Creating A Relaxed Wedding Vibe: Tips For A Less Formal Affair

Planning a wedding can be stressful, especially when you want to make it less formal. A casual wedding can be defined by its relaxed energy and laid-back aesthetic. From the invitations to the dress code, there are many ways to make your wedding more relaxed. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Set the tone with your invitations: Choose an invitation suite that reflects your desired level of informality. Skip the formal wording and go for something more light and playful.

- Encourage a casual dress code: Let your guests know that they don't need to wear suits and ties. You can suggest something like flip-flops encouraged or give a theme like Hawaiian shirts and beach attire.

- Choose a comfortable and familiar venue: Opt for a venue that feels intimate and meaningful, such as your backyard, a favourite restaurant, or a beach.

- Serve casual food: Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, consider a BBQ-style or buffet meal. You can even serve pizza or food from your favourite local restaurant.

- Create a relaxed atmosphere: Put out board games for guests to play, set up a fire pit for s'mores, or have drinks and music before the ceremony to help everyone relax.

- Keep the decorations simple: Use wildflowers or sunflowers instead of formal centrepieces. Opt for candlelight and coloured linens to tone down the formality of the venue.

Choose a casual venue

Choosing a casual venue is a great way to set the tone for a relaxed wedding. Here are some ideas and tips to help you select the perfect venue that aligns with your vision of a less formal celebration:

Outdoor Spaces

Consider venues with beautiful outdoor spaces that can accommodate your guest count. This could include a cozy backyard garden, a breezy beach, or a lakeside setting with a dock. These options naturally lend themselves to a more relaxed atmosphere and can be enhanced with simple decorations, such as wildflowers or sunflowers, and comfortable seating.

Familiar and Intimate Locations

Opt for a venue that feels comfortable and familiar to you and your partner. This could be your home, a favourite wine bar or restaurant, or even a neighbourhood patio. These spaces are inherently more intimate and allow you and your guests to feel at ease. They also provide a unique and meaningful backdrop for your special day.

Non-Traditional Venues

If you're open to non-traditional venues, consider spaces like barns, beaches, parks, or backyards. These locations immediately set a casual tone and offer flexibility in terms of catering and vendor choices. For example, you could have food trucks or your favourite local restaurant cater the event, creating a fun and relaxed dining experience.

All-Inclusive Venues

If you prefer a more stress-free planning experience, look for all-inclusive venues that can handle everything from the ceremony to the reception, catering, and decor. Opt for venues with more relaxed atmospheres, such as restored historic buildings or art deco hotels, and work with the staff to create a casual ambiance through decor, lighting, and seating arrangements.

Guest Count and Layout

When considering a venue, think about your guest count and how the space will be utilised. A smaller guest list lends itself to a more intimate and casual atmosphere. Opt for venues with flexible layouts that allow for a mix of seating and standing areas. This encourages guests to mingle and creates a laid-back vibe.

Remember, the venue you choose will significantly influence the overall tone and atmosphere of your wedding. By selecting a casual venue and incorporating personal touches, you can create a relaxed and memorable celebration that truly reflects your style.

Opt for a non-traditional reception

Opting for a non-traditional reception is a great way to make your wedding less formal and more personalised. Here are some ideas to inspire a relaxed and unique celebration:

Food and Drink

Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, you could have a lighter meal such as a BBQ-style buffet or even pizza. If you're having an outdoor wedding, how about a fun food station with a unique theme, like a Mexican/Cajun buffet with fajitas, enchiladas, gumbo and shrimp? This will create a relaxed and effortless atmosphere, and your guests will love the variety. If you're having an indoor wedding, consider a sophisticated, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza oven—your guests can even create their own pizzas! If you want to stick to a more traditional meal, you could still make it less formal by skipping the "traditional" menu choices.

Venue and Decor

If you're looking for a stress-free option, an all-inclusive venue that can handle the wedding, cocktail hour, reception, cake, flowers, decor and lights is a great choice. You could also choose a unique venue that reflects your personality, such as your favourite wine bar, restaurant, beach, patio or even your own backyard. Decor-wise, you could use wildflowers or sunflowers instead of formal centrepieces, and add a fun, relaxed touch with a basket of flip-flops for your guests.

Entertainment

To make your wedding more relaxed, consider skipping some of the traditional reception activities like the bouquet toss, garter toss, or formal entrance. Instead, you could have board games or even a fire pit for making s'mores! If you're having an outdoor wedding, why not hire a steel drum band to add a relaxed, summer vibe?

Attire

Let your guests know that the dress code is informal by including a note on the invitations, such as "Dinner, drinks and general merriment to follow" or "Flip-flops encouraged". This will set the tone for a fun, laid-back celebration. For your bridal party, consider something less formal than a tux—dark jeans, a light shirt and a dinner jacket, or trousers with a vest and a dress shirt.

By incorporating some of these ideas, you can create a non-traditional reception that reflects your personality and ensures your guests have a memorable, relaxed time.

Use informal invitations

The invitations and website will be your first step to let guests know that your wedding will be informal. Choose an invitation suite that sets the tone that you’re looking for and it’ll translate to guests. Skip the formal wording and opt for something more lighthearted and fun. For example, instead of a formal “Mr & Mrs John and Jane Doe invite you to the wedding of their daughter Angela”, go for a “Together with our families” approach. You could also include a playful line like “Dinner, drinks and general merriment to follow”.

If you want to include a dress code on the invitation, it’s best to be positive and avoid negative phrasing like “no suits”. Instead, try something like “flip-flops encouraged” or suggest a theme like “Hawaiian shirts”. You could also include a line such as “jacket not required” or “no black tie”.

If you don’t want to include a dress code on the invitation, you can spread the word through family and friends, or include the information on your wedding website.

Suggest a relaxed dress code

If you want to make your wedding less formal, one of the most effective ways is to suggest a relaxed dress code for your guests. This can be done through the invitations or wedding website, or even spread by word of mouth.

For example, you could say something like "Dinner, drinks, and general merriment to follow" or "Flip-flops encouraged" to convey a more casual tone. You could also suggest a theme, such as Hawaiian shirts and beach hats, to indicate that the event is not formal.

If you're having an outdoor wedding, consider specifying that guests should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather. For example, if it's a beach wedding, suggest that women wear summer sundresses or floral patterned minis with wedges or dressy sandals, while men could wear dress pants or khakis with collared shirts and the option of a tie or sports jacket.

For an indoor wedding, you can still suggest a relaxed dress code by recommending that men wear dark shirts and trousers or jeans with a dinner jacket, and women wear tea-length or knee-length dresses.

Remember, the dress code you suggest should ultimately be comfortable and true to your personality and style as a couple.

Pick casual flowers

Flowers are a key part of any wedding, but if you're looking to make your big day a little less formal, there are plenty of options to keep things casual and relaxed. Here are some ideas to help you pick the perfect casual flowers for your wedding:

• Wildflowers: Wildflowers are a great way to add a touch of nature and informality to your wedding. Opt for simple bunches of wildflowers or sunflowers, which will create a more relaxed and rustic feel.
• Casual Roses: While roses are traditionally associated with elegance and formality, you can make them more casual by choosing spray roses. These have abundant petals and a more informal look, perfect for a laid-back wedding.
• Seasonal Flowers: Using seasonal flowers is a great way to keep costs down and ensure availability. For a spring or summer wedding, consider ranunculus, peonies, or dahlias. For a winter wedding, hellebores are a beautiful option.
• Baby's Breath: Baby's breath was once used solely as a filler, but it has gained popularity as a stand-alone flower in recent years. Its fluffy white blooms can create dramatic installations or simple, romantic bouquets.
• Sunflowers: Sunflowers are a sturdy and vibrant option for a casual wedding, especially if you're going for a rustic or outdoor theme. They add a pop of colour and are perfect for centrepieces or bouquets.
• Simple Bouquets: Opt for simple, ribbon-bound bouquets with neutral-toned flowers and minimal greenery. This will enhance the relaxed, garden-picked feel of your wedding.
• Colourful Options: To add a touch of playfulness and informality, consider colourful flowers like tulips, orchids, or carnations. These flowers come in a variety of shades and can be used to create unique and eye-catching arrangements.

Frequently asked questions