Free-loving vibes, comfortable clothes, being barefoot on the beach, chilling on the floor on velvet cushions – am I talking about Marrakesh in the 1970’s? No- I’m talking about the kind of wedding you can plan if you are up for fun vibes and not necessarily in to traditional wedding formalities.
Here I will present some examples of ways to incorporate some Bohemian wedding elements to your big day, whether you go full Monty or just feel inspired by a few select items, that is entirely up to you – because it will be wonderful and memorable either way.
- Your dress
Skip the corset, ball-gown and tight fitting materials, and rather go for a comfortable dress with breathable fabrics that would be blowin’ in the wind. Lace, chiffon and natural fibres are all great choices. The silhouette can be any you like, but designs such as a low back, thigh slit, off the shoulder or longer bell sleeves are all good choices. Nature inspired, 70’s revival and floral patterns are typical of the boho-style dress.
2. The venue
Gosh girl – you got plenty of choice! Anywhere outdoors in a natural environment would be especially suited. Look for a place such as the beach, a rustic wine farm, a forest, a lovely backyard, a farm, a barn or a garden. If you are in the city, a warehouse or eclectic house will fit the bill. If outdoors, make sure to have a weather plan B – it can get pretty hot and windy on the beach for example. Guest comfort is key, why it is perfect to have the ceremony outdoors, and then head into your barn or Bedouin tent after (where you can hand out granny-square blankets for the guests to wrap up in).
3. The decor
Here there are so many options that are easy to source and create a laid-back atmosphere for your guests to marvel at. Arrange your flowers in a way so that they don’t look arranged, mix in wildflowers (or use them solely) in your bouquets and don’t hesitate to add plants and items other than flowers, such as aloes, fynbos, cacti, branches, grasses, even some shells and feathers.
For other decor; use plenty of different objects to create a mish-mash of visual impressions. Bohemian is not known for being minimalist so “go wild”, literally. Driftwood, beads, feathers, thrift shop lace curtains, hay bales, gemstones, Persian rugs, Moroccan lanterns, native American memorabilia, Tibetan blankets, colourful cushions, vibrant mismatched china, hand drawn wooden signs, old mirrors – items you can easily find in nature, someones attic or at your nearest flea market. Boho lends it self very well to DIY and upcycling.
Be gold and generous when it comes to colour, texture and shapes. When you plan your decor, think in terms of backpacking in India, going to a folk music festival or gypsy summer camp. More is more!
The beauty of boho decor is that it it easily combined with several other decor themes: Boho-rustic, boho-glam and boho-vintage vibes work well, but you can of course boho-ify any wedding by just incorporating some crafted items – dream catchers, teepees and crochet lace are for example iconic. Mosaic, vintage vases, odd candlesticks are other easy way to instantly bring out the boho in your wedding.
4. Your and your grooms look
Let the natural vibes carry through to your grooms attire, he would definitely not feel comfortable at his own event if he was to wear a black tie. Rather go for a colourful tie, bow tie or no tie at all, even undo the top button of his shirt. Muted colours+ a splash of blues, yellows and pastels are ideal. Shoes could be brown leather, or why not Jesus sandals?
For yourself, barefoot sandals or nude coloured strappy sandals decorated with beads would work well, or cowboy boots. Do keep makeup neutral and let your hair down, perhaps in a side braid or half up-half down with crown braid. Weave in some feathers and/ or succulents, top with a wildflower crown and you are wedding ready!
5. Dinner
A buffet self-serve or family-style serving at the tables would fit well with the informal vibe. Decorate the chairs with crocheted doilies and greenery, or let the seating be on cushions on the floor Japanese style. No food is more bohemian than the other, so choose what you really love. I would suggest some ethnic style dining though – such as Lebanese, Ethiopian or Sri Lankan. If you are a true hippie, you will perhaps choose a locally produced, vegetarian, organic meal, with options for raw vegans and macrobiotics as well. But anything locally produced, wholesome and abundant in flavour and colour will be great.
6. The Cake
The whimsical and unconventional theme should naturally follow all the way through to the cake. Let the cake turn into an artwork installation with plenty of texture, colour and detail. Symmetry and perfection is to be avoided for the boho-chic cake; adorn it generously with fruit, botanicals, flowers or other natural elements. whether you go for naked cake of marbleized icing doesn’t matter much, as long as it is fairly bombastic. Colourwise, there are no limits – think of the cake as a canvas on which to you add bright paint liberally. Even consider adding colour to the sponge and the filling.
Note: if you do use feathers and other found objects as cake decor- remember to sterilize them well first!
Basically, there is so much to adore about this look, as you can see. But I need to add to this that there are so many ways to “go boho” – you are absolutely not confined to a particular style – as the boho style can actually mean following completely your own created vibe. The word bohemian means literally “having informal and unconventional social habits” (so if everyone followed the s. k bohemian lifestyle, no one would be bohemian right?)
It basically means you are free to go your own way, and that is the beauty of bohemia. It has become a fashion trend and a recognized wedding concept, but actually it just is a term for being free-spirited – as in “dont follow the rules”. There is a lot of scope for interpretation as you can imagine.
So, the one and ONLY rule there is to putting on a boho wedding is that you don’t have to subscribe to a preconceived wedding style package as such -even the s.k bohemian one- because being truly bohemian means: DON’T FOLLOW RULES! Have the wedding your own bohemian unconventional way, and be boho as you like it, whether you hang dream catchers in the trees or not.
images in this article have been found via pinterest from green wedding shoes, 36th avenue, ruffled blog, free people
