As venue owners, we have the unique opportunity to see some incredibly creative and unique wedding ideas from couples and vendors. Every year we see more and more couples ditching the “traditional” mold weddings once had and embracing innovative ideas that allow them to express their personality as well as pave the way for some incredible guest experiences, which we’re privileged to watch and sometimes be a part of!

In today’s blog, we’re talking about 4 of our favorite unique and increasingly trending wedding ideas we’ve seen executed at our premier year-round modern venue, The Eloise, in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. Which idea is YOUR favorite? Will you and your partner implement one or more of these into your own wedding celebration? We can’t wait to find out!

Semi-Circular Floral Arches

We kicked off 2023 with Alicia and Seth’s wedding day, which incorporated a semi-circle floral arch as the ceremony backdrop. We have a feeling that this is going to be a BIG floral trend for two reasons:

With our venue having a simplistic yet elegant vibe, it makes it easy to incorporate these modern and minimalistic trends without worrying that your decor will feel “cold” or unromantic.

Brunch Weddings

We love brunch and we love weddings. I mean, who doesn’t? So, when these two ideas get put together it is a match made for donuts, and I do’s! Brunch weddings are a great way to step outside of the traditional wedding elements, and have many pros to consider:

1. You often get to spend more quality time with family and friends celebrating your wedding day. Brunch weddings are perfect for a couple looking for an intimate wedding! Think about only inviting your closest pals and family members to your wedding ceremony and brunch reception.

2. Hosting a brunch wedding may be the perfect option if you are looking for ways to tighten up your wedding day budget. Wedding venues and vendors tend to be less in demand during the waking hours of the morning, so you can swoop in and get them at more affordable costs. Brunch weddings are hosted on Sundays at The Eloise, so you get to take advantage of our reduced venue rental rates and bar minimum!

3. There is more flexibility for the style, vibe, and design of a brunch wedding. Couples may choose to have their guests come in their Sunday best or for a more relaxed garden party, and beyond. Your guests are already going to expect things to be a little untraditional when they are invited to a brunch wedding, so feel free to get creative and lean into the brunch theme!

P.S. If you haven’t seen Nicole and Matt’s gorgeous tropical brunch wedding hosted here at The Eloise, click here to check out their celebration on the blog!

Interactive Guest Books

Interactive guest books are another fun idea that we are starting to see a ton of creativity with! It started with couples leaving instant cameras out for guests to take a selfie, stick their guest book, and write a message for the couple. While still a huge hit with guests and a fun way for the couple to document their wedding day, we are starting to see audio guest books increasingly trending where guests can leave a voice message for the couple to listen to! We love this idea that brings another layer of sentiment and something to treasure into the future.

Friday Weddings

Did you know that the average wedding venue books out their peak season dates about a year to a year and a half out? And with the domino effect of a global pandemic pushing thousands of weddings back, couples are still feeling the pressure of finding open dates. Let us start by saying, we totally understand the desire for a Saturday wedding. Saturday is by far the most desired day for weddings, but Fridays, Sundays, and even Thursdays, are becoming increasingly popular days of the week for couples to host their celebration of love. Here are some of the perks we’ve seen for couples who choose to have a Friday or Sunday wedding:

1. You’ll have more date options. With most venues booking over a year and a half in advance, especially for fall and spring Saturdays in Wisconsin, it can be very difficult for couples to find an open Saturday date. This is even more true if you are searching for a date 9 to 12 months out. Looking into a Friday may give you more options and still allow you to get married in your favorite season at your favorite venue!

2. You’ll save money. There are cost-saving perks to having a Friday or Sunday wedding, and this holds true with The Eloise’s venue rental rates. Our Friday and Sunday venue rentals are less than our Saturday rentals, and as an added plus, we also have a lower bar minimum for Sunday weddings. Cheers to saving on some moolah!

3. You’ll get more quality time with family and friends. One of the main reasons couples tell us why they selected a Friday wedding date is they got to spend more time with family and friends. With most guests leaving or flying out on Sunday, a Friday wedding gives you all day Saturday to spend time with family and friends. Some couples choose to plan special activities like a post-wedding brunch, golf outings, or even take in a Badger game here in Madison! Holiday weekends also make great date choices, as they often allow your guests to have a longer stay.

4. You’ll have more time to decorate and get ready. If you are looking for more time to decorate and get ready before your wedding, a Friday wedding may be perfect for you and your fiancé. Most Friday ceremonies start between 4:30 – 5:30 pm compared to Saturday weddings which usually start between 3:30 – 4:30 pm. Having a later ceremony gives you more time to get ready, but it also keeps your guests engaged because the events after your ceremony move more quickly. And, if your guests’ energy stays up, that = more guests on the dance floor 🙂 Always a perk.

5. You’ll get a unique Thursday opportunity when booking at The Eloise. An added perk we offer for our couples that get married on a Friday is the option to rent 4 additional hours the Thursday before to set up decorations early. They can also use this time to do an onsite rehearsal or even host their dinner rehearsal!

Which of these unique ideas will you choose to incorporate into your special celebration? We can’t wait to see what other creative ideas couples and vendors continue to implement for 2023 and 2024 weddings! Maybe we’ll see yours here at The Eloise? Click here to take a virtual tour of our 11,000+ sq ft venue built to host the modern, romantic, elegant southern Wisconsin wedding of your dreams.

With love,