Grandmillenial Wedding Style – What’s Old is New Again
As seen everyday in the wedding industry, bridal styles can be as diverse as the brides themselves. While some brides embrace the tradition of wearing their mother or grandmother’s wedding dress, other brides prefer a dress with a distinctly modern design. However, one newer bridal style gaining favor and growing in popularity – the “Grandmillenial” or “Granny Chic” style – has brides looking to combine elements of both tradition and trend, and celebrate vintage styles with a modern aesthetic in all aspects of their weddings.
First coined in a 2021 article by Emma Bazilian in House Beautiful magazine, the term “grandmillenial” is meant to describe a demographic of mid-20 to late-30-year-olds who have a “premature affinity for their grandmother’s style.” Other definitions of the term have included “new traditionalist,” and “someone who has an appreciation for the past, but whose intentions are always aimed toward the future.” As such, the bridal styles of grandmillenials often represent the past by those destined to also represent the future.
In her appreciation of vintage fashion and décor, the grandmillenial bride is often compared to her grandmother, and looks to embrace that style on her own wedding day. A grandmillenial wedding dress often includes vintage lace and classic, feminine styling, with surrounding room design elements that include pastel colors, floral patterns, and natural textures. In addition, many grandmillenial wedding décors may also include family heirlooms or antiques, which serve to represent the past in a way that is beautiful, intentional, and meaningful to the bride. Wedding stylists often add, “By incorporating the items passed down across the generations, brides can connect their wedding to those of the family’s past, and honor family members both alive and deceased.”
Many wedding stylists agree that one thing grandmillenial brides have in common is “their appreciation of the elegant femininity of times gone by.” In their search for the perfect wedding, grandmillenial brides are in a category of their own, with nothing off limits as long as items chosen represent the “timeless elegance” they desire for their special day.
With design elements that appeal to many generations, it’s easy to understand why more brides are opting for Granny Chic weddings. In the theme, the colors are typically pastel, and the décor often includes statement pieces, and lots of flowers. Roses remain popular because of their association with romance; however, dried wildflowers, carnations, and baby’s breath are also being seen more as top choices for grandmillenial bridal bouquets and table arrangements. With such a heavy influence of flowers, floral prints can also be seen in the wedding cake, as well as in the décor such as tablecloths, bridesmaids’ dresses, wallpaper, and china.
For grandmillenial brides, it’s all about vintage details for many modern ceremonies. These integral details are seen in the wedding dress, décor, and design aesthetic throughout the venue. Even in the menu, guests often dine on classic dishes and cocktails, as they enjoy a wedding that recaptures a bygone era, and appears frozen in time for that special day.
Photos courtesy of Mary Keen Photography
Photos courtesy of Mary Keen Photography
Photos courtesy of Mary Keen Photography
