 percent of couples chose Saturday for their wedding, 18 percent selected Friday, 18 percent selected Sunday, followed by Thursday, Monday, Tuesday, with Wednesday as the least popular day.
Classic colors win in wedding floral colors The most popular wedding floral colors Now, we will dive into the realm of color palettes — one of our very favorite topics at Poppy. Over the past three years, wedding florals have seen pops of color, rusty and earthy neutrals and rainbow palettes. Above all, what stands out is the undeniable trend of couples gravitating toward bright and elegant white color palettes over the past three years.
In 2023, 25 percent of couples chose the Elegant White palette for their wedding flowers and across all Poppy weddings 17 percent of couples have chosen Elegant White. The second-most popular color palettes were Golden Canyon, deep reds, oranges, and yellows, Sunset, which include vibrant corals, yellow, orange and pink and lastly, Blush of pale pinks and whites.
“Elegant white is just classic. We work with so many different people across the country, and couples in every region asking for elegant white. There are a variety of stems that come in white– roses are tried and true. People looking for soft, fluffier flowers in white can use delphinium, ranunculus, or stock. We’re also seeing the petite bouquets done beautifully in white. You can mix and match a bunch of stems in all white, and it always looks wonderful. It’s timeless,” shared Rebecca.
“Rainbow color palettes are very popular for a vibrant look. For spring weddings and early summer weddings, couples love rainbow pastels,” Rebecca continued. “For rainbow color palettes, we use flowers like scabiosa, ranunculus, larkspur, lisianthus, spray roses and carnations. When it comes to vibrant palettes, we’re seeing carnations and they are great for more budget-friendly styles.”
The artful allocation of the wedding floral budget The floral budget and how it gets spent As couples plan their wedding, the floral budget becomes their canvas for creativity. Diving into the four primary categories of wedding flower arrangements—ceremony, reception, cocktail, and personals—couples expand their initial budget as their wedding vision unfolds. Across the thousands of Poppy weddings, our data show that couples, on average, spend 17 percent more on wedding flowers than their original budget.
Rebecca Glayzer, Senior Manager of Merchandising, highlighted that most couples spend more than their original budget as their wedding takes shape throughout the planning process.
In 2023, couples budgeted more and spent more on wedding flowers, couples spent 17 percent more than their stated budgets. This is a jump from 2022, when more couples stayed closer to their stated budget and spent, on average, 14 percent more on their flowers than their budget. In 2023, we saw the average number of stems per wedding jump to 668, a 19 percent increase from 561 stems used in each wedding on average, in 2022. Couples spent most of the wedding floral budget on reception florals in 2023. Over the past three years, Poppy data show an average of 21 floral arrangements per wedding reception.
In 2023, couples adorned their receptions with even more flowers – couples selected 22 floral arrangements, on average, per wedding reception, a 2 percent jump from an average of 21 floral arrangements per wedding reception in 2022.
“We’re seeing more floral spending going toward the wedding reception. Couples are spending on big statements like flower clouds and more centerpieces for tables, because the couple expanded their guest list. We also are seeing a spike in personals – couples add a few more bouts or bouquets, or a special corsage for a family member,” said Rebecca.
Looking ahead, couples in 2024 seem to be shifting priorities toward personals. We’re seeing a drop off in 2024 weddings down to 14 floral arrangements per wedding reception for next year.