When Did People Stop Having Regular Old Weddings?

Ready or not, the newest wedding trend is here: ambush weddings. They’re “gotcha” nuptials thrown for unsuspecting guests who believe they’ve been invited to say, birthday drinks or a dinner party. Once they arrive — surprise! — they find out they're about to attend a wedding thrown by the sneaky hosts, otherwise known as the bride and groom.

According to a story published this week in the New York Post, the hassle of planning a proper wedding (mailing save-the-dates, booking a location, compiling a registry) can be overwhelming, and spontaneous nuptials can lighten stress for the couple. And in some rare cases, the bride is the only one kept in the dark. Back in October, a Miami man made headlines after pulling together an impromptu proposal and wedding for his girlfriend on the same day, by culling ideas from her “Dream Wedding Pinterest Board” (She said yes). Ambush weddings have even infiltrated Hollywood: Celeb couples LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian and Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady have thrown them, in part to keep paparazzi at bay.

Just like marriage proposals have evolved from simple gestures on bended knee to death-defying stunts and flash mob theatrics featured in high-tech GIFs, live television segments, and Vine videos, naturally, weddings have followed suit. The traditional white wedding now almost seems quaint against the backdrop of live-streamed ceremonies, all-night extravaganzas, and “supercharged” weddings (which include a hashtag on invites that guests can use when posting photos to social media, and cell phone charging stations around the venue).

Other examples: At the wedding website, TheKnot, trend spotters have noted the rise of marijuana-themed nuptials in certain states. Now that the drug has been legalized for recreational use in Washington and Colorado, some couples in these states are exploring ways to playfully incorporate the drug into their big day by serving pot-laced brownies to willing guests and displaying cannabis reception centerpieces. Meanwhile, according to the wedding marketplace WeddingWire, more couples are opting for “naked cakes,” confections with minimal to no icing, such as the one offered at the January wedding of "The Bachelor’s" Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici and also sold at the famed Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City and Toronto. And forget benign yellow: Blingy, glittery metallic is emerging as a color scheme, accenting everything from wedding gowns to party invites.

More on Yahoo Shine:8 Things You’ll See at Every Bachelor Wedding

So what happened to the traditional white wedding? It's possible that the rising costs of weddings are causing couples to buck tradition and all its trimmings, in favor of more personalized ceremonies. “The average cost of a wedding is $27,000,” Diane Forden, editor in chief of Bridal Guide, tells Yahoo Shine. “That’s unattainable for many, so couples are looking to cut costs. As a result, they’re tapping into unorthodox ways to approach their wedding days.”

Another reason couples are abandoning tradition: the popularity of wedding dream boards on Pinterest. “Ninety percent of our readers use Pinterest to plan their weddings and with so many out-of-the-box ideas out there, weddings are naturally getting more creative,” says Forden.

And lastly, couples are taking their time getting to the altar these days, and the average engagement can easily last two years. According to Forden, the longer two people stay engaged, the more time they have to carve out their joint identity, which they’re expressing on their wedding day.

However, the white wedding isn't anywhere near extinction and probably never will be. “Just like any other trend, classic ceremonies will eventually return,” says Forden. “Weddings are a family affair and the more unconventional they become, the more people will yearn for the simpler days."

More on Yahoo Shine:
Is This the Perfect Wedding Dress?
Wedding Gown Mishap! Woman Discovers Wrong Dress After 26 Years
GIFS, Now? The Evolution of the Internet Proposal