Quiet Weddings Are a Thing Now, Thanks to Gen Z's Upending of Nuptial Norms

When it comes to weddings, traditions run deep in many circles. For some families, traditions are everything, and bucking them can lead to resentment or even disowning the offending wedding hopeful. But Gen Z doesn't seem to care as much about stuffy traditions that exist "just because."

They have implemented countless new trends, encouraging brides and grooms to embrace what makes them happy rather than what continues family traditions. Among these new trends is something called a "quiet wedding." But what exactly is it, and why is Gen Z so determined to turn everything on its head? Here's what we know about the surprising evolution of weddings.

According to The Knot, quiet weddings are "a wedding celebration in which the couple intentionally keeps their announcement and photos low-key or entirely private."

It goes further than that for many, and some people have even integrated quiet moments and traditions into the wedding ceremony itself.

The Knot notes that the "quiet wedding trend" includes other approaches as well, such as a deconstructed wedding where a couple might elope and then opt for a celebration with friends and family at a later date.

Camera Witch wedding photographer Lexsey Lanzotta noted to The Knot, "People want their wedding to feel sacred, not like content."

Lexsey added, "And with so much of life already online, keeping this one moment just for themselves and their closest people can feel really special."

This allows the couple to enjoy their most special moments away from the eyes of family who might judge and free of the stress that expectations and pressure might add.

Of course, quiet weddings aren't the only changes that Gen Z has brought to the industry, upending hundreds of years of tradition for many, and thousands of years for others.

The generation is often called the "collaborative generation," which means that they focus a lot of their hobbies, efforts, and intentions on their friend groups and community enjoyment.

Brian A. M. Green, CMP, CMM, and Chief Event Architect of By BrianGreen told The Knot, "The thing I love about Gen Z is that their lives are built around intentionality," adding, "They are a generation that believes in community, they focus on who and what is aligned with their values."

Some Gen Zers are incorporating "giving back" wedding traditions where the attendees are as celebrated as the couple getting married, and others are swapping destination weddings for "experience weddings," where everyone gets to enjoy a collaborative group experience.

It may be shocking and hard to fathom for some who believe in tradition above all else, but it's a sign that the times may be changing. Where weddings were once somehow solemn and elegant, now they might be celebratory and unusual.

And, occasionally, quiet.

Like the generations that precede them, Gen Z will keep some traditions and throw some away, but the shift to a more joy-centered approach that casts off pressure and expectations may be here to stay.