Love the idea of festival weddings?

Modern weddings can be anything you want them to be and if halls, hotels or stately homes aren’t for you there are plenty of other options. This includes festival weddings, which are on the increase as couples move away from the classic big day to something that better reflects their personalities and the things they like to do.

Also, even if you’re not a Glastonbury regular, there are plenty of reasons why festival weddings might still be for you. They allow you to throw away the rule book when it comes to everything from your ceremony to your catering, stretch your celebration out over a whole weekend and often save money with DIY decor, homegrown flower displays and more.

So, if you like the idea of a relaxed celebration filled with music, food, fun and flower crowns, then read on for our expert guide to festival weddings and how to plan one yourself…

Location, location, location

Your venue is key when it comes to festival weddings, as it's hard to conjure up a funky, laid-back vibe in a city centre hotel or conference centre. A rustic wedding venue that’s set up for festival-style dos is the easiest option, such as a beautiful converted barn, a quirky country house, a gastro pub and gardens or a beautiful woodland setting complete with tipis. Alternatively, if you’re happy to do more of the work, festival weddings definitely lend themselves to the homemade look. So, why not go for a ‘dry hire’ venue where you bring in everything yourself?

Nadine and Ross chose a ‘rustic-meets-luxury’ tipi wedding venue near Sherwood Forest. “It’s tucked away in the midst of gorgeous greenery with a garden area, a separate ceremony barn and three huge tipis, as well as a cool chill-out tipi.” says Nadine. “It was the perfect setting for our style. It also had a lodge called Wranglers Den, which was like staying in the mountains in Canada.”

Festival venue checklist

If you're planning a festival wedding then make sure you consider whether your venue has…

• A licensed ceremony area, 
• Options for glamping/camping
• A back-up plan for bad weather
• Allows live music 
• Allows food trucks
• Pretty outside lighting
• Countryside views
• A late-night music licence

Think about where you want your ceremony, too. Samantha and Nathan booked a funky glamping site for their wedding and hired tipis. "The site was very laid back and also included bell tents,” says Samantha. “Luckily, the weather was good enough for us to get married outside in front of the tipis. Guests sat on hay bales and we had a huge flower hexagon and neon sign to stand in front of.” 

Dreamy dresses for festival weddings

Anything goes at a festival wedding, but some of our more bohemian designers, like Heidi Hudson, are perfect for this style of day. Off-the-shoulder straps, delicate floral lace and soft A-line skirts in lightweight chiffon or tulle all have that relaxed festival feel. They’re also super easy to wear, so you can dance and mingle to your heart’s content, without giving your dress a second thought. 

Yvonne chose Adie, an embroidered A-line, which had exactly the informal feel she was looking for. “I wanted a fitted top but with a floaty skirt that would suit my relaxed day,” she says. “I loved how my dress felt and I knew I’d made the right choice.”

However, boho isn’t the only option. Nadine wanted something different and chose a modern crepe sheath by The Signature Collection. “It was flattering, comfortable and gorgeous,” she says. “It felt so nice I could wear it all day. I wanted something plain, but also quirky. I had a very boho fun wedding, but I didn't want the typical lace boho dress.” 

Nicky’s simple square-backed sheath also matched her low-key celebration. “I loved the simplicity of it,” she says. “The dress wasn’t wearing me, I was wearing the dress. The fit and the style really suited me and it was just such a classic design. I felt amazing in it.”

Style it like a star

When it comes to accessories, for a real rock chick look, pair your dress with a ‘Bride’ leather jacket, a funky faux fur gilet or a cute flower crown. Plus, give your footwear some serious thought. Heels are great for the ceremony but if you’ll be tramping across grass or dancing in the open air make sure you have something like funky trainers, flip flops or even fun welly boots on hand, too.

Festival maids

And what about your bridesmaids? A mix n’match approach is a great choice and will guarantee each maid has something they’re happy to wear. Alternatively, we love Yvonne’s cool black bridesmaids’ dresses paired with funky converse trainers, which perfectly matched her fun party atmosphere.

Set the tone

Once the outfits and the venue are sorted, let your guests know all about your wedfest plans with stationery that reflects the day. Save the Dates designed like a festival poster or shabby chic style invites will set the right tone. If you’re feeling really creative, you could give guests their own tickets, festival lanyards and line up details, too. A wedding website is also a great idea, especially as festival weddings often require additional info, such as camping arrangements, details of facilities, etc.

Dance-worthy decor

A festival wedding means you can really go to town with your decorations. And, what’s more, lots of it can be homemade if DIY is your thing. Go for bright bold colours alongside homemade rustic accessories, such as bunting, fairy lights and jars filled with loosely styled flowers. Giant paper lanterns or festival flags also look great dotted around the venue, along with fun festival signs to direct people to all the important areas.

Izzy and Andy booked a tipi wedding venue near Worcester for their celebration. “The venue was a field with four huge tipis overlooking a lake,” says Izzy. “It was a blank canvas without any set suppliers, meaning we really could make this wedding exactly what we wanted it to be without restriction. We hired some festival flags and made a large sign like the Glastonbury sign (Stewart is my husband's surname, so we named the festival Stewbury). I also spent two years making patchwork for it, as well as pom poms and 500 origami cranes. There was also a personalised Escape Room in a horse box, which was super fun and different, along with bubbles, canapés and garden games”

Food, entertainment and fun

If you’ve ever been to music festival you’ll know that good food is super important to keep everyone going till the small hours. It’s also provides a great opportunity to mix and mingle and, unlike a classic wedding set up, guests won't be stuck at the same table all night.

Authentic festival food trucks work brilliantly and there’s a huge array of choices, from Asian-inspired street food and Mexican burritos to classic fish ’n’ chips or pizza. Alternatively, there’s a big trend for grazing tables laden with Mediterranean delights, which will make guest feel like they’re in a VIP back stage area. You can even hire a pudding van for dessert, serving anything from fruit crumbles to crepes! 

Samantha and Nathan went for festival-style boxes with filled pittas and sides and a fish ’n’ chip van in the evening. Alternatively, Yvonne and Ross had a fantastic food truck that served fish or halloumi and chips with Indian spices and then a late night hog roast.

Let’s party!

Then there’s the entertainment. For authentic festival vibes a live band is a must, ideally with a proper stage. If you can manage a small line up of different acts, even better. Another great thing about festivals is that there are lots of different activities to try. So, alongside the music, our wed2b brides have gone for glitter bars, garden games, table football, pinball, giant jenga, bubble machines and more.

Nadine and Ross created a kids’ fun corner and had a tattoo station and VW camper van photo booth. And, for Samantha, the glitter bar was one of the highlights of the day. “I loved the glitter bar!” she says. "I wanted everyone to really get into the festival spirit, so it was the first thing I booked after our venue.”

I’m with the band

Lastly, if you’ve gone to all this effort to create a fabulous festival, you want your photos to really capture the mood. Look for a photographer who takes relaxed reportage photography, to really get that ‘behind the scenes’ vibe. Talk to them about fun festival style props too, such as wellies, flags, heart-shaped sunglasses and colourful smoke flares.

So, we hope we’ve inspired you to create your dream festival, one where you and your new husband are the star guests. For more inspiration and ideas make sure you check out our brilliant real weddings for top tips on colour schemes, dress styles, entertainment and so much more. Party on, dudes!

Click here for lots more festival weddings ideas from our brilliant real life brides and here for lots of festival style wedding dresses. Lastly, for more inspiration, check out our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.