Trends through the decades

In the weddings department at Berkeley Castle, we love nothing more than to look at the different trends that have popped up throughout the years, and remember nostalgically all the unusual and wonderful ‘looks’ that have graced our aisle!

 

1970s

 

The 1970s was a great decade in fashion, with many of today’s wedding trends originating from this era. The Boho look really took off during the 70’s with flora & fauna being a huge inspiration. Loose fitting dresses, floral head pieces, and even bare-footed brides were widespread.

 

 

 

Garden weddings were made popular by Tricia Nixon-Cox who hosted her special day in the White House Gardens.

 

 

The 70’s also heralded the ‘wedding DJ’ with discos becoming more and more prevalent.

 

 

1980s

 



The 1980s was a decade of big hair and even bigger accessories. Wedding dresses were dramatic, with large puffed sleeves and an abundance of frills and laced cuffs.

 

 

The style icon of the decade was Princess Diana, whose dress had a 25 foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil.

 

 

Bouquets were also larger than life, and this era brought about the popularity of cascading bouquets.

 

 

Balloons were also very popular both as centre pieces and archways. Additionally, the 80’s heralded the start of wedding videography as video cameras became more accessible.

 

1990s

The 1990s were the polar opposite to the 80s. Minimalistic designs and sleek dresses were on trend, with Carolyn Bessette being the perfect example when she married John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996.

 

 

 Slinky and sexy silk gowns took preference over the former embellished layers favoured the decade before. The 90s also saw a rise in popularity of cloned dresses, makeup and hairstyles for bridesmaids, starting the “matchy-matchy” trend.

 

 

Blockbuster films like ‘Father of the Bride’ and ‘Four Weddings & a Funeral’ produced a surge in the business of weddings. This held both pros and cons for brides & grooms as there were far more choices and an abundance of inspiration, yet the prices rose significantly.

 

 

 

 

2000s

 



At the start of the millennium, the 2000s heralded an increase in non-religious ceremonies and dresses reflected this change. Strapless gowns shot up in popularity with straight or sweetheart necklines.

 

 

Satin & taffeta were more common and crystals were used instead of lace. Destination weddings boomed as people moved away from the traditional church ceremony, and exotic flowers like hibiscus featured more frequently.

 

 

It was also the decade of the cupcake with many couples favouring these ‘fairy cakes’ over the traditional tiered cake.