While the south shivers through their winter, wedding season is well and truly alive in North Australia, and no one knows weddings better than celebrant Amanda Jarrett.
The Darwin local has officiated more than 200 weddings across Darwin and surrounds, so it’s fair to say she knows her bouquets from her bow ties, and garters from her grooms.
Amanda and four other wedding experts share four of the major trends we’ll be seeing across North Australia.
“Weddings in Darwin, and across Australia’s tropical north are well known for their colour and vibrancy, but with all industries we see trends come and go,” she said.
“This season we will see some really exciting elements to tropical weddings which haven’t been done before.”
Big, bold and bright bouquets are in, like this one from Beija Flor.
Expect to see colourful, elevated florals according to Darwin’s Beija Flor.
“A major floral trend heading into 2025/26 is the surreal soiree. Colourful, elevated florals that combine blooms, fruits and textures come together to catch the eye and create lasting memories for your day. Oranges, pinks and red are having their moment, set amongst en masse statement installations filled with personality. Demure is out, and bold is in.”
Wedding photos will capture the moment, so forget your posing and just have fun.
Forget posing, photographers will be asked to capture real, genuine moments, says Top End photographer Psealms.
“Wedding photo and video are returning to the roots of capturing life as it is. Gone are the days of staged, heavily filtered images and overpowering presets popularized in the 2010s. The rise of social media and influencers has seen people crave more genuine moments. Now, there’s a movement toward raw authenticity, and couples want photos and videos that feel honest and real, reflecting the uniqueness of their day. It’s about embracing the beauty of imperfection.”
Married by Moo’s Amanda Jarrett said ceremonies will be a part of the wedding everyone can look forward to.
Ditch the seriousness – ceremonies will get guests involved, Amanda said.
“2025 ceremonies and beyond are all about setting the scene and fun vibes early. Gone are the days that the ceremony is the ‘boring part’ – the ceremony should perfectly reflect the couple, celebrate the gorgeous, raw and deep connection they have, whilst also giving the guests permission to have a great time and get involved. After all, it’s the couples’ favourite people all in one place, so we have to squeeze every last drop we can and make the most of that time together. The ceremony is the perfect place to set the tone for the rest of the night.”
Mingling can look different at every wedding.
Bye bye sit down weddings – mingle is king according to Amanda.
Sit down wedding receptions are on their way out and standup, informal cocktail style receptions are in. Being able to mingle more freely with your guests is a huge plus for not just the bride and groom, but all the guests who can catch up without being restricted to one chair all night. It also makes more time for dancing and you don’t have to worry about place cards at tables and sitting the wrong people next to each other.
If you want to meet some of Darwin’s best wedding vendors, Amanda has teamed up with Darwin’s suiting Queen Darlene Chin from Attitude for Men for a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and discuss your dream wedding in Darwin.
Tickets are available now for just $95 per person, and include two glasses of bubbles, a gift bag, and more.
