As the destination wedding still remains in full swing and many couples are choosing venues in more remote locales, creating these mindful programming details can help fill those gap times in a wedding weekend. “This approach not only makes guests feel as if they’ve had a mini-vacation, but also allows everyone to fully enjoy the joyous occasion with a refreshed mind and body,” shares Sarah Banks, VP of sales and marketing at Foster Supply Hospitality, which has multiple properties based in the Catskills. “Guests can partake in outdoor yoga sessions, guided nature walks, sample honey from our beehives, and start the morning with a goat hike with our resident goats, all of which foster a deeper connection with the environment.”
If venues don’t have wellness offerings baked in, planners are taking on the challenge of infusing these elements into wedding itineraries. Planner Ashley Smith of Ashley Smith Events shares that she recently planned a wedding at Amanzoe in Greece that had a holistic approach to include mindful details like a no-plastic policy in décor and sustainable food choices. “Symbolism also played a significant role; their ceremony took place on an oversized flower mandala, representing the universe and sacred geometry, adding a deep spiritual connection to their special day,” she explains. “The wedding was strategically timed with a full moon, creating a magical atmosphere with natural lighting, and the couple danced barefoot on the beach next to blazing bonfires.”
For some couples, prioritizing wellness means providing options other than alcohol on the menu to get the party going. “We’ve certainly seen a shift towards more sober and California sober weddings,” says Emily Campbell of GoBella Design & Planning. “One memorable example was a wedding where the couple opted for a kombucha bar instead of traditional alcoholic beverages because the bride was sober. To personalize it, we filled an acrylic bar with apples, a nod to her last name, MacIntosh. It was a refreshing alternative that resonated with the couple’s values and made the day uniquely theirs.”
Non-alcoholic options don’t necessarily have to mean couples are going sober. Rather, they are offering another green way to enhance the experience. “While I haven’t seen anyone opt out of alcohol completely, we are integrating cannabis ‘liquor’ substitutes like Mxxn into the bar offerings. It’s a cannabis-infused non-alcoholic spirit designed to mimic the taste and experience of classic liquors without the alcohol,” says planner Jenna Lam of Jenna Lam Events. “And, of course, gummies.”