5 Musts For a Festival Wedding
— By Luke Ellery
19 July 2016
When it comes to wedding themes the festival theme is arguably the most fun for the couple and the guests.
Not only is the relaxed festival vibe one that naturally invites positive emotions, but it is customary at festival weddings to provide games, live entertainment, and delicious on-going food & beverage services. Those are three of the most enjoyable and relaxing things anyone could ask for. So if you want your wedding to be fun, memorable, and adorable too, then maybe a festival theme is what you need.Hereis how to put together an amazing festival style wedding that will ensure your big day will be like your own little Coachella - it will be unforgettable!
Venue
First and foremost, you are going to want to pick an outdoor location. Your venue needs to provide a large grass area. With such a vast space at your disposal you are probably going to wonder what to do with it? To really get that festival feel you could lay out some picnic blankets on the grass and trestle/ picnic tables to give people plenty of seating options. If you want to go the extra mile try putting out a few hay bales or random pieces of lounge furniture. For shelter, put up a few tipi-style tents around and make sure your venue has a nice big marquee on hand. Don’t get carried away with cluttering your space, give your guests options.
Image by Perry Trotter Photography
Attire
Casual footwear is essential, if you are willing to go barefoot that’s even better! No doubt you will have a few ladies and gents who insist on coming to your wedding in shiny loafers or high heels - make sure you have a basket of sandals for them to change into.
Image by Perspective Photo + Cinema
Decoration
Festoon lights look great draped around the place and a few brazier fires will create an amazing festival atmosphere day or night. Pro tip: save a few fireworks or sparklers from Guy-Fawkes and set them off in the evening after the reception. It will be great for entertainment and it will be a light show that your guests are unlikely to forget!
Image by Captured By Keryn
Catering
Choosing your festival-style catering will be a fun process. We recommend food trucks! With a huge range in the market today, they are a friendly and social way to feed your guests at your wedding. Your guests can choose what they want to eat and when they want to eat it. It’s casual but quirky and it’s all the rage. Two fun options, if you need somewhere to start, are Taco Loco and Picnic Box - click on their names to find out more. Consider hiring a caravan bar. It is a great alternative to the trestle table bar, it fits in with your food truck to add an authentic festival feel to your special day. The Cute Caravan Company provides an adorable 1968 Lilliput caravan that has been converted into a portable bar - It is the perfect addition to a festival wedding!
Image by Captured By Keryn
Entertainment
Bands or solo singers are the way to go i.e. live music! You don’t want to spoil the incredible atmosphere you have spent hours building by something easily avoided like a bad spotify playlist. Since festival weddings can save you a bit of money in terms of venue and wedding shoes (if you choose to go barefoot), consider using the extra money to hire multiple live acts and have them playing in different areas - giving your guests those easy options can contribute massively to your festival vibe. Lawn games are another alternative kind of entertainment to consider, giant-naughts crosses, giant-jenga, and croquet (to name a few), this easy to provide entertainment will give your guests plenty to do and everyone will have a great time. If you need assistance in providing lawn games, Coco Lily Events can provide some fun options to choose from.
Finally, and possibly our most important tip, make sure you have a casual timeline. Timelines are a must for any wedding because you have to know everything will fit in, but keep it casual. With all the entertainment options you have provided your guests, not to mention the fact they can eat from the food trucks at almost any time, you have to make sure there is enough “free time” in your wedding timeline for everyone to enjoy these amazing festival-style options. Happy planning!