Festival Cœur Bohème Is Not Your Typical Wedding Expo
If you’ve ever dragged yourself through one of those massive wedding expos — the fluorescent lighting, the endless aisles, the stack of brochures you’ll never look at again — you already know why Festival Cœur Bohème exists. Now heading into its seventh year, Montreal’s very first wedding festival created for the modern couple is doing things differently, and frankly, it’s about time someone did.
Launched in November 2017, the festival brings together the crème de la crème of Quebec companies offering unique wedding products and services. Over the years, it’s become a must-attend event for non-traditional, creative future newlyweds who want a unique, friendly, and stress-free experience — far from clichés and the traditional expo format. Run by the team at Le Cœur Bohème, it’s a one-day affair built around real conversations, carefully curated vendors, and an intimate atmosphere designed for couples who want their wedding to actually feel like them.
The 7th edition takes place on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
We sat down with Victoria and Corina, the organizers behind the festival, to find out what makes this edition worth clearing your calendar for.
Photo – Steve Gerrard
How It All Started
This is the 7th edition of the festival. Can you walk us through what this event is all about and how it came to be?
This festival was born out of a gap I kept seeing in the wedding industry. Traditional wedding expos felt overwhelming, impersonal, and often disconnected from how modern couples actually want to plan their weddings. I wanted to create something more human, more intimate, and more inspiring. What started as a small, curated gathering has evolved into a full boutique wedding experience — one that prioritizes connection, creativity, and intention. Seven editions later, it’s become a space where couples don’t just collect brochures, they actually experience what their wedding could feel like.
That evolution didn’t happen overnight. Le Cœur Bohème has been in the wedding world for over 13 years, celebrating more than 1,000 weddings and events across Quebec and beyond. The founder spent five years working as a fashion designer before pivoting to renting vintage furniture and accessories in 2012. After participating in a first wedding show and building real friendships within the industry, the leap to full-time came in 2017. All of that experience — the weddings, the travel, the relationships — feeds directly into how this festival is built from the ground up.
So What Does “Boutique Wedding Experience” Actually Mean?
It’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, so we asked point-blank.
You’ve positioned this as a “boutique wedding experience” rather than a traditional expo. What does that actually mean for couples who attend?
It means quality over quantity, always. Instead of walking endless aisles and having the sales pitch, couples are invited into a thoughtfully designed environment where every detail is intentional. They can take their time, ask real questions, and connect with vendors in a meaningful way. It feels less like a sales floor and more like stepping into a beautifully curated wedding weekend — immersive, relaxed, and personal.
In practical terms, the festival has been reshaped around ten specific changes that set it apart from the traditional expo model. Vendors are curated with fewer options per category, so you’re not comparing 25 florists while your eyes glaze over. There’s a tiered ticketing system offering different experience levels. Interactive micro-experiences and educational mini sessions are woven throughout. There’s even on-site vendor matching to help connect you with the right people, plus swag bags and partner offers. The whole thing is designed so you actually leave feeling like you accomplished something.
Who Is This For?
The festival is specifically focused on non-traditional and modern couples. Who exactly is your ideal attendee, and what makes this event perfect for them?
Our ideal attendee is a couple who wants their wedding to reflect who they truly are — not a checklist, not a formula. They might be planning something intimate, unconventional, design-forward, or deeply personal. They care about experience, atmosphere, and values just as much as aesthetics. This event is perfect for them because it celebrates individuality and offers vendors who are aligned with that mindset.
This matters more than ever right now. With wedding costs climbing, more and more couples are choosing to plan things themselves rather than hand everything off to a planner. That’s empowering, but it can also feel isolating. The festival is built to meet those couples where they are — giving them access to vetted professionals, real information, and the kind of guidance that makes the whole process feel manageable instead of chaotic.
What You’ll Actually Do There
One of the things that sets this apart is the interactive micro-experiences and mini sessions. Can you give us some examples of what couples will actually get to do when they’re there?
Instead of just being told what’s possible, couples get to feel it. They might participate in a short styling session, experience a live ceremony moment, take part in a creative workshop, or sit down for an intimate planning or design consultation. These micro-experiences help couples visualize their day in a tangible way and often spark ideas they hadn’t even considered before.
This is a far cry from wandering a convention hall with a tote bag. The whole format is built around discovery — guided, intentional, and genuinely enjoyable.
Cutting Through the Noise
Wedding planning can feel overwhelming, especially with rising costs. How does attending this festival help couples move forward with their planning in a practical way?
The festival helps couples cut through the noise. By meeting trusted, aligned vendors in one place and having real conversations, couples leave with clarity instead of confusion. They gain realistic expectations around budget, timelines, and priorities — and often make decisions faster and more confidently. It’s not about pressure; it’s about empowerment.
That’s the piece that really sets this apart. You’re not just browsing — you’re making progress. And in an industry where decision fatigue is real, having a curated environment where you can focus is worth more than most people expect.
Why Fewer Vendors Is a Good Thing
You’ve curated fewer vendors per category instead of cramming in as many as possible. What was the thinking behind that decision?
Choice overload is real, and it can paralyze couples. By limiting vendors per category, we ensure that each one truly stands out and that couples can give them proper attention. It also creates a more respectful, collaborative environment where vendors aren’t competing for attention but instead contributing to a cohesive experience.
If you’ve ever spent three hours on Instagram comparing photographers and ended up more confused than when you started, you understand exactly why this approach works.
What Vendors Are Saying
From a vendor’s perspective, what makes this festival valuable for them? How is it different from participating in a larger, more traditional wedding show?
Vendors meet couples who are genuinely aligned with their work and values. Conversations are deeper, more intentional, and more likely to turn into meaningful collaborations. Vendors aren’t just one booth among hundreds — they’re part of a curated story. Many tell us they leave with fewer leads, but far better ones.
For wedding professionals reading this, that last line says it all. Fewer, better leads from people who already resonate with what you do — that’s a fundamentally different proposition than handing out 500 business cards and hoping for the best.
The “Wow Moments”
You mentioned signature “wow moments” as one of the features. Without giving too much away, what can attendees expect in terms of memorable experiences?
Attendees can expect moments that stop them in their tracks — sensory, emotional, and unexpected touches that remind them why they’re planning a wedding in the first place. These are the moments that get talked about long after the festival ends and that help couples imagine their own celebration in a new way.
Details are still being finalized, but if past editions are any indication, expect to be surprised.
Photos – Katie Marie
Lessons from Seven Years
The festival has evolved quite a bit since you started it. What have you learned over the years, and how has that shaped what the event has become?
I’ve learned that couples crave authenticity above all else. They don’t want perfection — they want connection, honesty, and guidance that feels real. Each year, we’ve refined the experience to be more intentional, more inclusive, and more aligned with how people actually want to celebrate love today.
Still On the Fence?
If a couple is on the fence about buying a ticket, what would you say to them? What’s the one thing you want them to take away from attending?
I’d tell them this: you won’t just leave with ideas — you’ll leave with clarity. My hope is that couples walk away feeling excited again, grounded in their vision, and confident that their wedding can truly reflect who they are. Even if they change nothing else, that feeling alone is worth it.
Festival Cœur Bohème only happens once a year, and if you’re in the thick of planning (or just getting started), this is one of those events that genuinely moves the needle. It’s not another expo. It’s not another afternoon of sensory overload. It’s a real, thoughtful experience put together by people who have spent over a decade in the wedding world and understand exactly what modern couples need.
Mark your calendar: Sunday, March 22, 2026. We’ll be sharing more details — including ticket info and the vendor lineup — as they’re announced. Stay tuned.
Further Reading
14 OF THE BEST WEDDING CAKES EVER!
Wedding Planner vs. Venue Coordinator: Understanding the Difference
Choosing Wedding Vendors Like a Pro: Dos and Don’ts You Should Know
