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I’m going to start this post off by saying – It’s your day. And you should do whatever you want from burlap and mason jars, to spider webs and skeletons, if it makes you happy. Regardless of trends, a wedding is a personal expression of love and it is meant to represent you as a couple, not an industry.
Here’s what one real bride had to say on Reddit that perfectly captures my feelings:
Pick whatever you love regardless of how on-trend it is: your wedding is a celebration of you and what you like, it’s not a Vogue look book for 2022. You don’t want to look back at this in 50 years and regret skipping things you really liked. No one in 50 years is going to remember if burlap is 2010 dated or 2020 dated.
Smokeyrow
We could not agree more. But if you’re curious about what’s on trend for 2023 and 2024 weddings. And what’s totally passé. Or just want to poke a little bit of fun at what’s “basic.” This post is for you.
What does cheugy mean?
Cheugy is a term coined by Gen Z to describe trends that are no longer of the moment. Think of it as the youth way of saying something is basic, dated, or not current. The word was popularized on TikTok in 2020.
The classic examples of things that are considered cheugy are chevron patterned items, skinny jeans, Live, Laugh, Love signs, and side parts. It’s okay fellow Millennials, I feel your pain.
So just for fun, we asked Reddit and TikTok “Is my wedding cheugy?” and boy, did the Internet deliver. Here are real brides’ and grooms’ take on what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to weddings.
On the outs? These are the things that are considered “cheugy” for weddings these days:
Mason jars and burlap
This was such a big trend for rustic weddings several years ago! What started feeling like an authentic way to keep costs down by using found items around the farm that happen to look cute, now feels a little dated and forced. I mean, do you really have 100 mason jars and wild flowers just lying around?
Garter tosses
It’s weird to force your grandma to watch your now-husband dig around for your undergarments and then toss them into a crowd. We can just agree on that, right? I could see this tradition being turned on its head in a good way if the gender roles were flipped or for a same sex couple. With a healthy dose of cheek, this cringe-worthy vestige of the patriarchy could be a funny poke in the eye to sexist wedding practices.
Anything boho
Personally I think it’s a little early to declare the boho trend dead. But because it’s become so popular, if you’re looking to do something out of the ordinary you might want to skip it for a wedding that’s happening in a year or two when the trend might be fully played out.
Shoving cake in each other’s faces
I did this. I think it’s fun for the couple. The Internet says otherwise. Chalk this up to a thing that couples will always love to do but your guests might hate and move on. They can look somewhere else while you’re smearing cake in your forever love’s hair.
Choreographed / funny dances
I know you’re still watching The Office nightly but it’s not 2014 anymore. Gone are the days of kitschy dances down the aisle or with your wedding party. Could this still be fun and cute? Of course. Where it really starts to go off the rails is when it’s sexist or homophobic. Having a grown man pretend to be a flower girl for laughs is where I draw the line.
Anti-feminist / patriarchal themes
“Saturdays are for the boys,” “bros over hoes,” a cake topper of a bride dragging a groom away from the TV? All things I never want to see at a wedding. I know a lot of people think this is a light hearted joke. Calling something funny never removes the sexist undertones.
Eucalyptus
Some people love it! Some people hate it. You can’t satisfy everyone. I’m pretty sure this one is here to stay as a wedding decor trend. Maybe rein it in a little when it comes to your wedding invitations and place cards and menus and thank you cards…you get the picture.
Looking for some totally-not-cheugy wedding invitations? Peruse my favorite wedding invitation picks from Zazzle here.
Rose Gold
Crying over this one. I will hold onto my love of rose gold until I die. (Literally, because my engagement and wedding ring are rose gold.) But alas it has been declared “cheugy.”
Photobooths
While I’m not sure what will replace this because it’s a great wedding favor and party activity all-in-one. There is a certain 2010-2015 vibe that photo booths have.
Kitschy sayings
This is true for home decor too. Any sign that says “To have and to hold, in case you get cold” or a similar punny saying is going to feel as dated as a “Live, laugh, love” sign would over the fireplace in your home. Love puns? Do it anyway.
Matching items for the wedding party
We’re talking about matching robes that say “bridesmaid”, wine glass gifts with your name and wedding date, or shirts, totes or tumblers that describe their role in the wedding or are personalized with your date and last name. It’s like saying you’ll shorten a bridesmaid dress so you can wear it again. (You won’t!)
Do your wedding party a favor and get them gifts with personalization they will be more likely to hold on to (like their own name) or none at all. If you bought it so your photographer could take a cute getting ready photo then it’s not a gift, it’s a prop.
Now that you’re an expert in cheug, are there more items you find totally cringe-worthy? Let us know in the comments.
And if you’re inspired to look for something totally unique, we have a post on the most unique wedding themes that you should check out. We can’t promise some of those won’t be cheugy, but we can promise they’ll be fun.
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