Funky Wedding Inspo from a Chicago Wedding Photographer: Dixie + Jordan’s Bowling Alley Wedding

If you’re recently engaged and the thought of a ballroom, neutral florals, and a perfectly polite sit-down dinner makes your soul leave your body a little bit… Welcome. This funky wedding guide is for the Chicago couples who want their day to feel colorful, personal, a little unexpected, and fully them. Which is literally my whole entire jam as a Chicago wedding photographer. 

If your dream wedding is one that feels quirky, ultra-unique, and totally different from anything you’ve ever seen… You’re gonna get all the funky wedding ideas and inspiration you need right here, babes. 

Why Funky Weddings Are My Faveees

Tradition just is NOT my thing. Give me all the color, all the personality, all the disco balls, all the sparkle, all the fun!! 

On a serious note, though, I want your wedding to feel like you. And I know that wearing a long white dress and talking to people for 12+ hours isn’t for everyone. You might want something full of color, full of music, or even, like, a silent disco instead. 

For some of my couples, their idea of breaking tradition is a courthouse wedding (and believe me, I love those). For others, it’s a destination wedding. If neither of those ideas is really calling your name, though… These funky wedding ideas are gonna be right up your alley. No pun intended. 

And if you’re wondering how you can plan a wedding that feels unique but still photographs well, that’s quite literally my specialty. Learn all about what it’s like to work with me as your Chicago wedding photographer. 

Who Should 100% Plan a Funky Wedding

If you’ve spent the first little bit of this blog post vigorously nodding your head and whispering, “So me,” at your laptop screen… I see you. You’re my exact kinda person. 

Funky weddings work really well for the type of couple who:

• Don’t fit into a mold
• Loves all things bold, colorful, and spunky
• Wants to infuse bits of their quirky little personality into their day
• Would rather have a day that feels like them than one that will go viral on Pinterest

And if you feel like you need more permission, take a peek at my guide to which wedding traditions you actually want to keep, change, or toss. 

Funky Wedding Ideas: Themes, Colors + More Fun Stuff

Again, if you’re still looking for funky wedding ideas that feel 100% like you, this is a good place to start. I’ll be throwing out some of my fave ideas that I’ve seen, photographed, or just thought of at 2:00 am while trying to fall asleep. 

Wedding Themes for a Nontraditional Wedding

Themed weddings are sooo back, and I couldn’t love them more. 

If you’re picturing a fully immersive themed wedding, I’m obsessed already. These are some of my faves: 

• Silent disco theme – headphones for every guest, disco balls everywhere, a killer DJ… Yup. So good. 
• Retro vibes – vintage decor and bold colors? A dream. 
• Bowling alley-esque – Dixie and Jordan’s bowling alley wedding was quite literally everything to me.
• Renaissance-inspired – fantasy vibes?? Sign me uppp. 
• Casino theme – card games + speakeasy vibes = a recipe for an incredible time. 
• Disco honky tonk – Sam and Morgan’s funky wedding will forever live rent-free in my head!! 

Funky Wedding Venues in Chicago

For max funky wedding vibes, we need to get allll the way down to the atmosphere. A few funky Chicago wedding venues I love are: 

• King Pin Lanes – where Dixie and Jordan’s wedding was!! 
• Celeste – specifically the discotheque floor. See what a real wedding at Celeste looks like here. 
• Untitled Supper Club – speakeasy vibes with sooo much character

Funky Wedding Decor Ideas

Again, funky weddings are a FULL experience. So, your decor?? It should show it. Luckily for you, I have tons of ideas that work so well. 

I love seeing statement floral arrangements, themed favors (think: custom matchbooks), disco balls, and custom stationery. The decor obviously depends on the overall vibe, and it’s something I’d be incredibly delighted to talk over with you. 

Funky, Nontraditional Wedding Dresses + Bridal Style

Let’s talk bridal style, because it’s a seriously underrated piece of a funky wedding. 

The good news? It’s a wedding where you get to do whatever the hell you want, so whether it’s a long white dress with fun accents or a red mini dress… It’ll work. 

Wanna see some pieces that stop my scroll every time? You know I’ve got you. 

• The Vegas Mini Dress by Clio Peppiatt
• The Cerulean Mini Dress by Lirika Matoshi
• Literally every single veil from Madison Chamberlain

Dixie + Jordan’s Bowling Alley Micro Wedding

I’m not gonna tell you all about funky weddings and then not show you one. Mainly because I want Dixie and Jordan’s wedding put up on billboards around Chicago, but that’s beside the point. 

Okay, these two?? They invented a funky wedding. Red and yellow attire, a bowling alley ceremony, nighttime direct-flash portraits, a whole lotta beer… I’m like a dog hearing all her favorite words. 

Aside from how freakin’ INSANE this whole day was, I’m really obsessed with how it showed off their personalities and was super fun AND special to them. Because, at the end of the day… That’s the wholeee point of a funky wedding.

Wren and Rose: Your Funky Chicago Wedding Photographer

If you’re planning a day like this… Please tell me everything. Like, immediately. Bowling alley, disco floor, courthouse, backyard, speakeasy, full chaos goblin masterpiece, whatever… I want to hear every detail. Reach out here, and we’ll talk through your vision, your photo priorities, and whether we’re soulmates.