"Right Now!" – A Boho-Style Outdoor Wedding During the Pandemic

A big wedding in Southern Styria—that was Martina and Manuel’s original plan. But then the coronavirus hit and, unfortunately, threw a wrench in their wedding plans.

Should they postpone the wedding because of the pandemic, or take the risk of waiting and hoping for restrictions to ease? Like so many other couples, the bride and groom wrestled with these questions for months. Amid negative headlines, confusing regulations, and great uncertainty, the couple finally decided to transform their celebration into a small garden wedding on short notice. Wedding planner Verena Wächter took on the exciting challenge and, in just three months, planned a stunning boho-style outdoor wedding that adhered to COVID-19 guidelines. Under the motto “Right now!”, Martina and Manuel finally celebrated their wedding outdoors on the bride’s parents’ property.

The entire garden was beautifully arranged and decorated—down to the smallest detail. Countless string lights and garlands created a festive atmosphere, and charming benches invited guests to linger. The wedding florals by Blooments featured primarily pampas grass—a must-have for any boho wedding. The backdrop for the outdoor ceremony wasn’t just a triangular wedding arch, which had been staged with a masterful display of floral artistry. The hay bales, which served as seating for the guests, blended perfectly into the boho concept, and a sandy beach was even created in front of the small stream on the property. This allowed Martina and Manuel to exchange their emotional vows barefoot in the sand, in true boho style.

After the ceremony, confetti made of dried flowers flew through the air; there was laughter, tears, toasts, and dancing to atmospheric live music. Culinary delights at the reception included both a remarkable pretzel bar and a creative candy bar.

The festive dinner took place in a beautiful tent. In keeping with the boho wedding design concept, rustic wooden tables and cross-back chairs were chosen as the furnishings. The tables were adorned with beautiful decorative elements and coordinating flowers, and each guest found a wedding favor at their seat that included a personal thank-you note from the bride and groom. In keeping with the “garden wedding” theme, the wedding dinner was served as a barbecue buffet.

By the time it began to get dark and the many lights started to glow, all the guests were swept up in a fairy-tale atmosphere. The entire tent shone with romantic light and ambiance. Guests danced and celebrated around the campfire until the early hours of the morning to bring this beautiful and unique wedding to a fitting close.

In hindsight, rescheduling the wedding was the best decision Martina and Manuel could have made. The last-minute reorganization actually made the celebration even more personal. Everyone from their family and circle of friends pitched in with a great deal of love and effort to make the wedding possible in this form. The result was an incredibly touching and deeply emotional celebration. Every single wedding guest was incredibly grateful to have been able to share this special day with Martina and Manuel and will always look back on it with a huge smile.