AMM 2025 WRAP-UP! Wedding Trends, Guilty Pleasures & The Unity Ceremonies We’ll See Everywhere in 2026

That’s a wrap! It’s time for a loving goodbye to 2025. Here’s a look at what you loved most this year, and hints at what’s ahead in the 2026 wedding season

 

The American Marriage Ministries community was busy this year and we loved every second of it! We ordained nearly 200,000 new ministers. We hosted 5 sold out events around the country with Officiant Accelerator. We lead weekly virtual classes for new officiants, and produced 2 online events, not to mention a new online training course and 2 new training books!

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We also welcomed thousands of new readers to the AMM American Weddings Blog, and published over 300 new articles on a wide range of wedding topics – from seasonal wedding trends and professional wedding officiant tips, to sample wedding vows and unity ceremony scripts, to changes in state marriage laws, tariff madness, adventure elopements, and the rise of A.I. wedding everything.

 

Here’s a look at the year’s top reads and what they say about 2026 wedding trends – including a few things that will probably surprise you – plus our favorite highlights from the incredible events we spent with you! 

 

 

 

The Wedding Ideas You Loved Most in 2025

 

 

5 Wedding Topics You Don’t Want to Miss

(and what they say about you)

 

1. The Article EVERYONE (Secretly) Read This Year

 

• Sex at the Wedding: Are Public Consummation & Bedding Ceremonies Making a Comeback?

 

Yep, you dirty birds, you loved this one! This super “unique” wedding ritual made it all the way to #11 on our Top 20 Chart, out of literally thousands of articles, although we didn’t see many public shares. Wonder why?

 

That’s more readers than the ever-popular 55 Questions a Wedding Officiant Can Ask a Couple to *Really* Get to Know Them (#12), and How to Tie a Handfasting Cord: The Infinity Knot (#18). Though we doubt bedding ceremonies will be featured on Good Morning America any time soon.

 

If this was your favorite AMM read of the year, you crave nontraditional weddings, sexy and scandalous afterparties, and your friend group is very, very close. Or maybe you just want to give your conservative family members the shock of their lives on the wedding day?

 

 

Be honest, did you read this one? We couldn't help it, curiosity got the best of us!

 

 

2. The Article That Proved You Won’t Remember The Chaos, Only Your Wedding Vows

 

• Victor’s Wedding Vows From Corpse Bride

 

This couple had nothing but bad luck on the way to the altar (a poisonous toast, an undead love triangle, the king of the Underworld auditioning for in-law?). But all we remember years later are Victor’s romantic wedding vows to Victoria, proving vows really are the heart of any ceremony. These cult classic wedding promises rolled in at #7 this year.

 

If this was your favorite AMM read of the year, you live for a dramatic love story with a happy ending. You lean toward the macabre or offbeat side of things, but you’re a hopeless romantic at heart. And we probably have the perfect Gothic wedding ceremony script for you.

 

 

No matter what goes wrong on the wedding day, all you'll remember is how PERFECT your wedding vows are!

 

 

3. The Article That Helped You Celebrate True Love Again, And Again, And Again! 

 

• 10 Sweet Vow Examples for Your Vow Renewal Ceremony
• 10 ejemplos de votos para su ceremonia de renovación de votos

 

This sweet article hit the list at #2, reminding us that the wedding day is just the beginning of a lifetime of love – a love that can be celebrated again and again, as often as you want to! 

 

If this was your favorite AMM read this year, it’s safe to say you LOVE love. You love watching two people grow closer over time, as they confront challenges and celebrate victories side by side. You value taking time to honor life’s milestones – and throwing a hell of a party any chance you get. 

 

 

We LOVE love, too!

 

4. The Article That Proves Having a Friend Officiate Your Wedding Isn’t a Trend, It’s TIMELESS

 

• A Simple Wedding Script to Use When a Friend Officiates Your Ceremony
• Un sencillo guión de boda para utilizar cuando un amigo oficie la ceremonia

This practical advice for wedding officiants holds strong at #5, after 3 full years of making our list. Every year, more couples discover the magic of having a friend officiate – and AMM is here to make that magic happen! 

 

If this was your favorite AMM read this year, you probably got to perform a wedding for two people who mean a lot to you. You value community, commitment, friends and family, making time for others, and an open bar. You also look damn good in your wedding officiant attire. 

 

 

Friend officiant for the win!

 

 

5. The Article That Will Double The Size Of Your Wedding Script Library 

 

• Wedding Ceremony Script PDFs for Officiants: Download, Print, and Perform!

 

This super-convenient post comes in at number #20 on our list, giving you one of the easiest ways to refresh your wedding script library in minutes. Our officiants loved how simple this made their wedding planning this year – just click, download, and print your new wedding ceremony script. 

 

If this was your top AMM read of the year, you take your responsibilities seriously – even if you wait until the last minute start. You’re either a loveable procrastinator, or a strategic planner who likes a full catalog of prewritten wedding scripts to choose from when the big day comes. Either way, we totally relate.

 

 

 

5 Tendencias de Bodas Españolas

 

Este año publicamos más contenido en español que nunca, ¡y ustedes lo notaron! La audiencia de habla hispana creció muchísimo este año, y más artículos traducidos que nunca entraron en nuestro Top 20.

 

Aquí les presentamos los temas de bodas españolas que más les gustaron este año:

 

1. Un sencillo guión de boda para utilizar cuando un amigo oficie la ceremonia
2. Cómo obtener una certificación para casar a alguien: licencia ministerial, certificación y ordenación explicados
3. Dulce guión de ceremonia de quinceañera no denominacional (para oficiantes y celebrantes)
4. 5 Ejemplos Significativos de Votos Matrimoniales Cristianos
5. 10 Ejemplos de Votos para su Ceremonia de Renovación de Votos

 

 

¿Un amigo va a oficiar la ceremonia de su boda?  

 

 

 

10 Breakout Wedding Ideas Of The Year

 

The most popular articles published this year: Look here for emerging wedding trends and hints at what we’ll probably see more of in 2026. These 10 fresh wedding articles may not have made it to our Top 20 list (yet), but they outperformed all other new articles published on the blog this year. 
 

1. Your Guide to Wedding Dresses for a Second Marriage
2. Native American Wedding Vows & Readings    
3. Free Places to Get Married (Don’t Go Into Wedding Debt!)
4. Who Can Be a Witness for a Wedding & How Do You Choose?  
5. 5 Examples of Heartfelt Marriage Vows Before God for a Christian Wedding
6. Native American Wedding Rituals & Traditions for Your Big Day
7. What to Call Your Partner Now That You’re Engaged
8. What to do After Getting Engaged in 20 Simple Steps
9. Marry an AI Chatbot? Everything You Need to Know About Saying “A-I Do!”
10. How to Handle Having Your Period on Your Wedding Day

 

 

In search of the perfect wedding dress for a second marriage?  These stylish tips were our most popular new article of the year. Who doesn't love a second chance at love, and a dress to celebrate it?!

 

 

 

 

Our Top 20 Timeless Wedding Topics

 

These are our reader’s favorites for the year – timeless wedding ideas and advice that never go out of style. If you haven’t had a chance to read these yet, pour yourself a cup of eggnog and spend those sprawling, confusing, between Christmas and New Years’ preparing for next year’s wedding season! 

 

1. 12 Examples of Wedding Ring Exchange Wording for the Creative Officiant
2. 10 Sweet Vow Examples for Your Vow Renewal Ceremony
3. The Ultimate Wedding Emergency Kit Checklist: 45 Essential Items
4. 30 Buddhist Quotes on Love & Happiness for Your Wedding Ceremony Script
5. A Simple Wedding Script to Use When a Friend Officiates Your Ceremony
6. Un Sencillo Guión de Boda para Utilizar Cuando un Amigo Oficie la Ceremonia
7. Victor’s Wedding Vows From Corpse Bride
8. 5 Meaningful Examples of Christian Wedding Vows
9. How to Include a Cord of Three Strands Ceremony in Your Wedding (With a Sample Officiant Script!)
10. What to Wear (and Not Wear) to a Baptism
11. Sex at the Wedding: Are Public Consummation & Bedding Ceremonies Making a Comeback?
12. 55 Questions a Wedding Officiant Can Ask a Couple to *Really* Get to Know Them
13. Cómo Obtener una Certificación para Casar a Alguien: Licencia Ministerial, Certificación y Ordenación explicados
14. How many times can you get married in each state?
15. Dulce Guión de Ceremonia de Quinceañera No Denominacional (Para Oficiantes y Celebrantes)
16. How Old Do You Have To Be To Get Married In Each State?
17. How to get a license to marry people - Officiating a wedding by the book
18. How to Tie a Handfasting Cord -- The Infinity Knot
19. The secret to a perfect wedding officiant speech (with examples)
20. Wedding Ceremony Script PDFs for Officiants: Download, Print, and Perform!

 

 

Looking for the perfect ring exchange wording? Let these timeless examples inspire you!
 

 

 

 

2025 Officiant Accelerator in Review

 

We visited you face-to-face in 5 amazing cities this year: Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Jacksonville, and Las Vegas! And what a whirlwind of new connections, skill strengthening, and wedding talk it was. We laughed, we hugged, we took shots of chocolate candies – and we upped our officiant game together! 

 

We can't wait to do it again! 

 

• See where Officiant Accelerator is headed in 2026

 

 

 

 

Looking Forward: 2026 Wedding Trends

 

 

Our 2026 Unity Ceremony Trend Predictions

 

We analyzed readership trends, minister requests and questions, and more to predict the unity ceremonies we’ll see everywhere next year. If you aren’t familiar with these yet, now’s the time to explore!

 

1. Cord of 3 Strands Unity Ceremony

 

Religious or Non-religious: Three cords are braided by the couple as a symbol of unity and love. For Christian couples, this ceremony has biblical roots, with one cord representing faith and God’s role in the marriage. For nonreligious or spiritual couples, the three cords can represent the couple's values, the family / children, aspects of their life, or any other symbolism they choose. We expect to see more couples adapting this unity ceremony to non-religious and interfaith weddings in 2026.

 

• DIVE IN: How to Include a Cord of Three Strands Ceremony in Your Wedding (With a Sample Officiant Script!)

 

 

 2. Handfasting Ceremony

 

Handfasting ceremonies will be as popular as ever in 2026. Couples are getting more creative with how they handfast, too – choosing symbolic colors for their cords, symbolic numbers of cords, and tying their cords and ribbons in meaningful ways. In fact, some couples are choosing unique materials in place of traditional handfasting cords, like floral garlands, climbing rope, and custom lace. 

 

• ORDER NOW: Handfasting Wedding Officiant Package
• LEARN MORE: How to Include a Handfasting in Your Wedding Ceremony or Vow Renewal
• BROWSE: AMM Free Handfasting Resources

 

 

3. Couple’s Choice: Mashups & Cute Inventions

 

It’s no secret that modern weddings are highly personalized, and one-size-fits-all unity ceremonies don't fit. Couples are blending cultures, faiths, and eras to create completely new, entirely customized unity rituals. We expect to see meaningful mashups – like a Chinese tea ceremony in a movie theater – and creative, joyful inventions – like a climbing rope knot tying unity ritual that incorporates cute belay commands.

 

 

 

2026: The Year of the… 

 

So what topics and trends will dominate the wedding scene next year? We’re declaring a tie! Based on your searches this year, we predict 2026 will be the Year of the Vow Renewal, plus a rise in platonic Lavender Marriages. 

 

It’s a tie! 

 

2026: Year of the Vow Renewal Ceremony 
2026: Year of the Lavender Marriage 

 

These two topics trended upward all year long, and haven’t slowed down yet. Every day, more couples are looking up how to renew wedding vows, and the benefits of marrying your bestie. It’s the perfect mix of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z interests, if you ask us – and we can’t wait to see where 2026 takes us.

 

• ORDER NOW: "We Still Do..." Vow Renewal Package
• LEARN MORE: Why Lavender Marriage is Making a Modern Comeback

 

 

 

 

 

And that's a wrap! 
 

We loved spending our year with you, and we so excited for all the new things next year will bring! 

 

From your friends and family here at American Marriage Ministries, we wish you a very happy holiday season and new year ahead. 

 

 

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