Imagine floral centerpieces and green installations; an aisle lined with the warm glow of soft candlelight; a bride and groom framed by a wooden altar with twining, viridescent vines. If this ethereal wedding day resonates with you, you might want to try a boho wedding dress!
So what exactly is a boho bride, and what does a boho bride wear on her special day? While the bohemian, or boho, style originates from the free-spirited style of the 1960s and 1970s, this alternative and casual aesthetic continues to be in fashion today.
Romantic flutter sleeves, floral beading details, and flowing A-line skirts make up the perfect bohemian dress for the dreamy, wanderlust-filled bride. The style departs from traditional, mainstream fashion, and this similarly applies to wedding dress trends.
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Even though the bohemian clothing style has influences from past decades, the fashion style continues to trend. Celebrities such as Ashlee Simpson, Idina Menzel, and Nikki Reed have all embraced the boho wedding dress trend for their wedding days. Featuring delicate floral sleeves, embroidered details, and floor-length skirts, these star wedding dresses created a magical experience.
Can’t find your perfect Boho wedding dress? Anomalie has worked with thousands of brides to create Boho dresses to their unique style and measurements for under $2,000. Get started here with a free sketch and fabric samples.
What are the top boho wedding dress styles and trends in 2022?
1. Floral Boho Lace
Given the fact that the bohemian style is heavily reliant on natural elements and connections to nature, it comes as no surprise that floral lace is one of the top boho wedding dress trends we predict. Just like with other wedding dress styles, floral motifs are a classic and romantic touch to any wedding dress.
For boho brides, floral laces and designs evoke playfulness and whimsy. In white, floral lace is both subtle yet eye-catching, effortless yet precise. Floral lace boho dresses add the right amount of texture and detail to an open and romantic ceremony.
The first dress has a deep, plunging neckline with thick straps and a plunging back, as well as floral lace trailing up and down both the bodice and length of the dress. The sleeveless look is lightweight enough for a beach wedding and pairs well with the bride’s loose curls.
Next, this bride’s boho wedding occurred on the shores of a beautiful Oregon beach. Complex geometric and floral lace was combined for a single beachy and bohemian dress.
Finally, this boho bride’s sleeveless dress is also covered in floral lace, while accompanied by a daring slit, perfectly encapsulating the free-spirited and bold style.
2. A-Line Boho Wedding Dresses
A-line silhouettes are a classic in wedding dress fashion, beginning in 1955 with Dior’s collection of flared skirts. For brides with broader shoulders or a wider waistline, A-lines are a silhouette that can help bring about balance to a look. Narrowing at the top and fitting around the hips, the A-line wedding dress is a free-flowing silhouette.
In the context of bohemian weddings, these easy silhouettes produce an effortlessly chic look that is especially on-trend in 2022 for boho brides everywhere. These three looks help provide inspiration for a bride’s boho wedding in the forest. Layered A-line skirts work especially for those boho brides looking to have a seasonal wedding in the fall or winter.
For example, we love the first bride’s Vintage Rose tulle skirt. The longer train of her A-line skirt provides a woodland nymph feel and pairs well with the sheer floral lace bodice.
With a stunning landscape accented by a golden tree-lined river in San Marco, Texas, this bride’s A-line spotlighted a Toffee tulle stack-up. The detail of her Swiss dot and lace appliqué contrasts perfectly with the simplicity of the A-line skirt.
If you’re not as big of a fan of tulle, the third dress features another A-line dress, along with floral lace and sleeves. However, if you can’t just commit to an A-line, Anomalie can help you with detachable skirt options as well!
3. Sleeved Boho Wedding Dresses
Sleeved wedding dresses have once again been on the rise. From bell sleeves to flutter sleeves to puff sleeves, adding sleeves to a wedding dress can often elevate the ethereal feeling of a dress. Flowing sleeves often add movement, attracting the eye to this visual detail.
The first bride pairs her beautiful boho bell sleeves with a more traditional and classic A-line wedding dress. The sleeves add character and fashionable flair to her wedding dress, which is perfectly suited for the outdoors.
Next, our bride pairs large floral lace applique on tulle with a simple A-line silhouette. Her mesh sleeves accentuate the romantic floral lace, adding to the bohemian factor. For an even more unique look, the last dress reveals a simple crepe, long-sleeved mermaid dress.
It’s the perfect, simple outdoor dress and is brought to life against the backdrop of this bride’s desert wedding. Add to that with a wide-brimmed hat, it’s clear that this bohemian beauty has perfectly matched the aesthetic of her natural and lovely wedding ceremony. Even if you’re inspired by these long-sleeved wedding dresses, if a bride pleases, these sleeves can even be detachable!
4. Sleek Mermaid
For a more contemporary and adult look, boho brides can choose a sleeker, mermaid wedding dress style. This silhouette has been trending among the boho dress style, helping brides achieve a more polished style. These dresses are just as free-flowing but offer a more mature vibe to those brides who want something a little more form-fitting and body-hugging.
Inspiration for these sleek fit-and-flare boho wedding dresses are below!
The first bride wears a sleek crepe dress with floral beading detail and a romantic flutter neckline. With this flowing, floor-length number, brides can easily dance the night away in an outdoor forest wedding setting.
In the next photograph, future boho brides can take inspiration from this simple yet chic bohemian dress with guipure lace detailing peeking through on the sleeves. This form-fitting dress is elegant and simple, giving the boho bride a more modern feel. She looks absolutely regal in its simplicity!
And finally, if brides want to add a little more detailing, the last dress depicts Swiss Dot and hand-placed pearl beads. These along with mini bell sleeves offer a very soft, romantic look. These figure-hugging dresses are a new kind of boho bride and fashion-forward glam.
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5. Nude-lining
Nude-lining is perfect for any boho wedding dress, simulating a whimsical yet modern look.
Layered with delicate geometric or floral patterns, the slight hue adds dimension and depth to a boho bride’s wedding dress. This key trend has become quite popular for boho chic wedding dresses, bringing forth the delicate detail and beauty of lace appliques and embroidery.
The first bride wears a wedding dress with all-over white Gabrielle lace and sun-kissed mesh illusion lining. This nude lining gives the bride’s boho dress a more modern feel. Next, the second look is a sleeved gown with scalloped lace over nude lining.
Similarly, the leafy lace on nude lining, along with off-the-shoulder bell sleeves, provides a uniquely vintage air to the bride’s dress. From forest to desert weddings, a bride cannot go wrong with boho wedding dresses with nude lining. While flower crowns are rare in traditional weddings, boho brides definitely have the option to adorn a fresh crown of colorful flowers.
Given the subtlety of the nude lining hue, boho brides can pretty much pick any variety of colors to accessorize with their bohemian dresses, as depicted in these inspirational photos.
All of the wedding dresses featured here are past designs brides have created. Now it’s your turn!
Here are a few questions that boho brides often ask while designing and purchasing their wedding dresses:
What do I consider when looking for my dream boho wedding dress?
For every wedding, brides in the wedding planning process must consider many different variables. Specifically, boho brides should think about how their bohemian wedding dresses fit the overall boho aesthetic and theme. For example, wedding dress fabrics are particularly important due to the usual locations where boho weddings are held.
Boho brides with beach weddings should look towards satin or charmeuse, which is soft as well as lightweight so as not to be dragged down by sand at the beachside. On the other hand, brides hoping to create a wedding with forest nymph vibes may go for crepe wedding dresses or romantic, off-the-shoulder looks. Lastly, brides with a desert location should design a lightweight, sleeveless, or off-the-shoulder look to fight off the heat on her big day. Chiffon and soft tulle dresses are made of more breathable fabrics that tie well with the bohemian dress style.
For more information on how to choose your boho dress fabric, click here.
Where is the best place to purchase a Boho wedding dress?
There are several designers that specialize in the Boho aesthetic such as Maggie Sottero, Alice Temperley, Lillian West, and Theia. These gowns are exclusively sold at stores and generally start at several thousand dollars. For example, dresses at Kleinfeld (the most popular U.S. boutique) start at $2,000 and can go well past $10,000.
For bohemian brides who are looking to spend below $1,000, David’s Bridal is probably the best option – David’s Bridal carries a large selection of discounted gowns. BHLDN, one of the few chain stores in the market specializing in the Boho style, is a bridge between the prices of David’s Bridal and the boutiques – with dresses ranging between $800 and $2,000.
Whether you are visiting David’s Bridal or a luxury boutique, two of the leading complaints we hear about the store experience are selection and body inclusivity. An average boutique will generally offer no more than 10 true Boho options. At wedding dress boutiques, most off-the-rack wedding dresses stop at size 14; even brands that claim to be “body inclusive” stop at size 20!
Anomalie started when a bride researched the workshops that supplied brands at Kleinfeld, and realized she could make her dress directly with them cutting out the designer markup) and sell directly to brides (cutting out the boutique overhead). Anomalie’s insight is that an online model can offer a top-quality custom dress at a price that stores cannot match by cutting out these markups. Anomalie dresses, which are made using the same materials and workshops that go into $6,000+ boutique dresses, retail for a fraction of that boutique price tag. In the past five years, Anomalie has helped thousands of brides incorporate Boho elements into their dress.
What kind of wedding themes would work best for a boho wedding dress?
Boho weddings are characterized by romantic settings in nature. Brides often choose outdoor weddings in forests, deserts, and farms. Boho decor can include floral centerpieces, nature-inspired installations, and crystal accents on the tables. We loved the retro vibes (vintage truck, outdoor setting with string lights, embroidered jean jacket) that Anomalie bride Heidi incorporated into her wedding to complement her custom bohemian dress:
How should a boho bride accessorize her dream dress?
Boho brides often accessorize their bohemian dresses with braids, flower crowns, and soft waves. These accessories complement a bohemian wedding dress perfectly! We also love when boho beauties add a splash of color to their dress, like this purple vision.
How do I design my dream boho wedding dress?
See a wedding dress here that has some but not all of your favorite design elements? Struggle with the average dress fit? Want to combine two wedding dresses into one perfect gown? Design your dream dress with Anomalie, the best-reviewed national wedding dress retailer, helping thousands of brides create their dream boho dress online with certainty. At the forefront of Anomalie’s process is the bride – an entire team of stylists, seamstresses, and dressmakers meticulously guide a bride to capture her dream dress, a dress as perfect as she is. From body-inclusive sizing (from petite to plus size) to design elements to pricing, Anomalie is an award-winning, guaranteed process for many brides. Whether you are looking for a short wedding dress, sleeves, a sheath silhouette or anything in between, Anomalie has done it.
Curious if Anomalie is the right option to create your Boho dress? Get started with free fabric samples and a custom sketch here.
If you’re looking for more information, check out these other blog posts!
- 20 Long sleeve Dresses You Can Customize Online
- Why Buying a Wedding Dress Online is Easier than Ever
- 20 of the Best Online Lace Wedding Dresses You Can Customize