Vintage weddings appeal to a large audience. Older guests will feel in touch with the classy details of the day while younger guests will enjoy being transported to an earlier time. But successfully creating a wedding that sends your guests back in time is much more than a bride’s lacy dress and a Model T getaway car. An authentically vintage wedding requires dedication to this theme from the invitations to the ceremony to the decorations to the favors.
Invitations
Postcards, and letters in general, are a remnant of the past. Therefore, the simple act of sending a physical invitation through the mail can be a blast from the past. To further the vintage vibe, select appropriate invitations and other wedding stationary. Use classy, dated fonts and faded, off-white colors. To shop for vintage invitations such as the one above, click here.
Bride
Lace, lace, and more lace. There are many avenues a vintage bride could venture down, but this is one quality that ties all brides of this categorization together. After that prerequisite is established, a bride can jump off that vantage point in many directions.
Some vintage brides wear red lipstick and a small birdcage veil. Such a bride’s dress might be knee length and is probably of the A-line silhouette. Her hair might contain big retro curls along with a sparkly hair piece and she accessorizes with pearls.
Another type of vintage bride is the more romantic, natural look. This vintage bride almost verges on bohemian with loose curls and flower crowns. Her dress reaches the floor and may even have a slight train. Likewise, her veil is long and lacy. Her makeup is understated and simple.
No matter what type of vintage bride you are, the type of bouquet stays fairly similar. Make your own unique bouquet like the one above by using pearls and rhinestones from jewelry found at antique or thrift stores. Pair these with fabric flowers you made or selected. Such a bouquet is extremely customizable and desirable for all sorts of vintage brides.
Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids’ looks completely depend upon the type of vintage look the bride is going for. Vintage bridesmaids are not the identical group of girls which typically stands beside a bride on her big day. Vintage bridesmaids usually don interesting gowns, some with designs, embellishments, or other interesting details. The dresses may contain different necklines, lengths, or silhouettes. Or, each bridesmaid might wear a different dress. Often, vintage bridesmaids dresses are neutrally colored with some metallic detail.
Groom
A vintage groom is all about color and texture. Yes, accessories further the vintage look, but the foundation lies in these two essentials. While many modern grooms wear sleek, shiny tuxedos in dark blacks and grays, a vintage groom wears more muted and non-solid hues in lighter colors. The jacket and vest are typically made of wool or similar materials. The pants are usually more casual, sometimes in colorful shades.
The button-down can be pure white or contain a subtle design. The tie or bow tie is a focal point of the whole look, often paired with suspenders (whether or not they are visible). The shoes should look leather and preferably be in the oxford style. For added interest, the vintage groom can don a colorful handkerchief in his chest pocket, a boutonniere with colorful flowers, a leather watch, and a wool fedora.
Groomsmen
The groomsmen largely mimic the groom, wearing slightly less formal arrangements of the main man’s attire. If the groom is wearing a suit jacket, the groomsmen can wear a button up and vest. If the groom is wearing dress pants, the groomsmen can wear jeans.
Decorations
For your decorations, stick to antique finishes and naturally faded colors. Think rose golds, worn silvers, and muted bronzes for the metallics and browns, tans, greens, yellows, and blues for the colors.
Flowers and branches are always a sure winners for decoration purposes, particularly when paired with more industrial pieces such as lighting fixtures, suitcases, bikes, umbrellas, books, and cameras. Feature lots of furniture, preferably of the antique variety. Plush couches and wooden tables are not typical forms of decoration for modern weddings but are sure to produce a vintage vibe.
Also, use old fabrics, tablecloths, and handkerchiefs for both decoration and function. For actual lighting, go for lanterns and candles over any sort of bulbed fixture.
Ceremony
Even the ceremony can take you and your guests back in time. Have guests sit on a random arrangement of kitchen chairs — of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Run burlap or carpets down the center aisle. Ask an adorable flower girl not only to sprinkle petals down the aisle, but all across the venue, creating a whimsical bed of flowers. Your ring bearer can carry a needlepoint sign reading, “Here comes the bride.”
Reception
When setting up your reception, if you feel as those you are just having a random assortment of decorations and activities, you are probably doing it right. As long as all the details of your reception share the same classically old quality, you will successfully achieve a vintage reception. Collect cards in an old mailbox. Write the seating charts on an old window. Serve soda out of glass bottles with straws. Set out life-sized checkers. Place puzzles at each table.
Favors
Wedding favors need not be expensive, even when you are striving for ones of the vintage variety. Collect vintage keys, coins, buttons, or other trifles over time from your visits to antique and thrift stores. The more eclectic the collection the better! Simply attach some sort of name tag to the favor or place it at your guests’s seats. These serve not only as suitable favors, but also as decorations.
While you can find the basics of creating a vintage wedding above, you have complete freedom to make your wedding what you want it to be. Some guidelines are more essential than others to produce an authentically vintage wedding. One benefit of the vintage wedding theme is that it praises eclectic mixes of dated styles. This characterization allows for extreme flexibility to make your wedding exactly what you want it to be while transporting you and your guests back in time!