How to throw together a vintage wedding

Vintage weddings are this summer’s biggest trend. Designer collections, home décor and celebrity weddings draw their inspiration from this theme.

If you want to hae a vintage wedding and don’t know how to start – read our step-by-step guide.

Choose the vintage era that you want to re-create

Choose the specific era that you want to showcase.

“It’s important to clarify what [you have] in mind when [you] say ‘vintage.’ There are many variables involved with this theme,” says Leena Nasir, a wedding planner for Let’s Party Consultants.

Your choices can go back as far as the Victorian age or to the Roaring 20s or to the Hippies’ decade. Once you pinpoint the era, the ideas will begin to fall into place.

Look online for inspiration

Use the web as your guide. For inspiration, gather images on dress styles, accessories, wedding décor, fancy venues – the sky’s the limit.

Sonia Gonzalez, a wedding planner with One of a Kind Weddings, encourages her clients to use Pinterest. She says that brides should pin every picture they like and make sense of it later.  

Also, create a scrapbook of the pictures you like and show it to your wedding planner. She’ll be able to visualize what you imagine for your wedding and then re-construct it.

Choose an appropriate venue

The venue is the easiest way to incorporate your vintage theme, but it can be a difficult decision. Most vintage weddings mirror an earlier period, so pick a place with historical significance. It can range from an old barnyard to a historical mansion. An estate with a vineyard is perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

For a simpler venue, pick a golf course. “The wood and neutral colours will bring out a vintage feel to your wedding,” says Sonia.

Gather your décor

Looking for appropriate vintage décor can be a nightmare, especially when the stores are filled with new, modern items.  Check out garage sales and vintage shops for your decorations. It’s easy to find an old suitcase or elaborate chairs that you can integrate into your theme.  

Tara O’Grady, a wedding planner with Bliss Events, says using antique family pieces can give décor a personal touch.

Incorporate a vintage dress and accessories

Showcase your vintage theme through your dress. In the past, gowns made of lace, silk or satin were popular.

If you’ve decided to focus on the Victorian era, try finding a modern-style corset dress in ivory or eggshell.

Back then, females didn’t wear many hair accessories . Opt for a lace, pearl or rhinestone hairpin or even a spring-coloured flower in your hair .

For jewelry, check with your family for any old family heirlooms you can wear..

Make the wedding ceremony eclectic   

Arrive in style with a vintage car, such as a Rolls-Royce.

Leena says guests can sit on mismatched pieces of furniture if it’s an outdoor ceremony. Also, place the programs in hand-woven baskets for the ushers to hand out.

Keep the floral arrangements simple. Decorate the aisles with muted colours – light pinks, yellows and blues. If it’s a church wedding, you can tie a small bunch of hydrangeas, baby’s breath or garden roses onto a piece of lace and hang it from the pews.

Highlight the vintage theme at the reception

Bridal experts, such as Tara and Leena, feel that the reception is the easiest place to bring the vintage theme to life.

Tara says star-studded vases filled with bright-coloured flowers and tea leaves are popular centrepieces. Decorating the room with vintage clocks and wooden picture frames is a great way to highlight the time period.

Tara decorates the sweets table at vintage weddings with three-tiered tea plates, coloured teacups and paper dollies under candy bowls.  “It’s kind of like tea at grandma’s house,” she says.

Remember any vintage theme invokes a simple, but eclectic feel into a wedding.  “It’s about taking it back to the basics,” says Leena. It’s an opportunity to be creative and incorporate your own personality.

Photograph by: Spencer Xiong