In recent years, wedding technology has advanced somewhat and we’re seeing pioneering businesses lead the way with innovative new ideas on how to make the wedding experience, even more, WOW for next-gen couples.
This is largely in response to millennial couples expecting technology to play a big part in their wedding day (as well as in the planning and research phase of their wedding journey) now more than ever before.
Predicted technology trends for 2018
1. Something old something new
We’re not the only wedding business to have detected a surge in the popularity of online invitations between 2016 and 2017, and sending digital invites has become normal custom for many younger wedding planning couples in particular.
In 2018 we’re expecting to see a resurgence of the physical invitation but with a modern ‘techy’ twist.
We predict that on pretty printed wedding invitations, couples will start to ask guests to download an app and scan their personal invite to RSVP, or at the very least, visit their wedding website to respond.
2018 is going to be all about streamlining and efficiencies. Couples want to keep their weddings personal but also make their own lives easier, hence the decision to collect RSVPs all in one place – online.
For wedding stationery suppliers in need of a little inspiration, Interactive Wedding Invitations is a UK based wedding supplier that specialises in making real wedding invitations come to life.
2. Virtual wedding planning
Wedding industry experts expect couples in 2018 to go fully mobile with their wedding plans, using platforms like Bridebook to help them plan their big day.
Millennials want to be able to plan their wedding on the go and have access to all the information they need there and then – right at their fingertips.
According to a Forbes article on tech trends that will shake up content marketing in 2018, 69% of digital media engagement happens on mobile platforms across all industries right now.
Experts predict a continued increase in the entire wedding planning process happening online and we’ll begin to see more and more wedding suppliers developing processes and systems to facilitate this change in behaviour.
3. Photo apps will become the norm
We’re seeing more couples choosing to use photo sharing apps for their wedding day in addition to (not instead of) a professional photographer.
Photo apps like Scripin, mean that guests can be actively involved in the happy couple’s wedding day -taking photos and videos, sharing them with all the other guests in one simple and easy to use app, that you can download after your wedding so you get the complete picture!
4. 3D wedding planning designs
We’ll soon wave goodbye to loose conversations about reception layouts and colour scheme blends because 3D design tools that help couples virtually design and plan their reception rooms and then explore them in 3D are coming in 2018.
These tools do already exist and are becoming increasingly popular within the US wedding industry, so we predict they’ll be crossing the pond into the UK very soon.
These design tools enable couples, suppliers and venues to collaborate in an interactive, real-time way to create beautiful layouts and styles within the room specified.
Couples simply drag and drop wedding themed items into their real wedding venue or a template venue created to the exact measurements of the real deal.
They can then start designing how their day will look – making it almost impossible for wedding suppliers to misinterpret a couple’s requests and in turn, reassuring the couple that everything they’ve chosen works well together.
We expect to see future wedding technology trends build from this idea, and have seen similar examples of virtual wedding planning support in the form of Brookfield Barn which offers 3D virtual tours of their facilities on their website – helping couples and suppliers work together throughout the planning stage without having to actually visit the venue in person.
5. Hidden action cameras
Expect to see GoPro’s in brides’ bouquets, in vicar or registrars’ top pockets, in brides’ hair, on pets walking down the aisle, and even on bottles of alcohol and disco balls!
As a wedding photographer, get creative and go one step further than offering drones. Incorporate action cameras as part of your premium wedding day packages and impress the couples you work with in 2018.
6. GIF Photobooth
We’re seeing the already very popular wedding photobooth give way to the GIF booth in 2018.
A GIF booth captures a selection of around 3-5 photos and then automatically animates them into a GIF that is instantly shareable there and then. The booth also provides printouts of the single shots as well so you still get all the benefits of the original wedding photo booth.
7. 3D Printing
3D printing is nothing new but we predict an increase in popularity as 3D printing helps facilitate some truly unique and special ideas such as 3D Wedding Cake Toppers of the actual bride and groom (both humorous and personal!) and 3D Wedding Cake projections.
Couples will start to experiment with printed cake designs and personalised 3D projections to make their wedding cake come to life.
This process is unique and requires a lot of time but the results are stunning
8. Social will play an even bigger role
Couples will continue to find new ways to integrate technology into their wedding day plans; adopting things like custom Snapchat geofilters.
This year, we’ve also seen more wedding venues offering live streaming as a service in wedding packages, indicating a shift toward incorporating social and tech into standardised wedding packages.
Are you ready for the latest in wedding technology?
Whilst we don’t think anyone expects all wedding suppliers to tick all the techy boxes any time soon, it’s important to keep abreast of industry developments to ensure you’re not lagging behind.
What technological advances do you think will hit the UK wedding industry in 2018?
Will your wedding business be investing in a techy upgrade next year?