How to throw a fabulously retro themed wedding
So you’ve decided you want a wedding with a retro theme – which naturally will involve tons of fun and lots of playful details – but where do you start? Fear not! We’re here to help you map out the fundamental details that make the framework for a vintage, whimsical wedding vibe…
When it comes to fashion and design, many creatives look back at times gone by for inspiration and ideas. The planning of a wedding takes a whole heap of inspiration, ultimately you are designing a day (the day of your dreams to be precise!) with a colour scheme and a theme. And while Pinterest is a fabulous source of inspo, it can be a little overwhelming and often unrealistic in terms of budget.
Retro and vintage inspired weddings are perennially popular, with brides looking to past fashions and trends to inject personality, style and fun into their special day. Along with a host of fabulous suppliers, we got involved in a 1950s styled bridal photoshoot, to show you how to throw a retro wedding that is vintage inspired, but totally timeless.
One of the first things you will think of when someone says retro inspired wedding is bold colours, but that doesn’t mean you have to include a psychedelic mixture of hues. Just one strong bold colour works perfectly, like the pops of pillar box red throughout this 1950s themed photoshoot.
The beautiful, 1950s inspired dresses by Louise Rose Couture feature delicate, detachable, lace boleros and tea-length skirts. Navy gowns for the bridesmaids keeps the overall look chic and elegant, while the fit and details do all of the retro talking. Slim, pillar box red belts throw in a bold splash of colour, along with the red, net underskirts peeping out from the bottom of the gowns. We love how the underskirts nod to the 1950s vibe every time the dresses are swished. The brides gown features a navy underskirt, perfectly co-ordinating with the bridesmaids’ dresses.
The accessories add to the vintage look, with fun retro sunglasses and headpieces from The Candy Hat Company. A heart shaped birdcage headpiece, finished with shimmering red sequins, brings whimsical fun to the bridal look and the bridesmaids’ half-up, half-down hair-do, styled by Hair By Amy Marie, is completed with an oversized red bow and navy veil. Rose Forrest Hair and Makeup created the makeup look for the bridal party, with winged eyeliner and a bright red lip completing their aisle style in true vintage fashion.
Our colourful Wedding Converse complemented the bridal look perfectly, with the bride rocking a navy pair and the bridesmaids stepping out in a red pair to match their underskirts. Personalised with ‘I do’ tags at the back of the heels and the brides new surname printed along the side in a pretty calligraphy font, these converse make for the perfect keepsake from your wedding day – and you can wear them again and again after the big day. Satin laces tied in bows add to the retro styling and are in keeping with the bridesmaids’ hair bows.
The Feltorium created the vintage-glam bouquet of red, white and blue flowers. This handmade, felt posy is perfect for the nostalgic bride as it will keep forever – and it’s great for getting those bouquet toss photographs without damaging the flowers!
A vintage wedding wouldn’t be complete without vintage props. Gertie The Photobus is a VW campervan that has been given a makeover, with a charming new interior for plenty of photobooth fun. All of the props are either vintage finds or handmade, lending to the mend and make do ethos of the 1950s. When it comes to décor, vintage hues, retro props and whimsical touches will bring your theme to life. Make full use of all the nooks and crannies at your venue, filling them with bright decorations, twinkling fairy lights and bold signs written in retro fonts.
Serve up fun, interactive food that will leave your guests with full bellies and wide smiles. Think mini sausages cut in half and filled with mash – a playful take on bangers and mash, bite-sized burgers and devilled eggs. How about a wedding cake based on a traditional Battenberg, with a checkerboard of yellow and pink sponge inside, held together with apricot jam and covered in marzipan icing? Serve drinks, like milkshakes (for a serious nod to the theme) or cocktails, in vintage glass bottles or go for a classic glass bottle of Coca-Cola presented with bright coloured paper straws.
Whether you’re planning an outdoor wedding reception, like our seaside setting for the photoshoot (which is reminiscent of British holidays), or have an indoor venue, fun is at the heart of retro wedding style and this inspired photoshoot has that in oodles – we hope you’re feeling inspired to deck your day in whimsical, vintage style.
Suppliers:
Photo Bus – Gertie the Photobus
Hat and Hair Pieces – The Candy Hat Company
Dresses – Louise Rose Couture
Bouquet – The Feltorium
Hair – Hair by amy marie
Make Up – Rose Forrest Hair and Make up
Shoes – Wedding Converse