Maine & NH Wedding Photographer | 2025 Wedding Trend I’m Loving: Ditching the Wedding Party (But Not Your People)

One of my favorite trends I saw all over 2025? Couples skipping the official wedding party… without skipping the people who actually matter.

No matching dresses. No forced color palettes. No lining people up at the end of the aisle like it’s gym class. Instead? Couples are keeping their closest humans right by their side, just in a way that actually feels like them.

Here’s what that looks like:
Your people are still there while you’re getting ready. They’re hanging out, calming nerves, handing you snacks, fixing your hair, hyping you up, and probably keeping you from spiraling for the 14th time that morning. They’re getting hair and makeup done with you. They’re fully involved. They just… aren’t wearing identical outfits or standing in formation during the ceremony.

And honestly? I’m obsessed.

This setup takes so much pressure off. No one has to buy a dress they’ll never wear again. No one has to stress about standing in front of 150 people if that’s not their thing. And you still get to be surrounded by your crew, the people who know you best and have earned a front-row seat in your life.

From my side of the camera, nothing changes. These are your people. I treat them exactly the same way I would a traditional wedding party. I photograph them laughing with you, helping you, losing their minds when you’re finally dressed, and being fully present on one of the biggest days of your life. They’re not “just friends hanging out in the background.” They’re part of your story.

And that’s the point, right?
Your wedding doesn’t need rules. It needs meaning.

If having your people close without the matching outfits feels more like you, do it. Weddings in 2025 were all about cutting the performative stuff and keeping what actually matters—and I’m here for that energy every single time.

Your day. Your rules. Your crew.