Calling All Coachella Brides! Here's How to Throw a Festival-Inspired Wedding

It’s easy to add a few touches of the festival look to your wedding decor

Updated 05/17/17

Festival season is in full swing! If you’re the type of couple that burns the midnight oil at Coachella or makes a yearly pilgrimage in an airstream trailer to Burning Man, a festival-inspired style may be the perfect theme for your wedding.

While actually getting married at Burning Man may not be for everyone (think possible dust storms and interruptions from roving party buses), it’s easy to add touches of a festival look and feel throughout your wedding decor—without making your grandma schlep out to the playa.

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Keep the Overall Vibe Casual

Bride and Groom Walking Up the Aisle — Sybrand Cillié

It goes without saying that a festival-inspired affair is going to be a little less stuffy than your standard wedding. It’s the kind of event at which both the couple and guests may want to kick off their shoes even before the ceremony begins. Loose, flowing dresses and beachy waves are essential. Wedding decor is kept fresh and simple, playing up the free-spirited look; trailing vines and freshly picked wildflowers are all you need.

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Create Outdoor Lounge Spaces

Wedding Reception Lounge Area with Pink Area Rugs — Amy & Stuart Photography

To align with the über-casual theme, make sure that there are plenty of comfy hangout areas scattered throughout your reception area for guests to relax. Use colorful accents like patterned rugs, fluffy floor pillows, and Moroccan lanterns to amp up the bohemian ambiance.

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Tent It Up

Festival-Inspired Wedding Tent — John Dolan via Vogue

Playful tents, tepees, and other structures are staples of any festival scene. Add soft lighting and draped fabrics to make the spaces warm and inviting, and make each one feel slightly different by changing out the color scheme or theme. Moving images can also be projected on the walls and ceiling to evoke the look and feel of an immersive art installation.

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Use an Unconventional Backdrop for Your Vows

Bohemian Wedding Ceremony Structure — India Earl

A festival-inspired wedding allows for more creative twists to traditional structures and decor elements. Floral accents are kept loose and romantic, while woven textiles and draped fabric add a natural look.

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Let the Cake (and Other Food Elements) Be Natural and Unfussy

Naked Wedding Cake with Pink Flowers and Greenery — Mallory Renee Photography

Skip the passed hors d’oeuvres and fondant-covered cake and go for a more easygoing meal for your reception. Food carts with mini empanadas, spiked lemonade, and other festival treats let guests choose their favorite things to nosh on instead of sticking to a prescribed menu (which is way too much structure for the truly boho bride). End the night with a naked cake covered in fresh blooms and a dessert table filled with rustic pies and homemade cookies.