Wedding planning: ‘These are the three expensive wedding trends I refuse to buy into’

My wedding is still about a year away and while there are plenty of decisions I’ve yet to make about what I want on my big day, there are three trends I refuse to buy into.

Not only are all three ridiculously expensive, especially when you consider the average Australian wedding costs about $35,000 according to Easy Weddings, I’m also certain they won’t make me any happier on the day I say “I do”.

So here are the three wedding trends I’m opting out of as a 2026 bride, no matter how much my TikTok algorithm tries to convince me they’re must-haves.

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An engagement party

This one ruffled a few feathers when I told family and friends, but no one could convince me to fork out hundreds of dollars on a flashy engagement party in this economy.

I know, I know – it’s “tradition” to have an engagement party.

But Instagram and Pinterest make engagement parties look chic and effortless, actually booking a venue, paying for catering, covering the bar tab and (for many brides-to-be) buying a new all-white outfit for the occasion actually requires a lot of time and money.

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I was thrilled when my fiancé proposed, but weddings cost a small fortune and we quickly realised an engagement party wasn’t worth the extra cost.

We’re also both pretty low-key and would much rather celebrate with our loved ones over dinner or drinks, so that’s exactly what we did in the weeks after we got engaged.

A second dress

Changing into a second dress for the reception has become a huge trend in the last few years, leading to the rise of boutique bridal mini and reception dress brands.

Australian labels Aston Bridal and Eliya The Label are hugely popular for their fashion-forward minis, perfect for tearing it up on the dance floor after exchanging vows in a full-length gown.

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Some of Aston Bridal’s designs, like the dreamy embellished Elise Mini, almost won me over… until I saw the $1500 price tag.

While a second dress is a non-negotiable for some brides, the reality is most of us can’t afford to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a wedding dress, then fork out just as much on a mini dress for the reception.

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So as cute as this trend is, especially for brides spreading their weddings over multiple days or celebrations, I won’t be buying into it.

After all, I’m so in love with my wedding dress that I want to be able to wear it for the whole day rather than just a few hours.

Designer wedding shoes

My TikTok algorithm started bombarding me with wedding content almost as soon as I got engaged and I soon noticed a trend when it came to wedding shoes: some brides are willing to drop thousands on the perfect pair.

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Every bride wants to feel beautiful on their big day but absolutely no one can convince me that I need a $1595 pair of white Christian Louboutin heels for my wedding.

Of course I want cute shoes to walk down the aisle in, but I’m not spending several times more than my weekly rent on a pair I’ll probably never wear again.

As much as the TikTok fashion girls insist they’re an “investment”, designer shoes just don’t seem worth it for one day of my life – especially when so many are infamously uncomfy.

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