Over the last few years vintage style is becoming increasingly popular with wedding planners, and it continues to play a major role in the aesthetics of many modern nuptials. Whether it features in the dress design, the location or the food, this is a beautiful and traditional way to celebrate your big day. Creatively themed vintage weddings are fun and nostalgic, they provide unforgettable memories and can be based on any concept that appeals to you as a couple.
In summer a popular choice is the open air themed wedding, this can be staged in a marquee, but should include an outdoor dancing area that’s well lit – homemade tin can lanterns or pretty LED lights are ideal. Balloons have fallen out of favor with some couples, but the oversized pastel varieties are now widely available and offer the ultimate in fairytale chic. To save money on seating at an outdoor vintage wedding, throw some floral fabric over bales of hay and provide blankets for guests to snuggle up in if the weather turns breezy.
Shabby chic is a theme which never dates and gives a real sense of timelessness to your photographs. Think white shutters on the windows, garlands of roses and vintage china plates. You can search through thrift shops for unusual crockery to delight your guests and fill milk jugs with flowers to provide each table with a center piece. If you have a large number of people arriving, help them get organized by displaying the seating plan in chalk on a blackboard; it’s a simple, practical idea and far less formal than having people shown to their seats.
If the great outdoors holds a special place in your heart, you may want to have a rustic themed vintage wedding that shows off your love of the wilderness. Use sprigs of evergreen as part of the place settings and send invitations that include an ordinance survey map with the location marked. Many rustic wedding celebrations are held in a barn which lends the proceedings a bohemian edge, especially if it is decorated using handmade leaf buntings and camping lanterns to provide a warm glow.
Country themed weddings suit couples who have an alternative take on life; the dress code is often very relaxed and there is a distinctly fun feel to the ceremony. To personalize your chosen location, try making the signposts yourself with some old wood and white paint. Use bouquets made from wild flowers and have an alternative method of transport, like a horse and cart, to arrive in true country style. Use clear glass jam jars to hold flowers, and blue or pink ribbon to differential between men’s or women’s seats.
Half the fun of a themed DIY vintage wedding is had at the planning stage, you get to search through bargain shops for obscure items and then transform them into something beautiful and artistic for your special day. When you look back in years to come you’ll always have the pleasure of knowing that your wedding was a one off, designed the way you wanted it and utterly unique.