Wedding Tips : How to Plan a Vintage Wedding

Planning a wedding could very well be one of life’s most fabulous things – from the ceremony to the reception, everything must be perfect, including a certain sense of style which reflects the bride and the groom. In order to be successful, it is necessary to plan, structure ideas and then put them into action. But first, you must dream: dream about your dream wedding and then get to it and embrace the challenge it is to plan a wedding according to the style you’ve always dreamed of. Many brides and grooms dream about a vintage wedding, based on the retro style from the 20s, 40s, 60s… a little bit of the past, with a modern touch. Here are some ideas for those couples who want to plan a vintage wedding.

 
Vintage style
By choosing a vintage style wedding, don’t forget that you must consider all the different details that a wedding encompasses: decoration, wedding invitations, bride’s dress, groom’s suit, ring boy, transportation, favors, photography… If you’ve chosen to go vintage style or simply want to incorporate vintage ideas in your wedding, you should decide if you want the wedding to have some reminders of the past, together with a touch of modernity; or if you want the wedding to be completely theme-oriented, completely vintage style.

Choose an era
Each era has certain details that make it unique: the 20s have that irreverent spirit, associated to the great Hollywood parties and elegant banquets, with guests arriving in Rolls-Royces, the ladies dressed in flirty low-rise dresses and polite gentleman wearing handsome tuxedos. In the 60s, dresses were feminine and perfect, just like Audrey Hepburn in Christian Dior; and the 70s were very extravagant, very disco style. Vintage implies antique and from another era, which means that a vintage wedding should include simple and sporadic details, so as not to make the wedding overbearing or completely out of context.

Photography for a vintage wedding
The type of photography chosen for the wedding can also be inspired by vintage style. For example: the type of photography from the 50s is the happy family portrait, advertising style, very vivid and colorful; the type of photography from the 70s has a certain blur and pastel colors, a lot of sun and life. Therefore, and in agreement with a vintage style wedding, the wedding photographs, or just part of them, can also reflect that era. Speak to your photographer and recreate some scenarios where it is possible to be photographed according to the style of the era that you have chosen as the wedding theme.

Vintage details
When you think about the style of a certain era, you should also decide if you want to add a romantic, special, extravagant or ecological touch to it – in order to guarantee that you are indeed planning the wedding of your dreams. The music that will be the soundtrack of your wedding can also be characteristic of the era, such as Frank Sinatra in the 50s. However, always include some party music, so that your guests can dance and have fun. Relatively to the wedding invitations, you can give them an antique touch, like including a photograph of the bride and groom dressed according to that era or using old postcards from that time if you’re lucky to find them. You can take this type of details one step further and ask your guests to come to the wedding dressed according to the theme that you’ve chosen for your vintage wedding.

Vintage style venueThe venue where the wedding will be held should also reflect the vintage era that you have chosen for your theme. If you’re going with the 50s, a country house with a luxurious green garden, a tuxedo-clad band, cherries and a chic picnic style is ideal. If, for example, you’re gravitating towards the 20s, the perfect location would be a mansion from the 1920s, where a sumptuous dinner is served, decorated in shades of silver and gold, surrounded by tons of pearls and champagne.
The bride’s dress, the groom’s suit

The bride’s dress should also have that vintage touch: a 1950s style dress – full skirt and knee-length – with a birdcage veil and a small bouquet. The groom’s suit should be inspired by the New York business man style: the series Mad Men is a great source of inspiration! Creating a vintage style wedding is a big challenge but could be a completely successful one if both the bride and the groom have great style and decorating instincts.

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4 Timeless Wedding Theme Inspirations

The wedding theme is normally the foundation of the entire wedding decor: a guideline that should be complemented by a specific color palette. The wedding theme is the inspiration for all ideas and creativity for transforming the wedding day into something truly special. The chosen wedding theme can start with the wedding invitations and be applied to the smallest of details, the sky is truly the limit.

When a wedding theme and its corresponding color palette are chosen, don’t make the mistake of making the theme too literal or too obvious. For example, if you’ve chosen “birds of paradise” as your wedding theme, you shouldn’t add birds to every single wedding detail or décor. Try and leave something to the imagination of the guests… that’s part of the wedding theme magic. We’ve rounded up 4 wedding theme inspirations that are simple, stylish, timeless and always a hit.

1. Flowers

 

Flowers are always a perfect wedding theme and there are so many ways to use them cleverly: incorporate a floral pattern into the wedding invitations; choose a formal and elegant floral wedding decoration or something more minimalist and casual (depending on the wedding style you’ve chosen); decorate the entrance to the reception exclusively with flowers; serve hors d'oeuvres decorated with edible flowers; present your guests with rosewater ice cream and a wedding cake topped with sugared roses – elegant ideas for a floral wedding theme.

2. Letters

Letters can be a great idea for any wedding theme because they are always chic – there’s some reason why so many designers are passionate about lettering and fonts! Using the first letters of your names to create a monogram that can be incorporated into the wedding invitations, as well as other cards and paper details is very personalized. Hiring a calligrapher to write your invitations by hand is an elegant touch. Printing your initials or monogram on a satin ribbon and using it to tie the wedding favors will add a very personal feel. Other great ideas for using letters as your wedding theme include: having giant stickers made with your initials and taping them to the dance floor for your first dance; naming each table after a letter or font; instead of topping off the wedding cake with a miniature bride and groom, do it with your monogram. Just remember: you should choose a font that speaks to you and that can be coherent throughout all the wedding details and decor.

3. Stripes

 

Besides being timeless and beautiful, stripes are great for decorating and creating depth and dimension in a space – however, it’s important that you stick to a monochromatic color scheme in order to avoid too much confusion and visual “noise”. Decorating a wedding with a stripes theme is an easy and stylish way to create an equally stylish wedding. Choosing wedding invitations, cards and place cards that incorporate stripes, can be extremely elegant. Cover the wedding reception tables with large striped tablecloths that can be of nautical inspiration, in blue, or something more classical, like green stripes. Complement the striped tablecloths with large flowers such as hydrangeas, peonies or ranunculus to create a classic and sophisticated look. Just remember: you shouldn’t place stripes everywhere! For example, if you go for striped tablecloths, than the menus shouldn’t have any pattern and be of one color only.

4. Vintage ideas

Vintage is back and wedding themes that travel in time are also very popular. Even though they may seem childlike at first glance, wedding themes that incorporate vintage toys can be wonderful and playful. Who doesn’t remember the Rubik’s cube, checkers or old string-pulled wooden toys? Whoever recalls these magical objects will love remembering them all over again and whoever doesn’t, will love to be introduced to them! Adding an old typewriter to the reception where guests can write a note to the newlyweds or setting up an old photo booth are both great vintage ideas that can also be a lot of fun! Another fun way of incorporating vintage ideas into your wedding theme is using old postcards as the wedding invitations or an antique product as a wedding favor. Besides being very original, these are wonderful ways of adding a bit more emotion and nostalgia to the wedding.

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Country Style Wedding Ideas for Autumn Wedding

Numerous ideas of wedding are available to consider and choose so that everybody can get his or her dream wedding as desire. Method to do it is actually very simple to understand and follow. We only have to look for some recommendations related to the wedding theme from internet, sort them by the condition and then apply them properly. How to sort the bridal theme is also influenced by the current season. For instance in fall season, we have to choose several models of wedding theme including country style wedding ideas. Well, country style bridal seems very attractive to reflect the fall. Let’s check some characteristics and features of the country wedding style below.

In general, country and rustic style is similar. Both themes have equal typical characteristic which is commonly related to village or countryside scenery as main background. No wonder that every wedding in country style usually picks a venue at barn house, countryside area or farming area. Those areas are perfect to bring the scent of autumn season especially with Oak and Maple leaves spreading out around the area. Besides the venue selection, the country style wedding ideas also offer various options of decoration to beautify your wedding venue. Scheme of brown or other natural color looks elegant and warm in this semi winter season. In addition, we can hold the wedding outside as well as inside of building. For fall outdoor wedding concept, at least we have to ensure the condition of climate in order to predictable accident will not happen during the party.

Table guests’ arrangement is imperative in this moment. We may choose some medium or big wooden round tables to arrange randomly in the venue. Don’t forget to place the bride and groom table in a place where all guests can see them no matter what the angle. Ordinary centerpiece seems enough to complete this table arrangement. Small dry branches located in a vase and some stylish orange flowers look warm and relaxing set as a table centerpiece. Well, basically the concept of the country style wedding ideas is easy to handle. The most important thing is we have to ensure your bridal venue is full of wood accent, neutral scheme and nature scenery.

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Wedding Dresses Idea : Vintage Bridesmaid Inspiration

If you’re searching for vintage bridesmaid dresses, there are important things that you need to know. Specialty bridal shops are popular for wedding and bridesmaid dresses, because there are important details, which may be overlooked by department stores or regular clothing shops.

Like a wedding dress, a bridesmaid’s dress will require numerous fittings for the perfect fit. A bridesmaid’s dress also has to match precisely with the other bridesmaids dresses. Bridal shops specialize in dresses which perform exactly that function, as they usually have a seamstress and order from bridesmaid designers. Designers make styles in batches so that colors match exactly and include extra fabric for alterations.

Another important factor, which bridal shops have is that styles and materials are chosen specifically to match wedding. This means that when you shop for a bridesmaid’s dress you can be assured. The material will not clash with the elegance of your wedding. Designers choose specialty polyesters, or silks and chiffon.

While the idea of the vintage bridesmaid dresses may be appealing, there are some factors consider. A vintage dress, purchased at a local vintage shop, will have been used, may not match the other bridesmaids and may not have the extra material for required alterations. However, there are vintage shops which design and make vintage styles.

The good news is there are many websites which specialize in vintage bridal clothing. One such website is unique–vintage.com. It has many unique styles and has even been featured in In Style Magazine, among other magazines. They also have many choices from the 1920s to the 1970s and, best of all, their prices are also reasonable.

When you’re looking for cost saving ideas for your wedding, finding lower cost bridesmaid dresses can be a very big help. Be your own wedding planner, you won’t need to hire one. Another way to save costs is to barter your bridesmaid services by offering to pay for their dresses. A simple $200 dollars tacked onto your budget. Bridesmaids can do a lot of the extra services a professional wedding planner will do, like confirming vendors, searching for the best prices on your dress etc.

Weddings are Special

I’m in love with weddings. I love the idea of getting married and everything it stands for and becomes for a woman. Choosing everything to be perfect is an essential part of planning a wedding. Here are some ideas for the perfect vintage themed wedding. I hope they are helpful on your beautiful day.

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Wedding Theme Vintage Glamour

This Mindy Weiss event was inspired by the rolling verdant hills and fresh flavors of Tuscany, but we also think it captures the elegance of a bygone era. If you're going the vintage route, lace is a must: Look for a gown with a modern twist, like this bride's matching bolero and sheer sleeves. A muted color palette with ivory, slate grey, rose, and gold is soft and pretty.

Unusually-shaped chandeliers hung from the overhead trellis and billowy fabric was used to create a faux canopy. Wood chairs were mixed with covered chairs with fabric floral detailing. The vintage theme can even extend to food and serving pieces, too: "We placed a French baguette at each place setting for guests, used vintage bottles wrapped with craft paper and twine for fresh lemonade and had a spread with produce like grapes," said Weiss. What's for dessert? A five-tier all-white cake with intricate detailing and a monogram of the couple's initials, accented with a delightfully old-fashioned cake figurine.

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Wedding Concept and Inspiration : All Ideas for A Vintage Wedding

Getting married is a beautiful life event, unfortunately it can be a costly event as well. If you’re on a tight budget, go vintage! Vintage puts a classic touch on a traditionally fashionable, over-the-top day.

1. Fashion. Nothing is more vintage than a white skirt suit with slingbacks and a gorgeous bouquet of lilies.. Pin your hair back in simple combs and keep your makeup fresh.

2. Reception. Holding a elegant reception for your close family and friends in a quiet restaurant or at your parent’s home is the way to go. Enlist the help of everyone for the food and keep the decor simple in vintage style.

3. Photography. When going vintage, you must go flowery, black & white or simple single colour theme. Everyone will look attractively beautiful and out-shinning, no matter what!

4. Cake. A simple single-layer wedding cake is ideal stick with traditional buttercream and a vintage bride and groom topper.

5. Invitation. Wedding invitations are the guests’ first glance into the overall theme of the wedding. Creating your own beautiful vintage-chic invitations can be a simple and rewarding process. Just customize the invitation colors to your wedding’s color scheme.

6. Honeymoon. Niagara Falls, where else? Niagara Falls has lost its appeal to newlyweds as the years have gone by, but why rush off to a resort full of bikini-clad girls when you can visit one of nature’s most beautiful (and romantic) spots.

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Vintage Wedding Reception Decor Inspiration

If you’re a lover of the vintage look, it may be easy for you to envision your wedding fashion, photography style, or ceremony setup. But what to do about the reception? How do you continue to carry the look and feel of vintage style through your wedding from beginning to end? Today, I’ve put together some ideas and inspiration, with the intention that you will take these suggestions, scour your local flea markets and online vintage vendors to find unique and aged pieces for your own wedding decor!

- Find a well-worn leather journal that hasn’t been written in and use it as your guest book. It will be fun for the guests to leave well wishes among the weathered pages, and fun for you to display in your home for years to come (versus a formal, satin clad cookie-cutter guest book).

- Thrift stores are a great place to find quirky books of poetry or readings for your wedding. Find meaningful poems or passages, and have them copied or torn out (depending on the age and value of the book) and framed at each table. Choose romantic, funny, or reflective writings that will make great keepsakes or additions to your wedding scrapbook.

- This one’s a little bit more of an investment, as vintage typewriters that are in working order can cost anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred. If it’s within your budget, consider setting one up at a table in the reception for guests to “sign” your guestbook and leave you a congratulatory message or advice for your marriage. I guarantee that, in the day and age of iPhone and Blackberry typing efficiency, there will be no shortage of laughs over the hunting and pecking it will likely require to leave a coherent type-written note!

- Gone are the days of the boring old church-shaped frilly box whose sole purpose was to receive wedding cards at the reception. Get creative with your search for an unexpected vintage container to use instead; perhaps a funky old mailbox, Victorian bird cage, or even a small vintage suitcase. Make sure you tie a pretty tag on, with ribbon perhaps, to let guests know to leave their cards in your cage or case.

- Ditch the dinky disposables; why not leave vintage film or Polaroid cameras loaded up and ready to go on a few tables for guests to enjoy taking their own photos with? It’ll take you back to the days of waiting to develop the film to see what comes out! Plus, they just look cooler than white, plastic single-use cameras.

- Your guests might be expecting a classic car for an end-of-evening exit, but consider surprising them with a vehicle that makes up in vintagae style what it lacks in speed or size – a Vespa or vintage motor scooter! In many areas, these can be rented for the occasion just like limousines.

I hope these ideas inspire you to start your search for fabulous vintage touches for your wedding day. Do you, or have you seen, an unforgettable vintage detail at a recent wedding? I’d love to hear it!

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How to Buy for a Vintage Wedding Dress

Consider a vintage wedding dress for your big day! You might be surprised how affordable it can be and you’ll feel special wearing such a unique dress.

Here are five tips for finding your dream dress on the racks of your local vintage shop.

01. Bring undergarments! Old dresses were made when women still wore corset-like undergarments. Bring your spanx to see how the dresses will really fit!

02. Be open-minded. A lot of times, brides are set on strapless, or tea length and rule out all other possibilities before trying anything on. You just never know until you try it and every dress looks different on a hanger than on your body!

03. Be creative! Use your imagination when trying dresses on. You’d be surprised what you can do with a vintage dress: remove sleeves, add panels to create a roomier fit, shorten, dye the fabric, cinch the waist. The possibilities are endless!

04. Watch for damage and fakes. Armpit stains are nearly impossible to fix. Pay attention to the quality of the fabric and make sure the labels are original.

05. Remember it has been worn before! Watch for red flags, yes. But, a tiny pinhole in a pleat or a small spot inside the dress shouldn’t be a deal breaker. Your dress has a story. Embrace it!

Check out vintage accessories too! Bring a few friends (but, not too many opinions!) and make a day of shopping. Have fun!

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Wedding Theme : Products to Create a Vintage Themed Wedding

Here are some products to create a perfect vintage themed wedding :

1. Vintage birdcages
Decorate your venue with these vintage inspired birdcages. Fill them with flowers and candles for a romantic centrepiece or have guests write messages on individual note cards (you could also include mini envelopes) and have them drop their cards into the birdcage.

2. Baroque frames
Frame your parents and grandparents wedding pictures in these Baroque frames for a meaningful tribute or use them as placecards for guests, doubling as a pretty bonbonierre.

3. Vintage hair comb

Adorn your hair with this elegant handcrafted comb, and prepare to have it mistaken for an antique family heirloom.

4. Cupcake holders
Give your cupcake cake a romantic touch with this delicate filigree cupcake wrapper, a design reminiscent of antique jewellery.

5. Crocheted handkerchief
Start your own family heirloom with this delicate crocheted handkerchief. Customise it with your initials for a personal touch.

6. Vintage wedding invites

Elegant and romantic, the Chandelier motif sets the scene for a vintage inspired event.

7. Lace parasol
The perfect accessory to create a vintage inspired photoshoot! Ask your photographer for a black & white or sepia toned images for added authenticity.

8. Guest book

This beautiful guestbook featuring delicate lace, pearls and beading is inspired by the Victorian era. Filled with personal messages from family and friends this keepsake will be treasured forever.

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