Indie Wedding

An Indie wedding has many aspects that make it special and outstanding. A wedding bouquet is replaced by a colourful corsage with one of the brides in the shoot we show below. She’s wearing an indie inspired floral gown and an incredible headpiece sure to turn heads on her wedding day.

A beautiful bouquet of pink, orange, yellow and purple is the perfect accent to the solid ivory wedding dress on the other bride. Sequins make a statement on the strapless gown and a beaded wedding crown gives an indie vibe as a glamorous addition.

Indeed, a Glasgow wedding venue is all about glamour, and being a bride in Glasgow is about standing out in a crowd! After all, what better place to pose for wedding photos than the fabulous Glasgow Botanic Gardens? An indie wedding is full of special moments so revel in the attention of the day.

Details for an Indie Wedding

An indie wedding is one where tradition is thrown out the window! Some wedding gurus have described the indie wedding as rustic festive, which means they’re part-retro and part-vintage, low-key, and decor may be DIY.

Music could be provided by a soloist, and brides may choose to walk down the aisle to an 80s ballad or perhaps a bluesy, soulful song from the 1950s. The dresses are far from traditional (even a sundress will do), and the groom can wear jeans and a button-down shirt.

Since the decor is low-key and likely done by the bride and her friends or family, a backyard or a botanical garden is the perfect place for an indie wedding. Centerpieces may be sunflowers in a mason jar tied with a pastel-coloured ribbon. The cake will likely be non-traditional as well.

Food for an Indie Wedding

While most couples do request a few personal favourites on the reception menu, at an indie wedding, anything can be served! So, if you want to serve pizza from a local diner or even chips and salsa, the indie wedding has no rules when it comes to what’s on the menu.

Some brides will serve lemonade, sangria, or even beer at an indie wedding. You could use a wooden bucket barrel planter filled with ice to serve your favourite sodas. Food for an indie wedding is meant to be subtle, not the main event of the reception. Some indie brides have served delicious sandwiches at their reception. The cake is also non-traditional. Brides can choose to serve red velvet cake decorated with a few, simple rustic details such as burlap ribbon.

Colour Palettes for an Indie Wedding

Wedding gurus advise that an indie wedding is often a minimalist wedding as well. That means the simpler you can keep the colour palette, the better.

Wooden tables and chairs should be a part of the wedding decor, and this adds to the rustic vintage theme that inspires the indie wedding. Keep decor as simple as possible – things around the house, such as old wine bottles and holiday lights, are perfect.

Keep colours to no more than three. Some of the most popular colours for an indie wedding are gold, white, and dark green. Again, items around the home work well here. Gold candle holders and crystal glasses make elegant yet simplistic decor.

What to Look for in a Venue for an Indie Wedding

First, consider what you need in a venue regardless of location. You’ll want a venue that can accommodate your guest list as well as one that is easily accessible. An outdoor venue should have a back-up plan for inclement weather.

Be sure to ask your contact at the venue about what is included in the venue’s rental. Will there be furniture included? Is there access to a sound system should you need one? Is there adequate room for the reception?

An indie venue can be any type that the couple chooses, including a brewery or a distillery, a greenhouse venue, a library, or even a restaurant rooftop!

Budget for an Indie Wedding

Minimalist is a word used to characterise the Indie wedding, and many brides use things found around the home (or at a flea market, second-hand, or vintage resale store) to decorate for the big day. Repurpose dinner glasses, old wine bottles, even old clothes for wedding decor. (One can make adorable napkins from old clothing with just a little DIY effort.)

Be sure to ask your venue representative what is included in the rental of the venue. If there’s an arch or an arbor, then all you need to do is purchase a few items to decorate in your style. Find old tables for the reception then repaint them and add fresh flowers and greenery from the backyard.

Choose a few must-have items and design your budget around these things. You can always be creative about the way you repurpose items.

Wedding Dresses and Accessories for an Indie Wedding

Most indie wedding dresses are a reflection of a bride who doesn’t follow mainstream traditions. Your dress should be a reflection of your individuality, and there are a wealth of non-traditional wedding styles you can choose from.

Many indie wedding dresses are short rather than long and flowing. Some brides will even choose their mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress that has been repurposed for the big day. There are indie brides who opt for a two-piece jumpsuit. Some brides even add a jacket (leather or denim) to their non-traditional wedding outfits. Sleeves are optional, and some brides choose a dress that is off-the-shoulder. Add a floppy hat for a bit of unique style.

Menswear for an Indie Wedding

Grooms and their groomsmen have multiple options for what to wear on the big day with an indie wedding theme.

Light linens are in style for a variety of wedding themes, and the Indie wedding is no exception. Grooms and the members of their parties may opt for a tan or beige linen suit paired with a white shirt and a tie. Then, there are grooms who forgo the tie altogether.

However, some indie grooms will choose a suit that is brightly coloured in blue, or a black shirt paired with a white jacket. One unique menswear trend for indie weddings involves a velvet suit, perfect for fall and winter weddings.

Reception Decor for an Indie Wedding

Again, indie wedding brides may want to make use of treasures from home or great deals at the vintage resale store for decor. Holding the reception in a tent? Pick up some vintage rugs to roll out on the floor of the reception area. Mixing and matching rugs with similar decorations (different colours) can really set the indie vibe.

Pack an old bathtub (clawfoot tubs are perfect) with ice and fill it with drinks for the reception. Bonus points for repurposing the tub so that it looks distressed. Another unique idea is hanging vases. Pick up old beer or wine bottles, place a few flowers inside, and hang for a stunning backdrop. No old bottles? Old light bulbs will do the trick too!

Wedding Cake Ideas for an Indie Wedding

Some indie wedding brides will want not just one wedding cake, but multiple smaller cakes. Often, these are “naked” cakes, and they are decorated with edible fruit as well as edible flowers.

Brides also opt for non-traditional cake flavors. Forgo the white cake; choose a strawberry cake or even chocolate! Freeze the fruit and roll in sugar for a sparkle effect. Top the cake with flower arrangements or a fruit arrangement. Plus, if you choose to offer multiple cakes for guests, you can have both the traditional white as well as strawberry or another personal favourite.

Ceremony Decor for an Indie Wedding

Some indie brides choose unique decor for the indie wedding. This may include candles and flowers but also carpeted seating areas too. Other indie wedding ceremony decor may include hay bales draped with quilts. Vintage blankets or quilts can really add to the themed decor.

If you choose to utilise couches for the seating area, blankets draped over the couch really give the venue a “homey” and practical look that just says indie wedding. Still, other brides will choose to decorate with benches or bean bags if small children will be attending.

Bird of Paradise: An Andie Wedding Fashion Shoot

I’m so thrilled to welcome Australia’s Hitched Magazine to the United States! Now with issue 3 you can get Hitched in newsstands and bookstores across the nation. This magazine is a breath of fresh air with its glamorous indie wedding features and jaw-dropping style shoots.

Today’s Bird of Paradise indie bridal fashion shoot by Lara Hotz Photography is just one of the many amazing features you’ll find in this inspiring new magazine!

From Amy of Teeki Designs – “In every shoot that I style I like to feature one or two things that perhaps are not a typical trend in the bridal industry. For example the beautiful corsage paired with the floral gown from Jennifer Gifford. I can imagine that it would be beautiful to walk down the aisle holding hands with whomever is giving you away, perhaps your Mum and Dad on both sides? With a corsage you won’t have to worry about a big bouquet getting in the way.

Evolving from the flower crown I explored the idea of the combination of fresh flowers teamed with a glitzy headpiece. A lot of brides come to me and they are torn as they love fresh flowers, but also want something that will serve as a keepsake and something that is a bit more glam. Why not combine the two?

Gold and sequins are having a big influence on fashion and I wanted to showcase how this can be interpreted into bridal in an understated and elegant way. Another big inspiration for this shoot is pineapples. It seems to be the year of the pineapple! They are popping up all over the place in interior design and filtering through to fashion. We showcased gold spray painted pineapples in this shoot because who doesn’t love them!?”

Credits: Photography: Lara Hotz Photography for Hitched Magazine // Styling & Headpieces: Teeki Designs // Hair Styling: VH Hair // Makeup: Dream Reflection // Floral Design: Clementineposy // Dresses: Rachel Gilbert, AJE, Bo & Luca, & Jennifer Gifford Designs // Jewelry: Fiel Sol, In Her Shoes Boutique, Colette, Samantha Wills, Fabulous Nobodie, & The Dark Horse // Venue: Moby Dicks, Whale Beach, NSW // Kombi Van: Kombi Style // Model: Brooke Hade // Videography: Design Patrol.