Photo: Love Be Photography

The sound of beach waves and the smell of sunscreen isn't the only thing to be excited for with the arrival of summer. It's wedding season! And with the 2016 season upon us also comes a slew of new wedding trends and ideas for summer brides to incorporate into their own big days. Whether it's in wedding dress fashion, reception or or menu inspiration, this summer's brides are letting their personalities totally shine through in the warm season.

Gone are the days of cookie cutter weddings and set traditions that every couple needed to follow when planning their own big days. If these new summer wedding trends tell us anything, it's that the personalized wedding crafted around a couple's signature style and vibe is totally here to stay. Two brides saying “I do” in crop top wedding dresses? You bet. Fun and festive wedding menus bursting with as much flavor as the couple's personality? Oh yeah. It's your day, your turn to celebrate your love surrounded by friends and family in the heat of the summer.

One trend we're absolutely bananas over? Minimalism. The trick to pulling off this less-is-more theme is downscaling, which is music to any bride's ears when she's knee-deep in wedding planning. Forget the seat covers your future mother-in-law told you that you needed, the outrageously expensive flower wall that you totally can't afford and the stuffy and oh-so-decadent three-course menu that is definitely not your style. The best part of going with the minimalist trend this summer is that you can forget about everything you're not completely in love with. Serve up your wedding dinner family style and encourage conversation! Use simple glass vases as your centerpiece with just one or two stems of your favorite flower. And those seat covers? Well, tell your MIL that the chairs you rented are just too pretty to cover up. It's your big day as a minimalist bride, she'll totally understand.

In addition to super trendy minimalism, we've got a bunch of other summer wedding trends that you're bound to love. So if you're gearing up to get married, take note of these mega popular wedding trends for summer 2016 and add a check mark next to the ones that you feel will add a fresh flair to your big day.