Are you thinking about organising a bohemian wedding? Not sure where to start? Looking for ideas for the décor, the catering, the What are the steps involved in wedding planning?
In this article, you’ll find useful tips to ensure your bohemian wedding is relaxed yet well-organised and a real pleasure.
What is a bohemian wedding?
Almost everyone has heard of the term ‘bohemian wedding’, but it’s still the case that some people are a bit confused about what it actually means. Many people confuse it with the equally popular a vintage wedding.
What is a bohemian wedding? How does it differ from a vintage wedding?
At a bohemian wedding, there are no set rules; you’re free to deviate from the usual order of events and traditions. You can tailor this type of wedding to your liking, both in terms of the schedule for the big day and aspects such as the décor, the wedding menu, the attire or the gifts.
A bohemian wedding is meant to convey a sense of freedom; it embodies a relaxed, informal style, and there are no rules on how to organise it. After all, it’s your big day. 🙂
In contrast, a vintage wedding has its own stylistic constraints. The vintage style seeks to bring a past way of life into the present, whether in terms of attire, décor or any other aspect of wedding planning.
The two are completely different, so why do so many people confuse them?
At bohemian weddings, many people opt for vintage-style dresses and floral decorations; this is a much more relaxed approach than the traditional one. That is why the two are so similar, at least in appearance. Yet the atmosphere of a bohemian wedding is completely different – much more relaxed.
A bohemian wedding: a medley of styles.
A wedding in this style isn’t built solely on vintage elements. It may feature Art Deco-style outfits, rustic decorations, and here and there accessories characteristic of a Western atmosphere. It draws on the weddings in marquees its atmosphere and that Mediterranean way of life. On top of all that, there’s room for anything else you’ve dreamt up – that’s the beauty of it: there are no rules.
That’s loads of styles. 🙂 If you don’t have any specific ideas yet, have a look at a few wedding film, in the hope that they might inspire you, that you might pick out a few elements you like and incorporate them into your own bohemian wedding.
So, at a bohemian wedding, it’s perfectly fine to blend several styles, but do take care to ensure the whole thing doesn’t turn into a colourful, smelly mess. Try to blend styles and a relaxed vibe in such a way that you stay within the bounds of good taste.
Tips for organising a bohemian wedding
Now that we’ve hopefully clarified what a bohemian wedding is, let’s take a look at some wedding planning tips that can help make your big day even more special.
1. The invitation should have a bit of a bohemian feel to it
Wedding invitations play an important role. They allow you to let your guests know what the dress code will be, and what a wedding present would you like to, and perhaps even already wedding seating plan you can also include it there.
An invitation also gives an indication of what the wedding will be like; it is important that it reflects the atmosphere of the event.
Try to design a relaxed, bohemian-style invitation so that the wedding guests can tell what sort of wedding it’s going to be the moment they pick up the invitation. As we’ve mentioned before, there’s a brilliant app called Canva, which you can use to create your own beautiful invitations, but if your wedding budget allows, you could also hire a graphic designer for the job.
2. Choose a venue that’s easy to decorate
Alongside the couple’s charisma and the happy wedding guests, it is undoubtedly the décor that sets the mood for bohemian weddings.
Choose a venue where you can decorate to your heart’s content. Most of these venues are open-air or at least semi-open. Just think about where else you’d put all those colourful rugs, old chairs and loads of flowers if not outdoors?
The weather likes to throw a spanner in the works, even on such a lovely day. If you don’t want to take any risks, look for a venue with a marquee or a barn, and have a plan B in place for how the décor, dinner and other activities will be organised in the event of bad weather.
3. The décor should be relaxed and varied
As we’ve mentioned before, a bohemian wedding offers a wealth of possibilities. You can draw inspiration from almost any style.
The only thing to bear in mind when creating a bohemian-style décor is to choose only those elements that go well together. Be careful not to go overboard.
Feel free to dip into the vintage, the Mediterranean and the weddings in marquees decorative elements – and don’t forget plenty of flowers either.
4. Stand at the altar in whatever wedding dress you like
A „traditional” wedding comes with its own set of conventions, and the bride’s dress is no exception. Of course, there aren’t any hard and fast rules here about what is and isn’t allowed, but in the case of a relaxed, bohemian wedding, there are absolutely no restrictions whatsoever.
At a bohemian wedding, you can confidently wear the wedding dress of your dreams, even if it isn’t exactly what you’d call a traditional wedding dress.
Where can you find a bohemian wedding dress?
Wherever you like 🙂 That’s exactly the point. If you don’t have a specific dress in mind, here are a few tips on where to find a unique, special and stunningly beautiful bohemian wedding dress.
Etsy – If uniqueness is important
The Etsy On the website, you can buy hand-sewn and vintage pieces, all for a fraction of the price of standard wedding dresses.
ASOS –If you want to choose from a wide range of clothes
Although ASOS is one of the big names in fast fashion, the fact is that it stocks a huge range of brands and products. You can also find plenty of bohemian wedding dresses there. The dresses shown in the pictures above are all available to buy at the on the page.
Dreamers&Lovers – If you’re looking for something truly special
We recommend this page if you’re looking for a unique, hand-sewn piece that you’re sure not to see anywhere else. Admittedly, compared to the previous two sites, the prices here are a bit steeper, but they’re still not more expensive than what you’d have to spend on a traditional wedding dress. Have a look at the site to see what beautiful bohemian wedding dresses are on sale.
5. Here’s how your bridesmaids should dress
A bridesmaids The aim of their uniform is to make them stand out from the crowd and present a unified image.
When choosing outfits, care should be taken to ensure that their colours complement the décor and the atmosphere. In addition, they are usually coordinated with the bride’s dress in terms of both colour and fabric.
At a bohemian wedding, even the bridesmaids’ dresses are different from the norm; they tend to wear much more colourful and exciting outfits.
6. Your fiancé doesn’t have to wear a traditional wedding outfit either
Just like the bride’s dress, the groom’s bohemian wedding outfit is also different from what you’d see at a traditional wedding.
The groom can deviate from the usual „wedding suit colours”; he can wear braces, a patterned tie, or even a walking stick and a hat. The main thing is that he feels comfortable in his outfit. Also make sure that your outfits complement each other.
7. How to style your hair
It’s all down to the hairstyle. 🙂 Well, even if that’s not entirely true, a nice hairstyle really does make a big difference to your overall look.
Bohemian wedding hairstyles are characterised by braids, curls and a floral crown.
To create these beautiful braids, you’ll need a in our previous article You’ll find useful information and videos too.
8. Let there be lots of flowers
Of course, you can’t really say that, as the whole point of a bohemian wedding is that there are no strict rules. That said, flowers in a variety of colours do suit the bohemian style, but it’s entirely up to you what you’d like.
One might think of the bohemian style as strong and distinctive, as it blends elements from many different styles. This is true, yet at the same time it is light and airy; there is nothing forced about it.
When designing the floral arrangements, aim for this same sense of relaxed, airy style. Try decorating the venue with beautiful, delicate flowers; this will make it seem as though the floral arrangements aren’t a separate, pre-planned element at all, but rather a natural feature that was always there.
9. Tailor the wedding menu to your liking
At a special wedding, the food can be something out of the ordinary, but you can also stick to tradition.
Feel free to experiment with exotic flavours, sneak exciting dishes from all over the world onto the menu, or stick to traditional Hungarian dishes. In the bohemian style, anything goes!
We wrote recently that „Traditional and modern wedding menu ideas” an article entitled […]. In it, we offered a number of ideas for creating menus featuring traditional Hungarian, new-wave Hungarian, unique exotic and fusion dishes. Do have a read and draw inspiration from it.
10. Make sure your creative photography is actually creative
Whatever anyone says about that wedding photography It’s really important for a bride. If those photos don’t turn out well, what on earth will you be looking at and showing off for the next 50 years?
A photo shoot isn’t just about the stunning outfits or the hours spent bridal make-up and it’s not just the settings that matter; you need the accessories too.
For the photo shoot, use bohemian-style props, a colourful rug or two, a blanket or some cushions, old furniture and wooden crates. Flowers look lovely too, as does anything else you think suits the style and would be a pleasure to look back on in your wedding photos.
11. The music should suit the mood
As there are no constraints or rules to follow at a bohemian wedding, any kind of music is fine.
Make sure that the band, DJ or performer you book plays music that suits you, the décor and the overall atmosphere of the wedding.
Don’t fall into the trap of liking everything so much that you want a bit of this and a bit of that. Make sure the music follows a clear, specific theme. Too much variety, floral decorations and a musical medley spanning different styles might be a bit too much.
12. Don’t shy away from any solution
If you’ve read this article through to the end, you’ll have seen that a bohemian wedding is completely different from a traditional one. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas with your partner and bring them to life.
A bohemian wedding gives you the chance to let your creativity run wild – so make the most of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The bohemian style is informal; there are no rules whatsoever. It draws inspiration from vintage, Art Deco, rustic and Western styles. It can also incorporate the atmosphere of beach or marquee weddings.
The bohemian style is all about flowers, so by no means skimp on them. As there are no set rules, it’s entirely up to you what kind of decorations you create, but do make sure the essence of the style isn’t lost amidst the jumble of styles.
Unfortunately, the fact that there are no style-related constraints doesn’t mean you’ll be spared the expenses and organisational tasks that come with it. Just as with any other wedding, make sure you have a budget and a schedule. Don’t be too bohemian about these! 🙂
