Bring the sparkle and dazzle of the roaring ‘20s, the Hollywood glamour of the ‘50s, or the hippie, boho vibes of the ‘60s. You could also draw inspiration from centuries past—the romance of the Victorian era, the colors of the Impressionist period, or the grandeur of the Renaissance.
No matter which historic moment you choose, there are so many ways to bring it to life in a vintage wedding. Look to your venue’s architecture when picking a ceremony backdrop, incorporate antique furniture into your reception area, or play up a distressed look or old-school drawings in your paper goods. You can even give your wedding look a vintage touch with a gown or hairstyle influenced by your favored era.
If you can’t decide when to step back in time, these vintage wedding ideas will inspire you.
Choose a Historic Venue
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SANDONA
Opting for a historic venue guarantees that your wedding will be rich in history. Before booking, get to know the venue, its story, and who lived there over time to inspire design elements, motifs, themes, and more. Stay inspired by the space as you craft the look and feel of your reception and ceremony, and utilize the texture of its antique furnishings, landscaping, and architecture when styling the event itself, and your wedding photos. When choosing your dress, consider the space, the period in history it was built, and how your fashion will complement and look when placed in it.
Add a Gramophone
A classic gramophone is an utterly gorgeous vintage wedding décor addition. You can hire prop antique gramophones. Use these as a props for your card table, flanking your band or DJ booth, or as part of a grazing table or drinks display.
A little extra way to use gramophones if your tables are big enough that they don’t get in the way of conversation, is to fill the horn with flowers as a centerpiece.
Go Sustainable with Stationery
PHOTO BY ALEX KENDALL
Using vintage, recycled, compostable, or biodegradable paper is a forward-thinking way to create an heirloom out of one of the more temporal elements of the wedding day; and though using vintage or recycled paper is possible, those invitations likely won't withstand the test of time for each and every guest.
Photo Display
Use old family photos of loved ones who can’t be there or grandparents’ wedding days to make a really personalized photo display. This could be on a wall or board in the venue or see if you can create a hanging display. Mix it with vintage details like crystals, pearls and fairy lights.
All About Jewels
PHOTO BY CORBIN GURKIN
Vintage, antique, and estate jewelry are any fashion collector's dream when it comes to incorporating vintage into your bridal accessories. Work with a trusted jeweler to track down the best vintage stones (quality pieces will always come with certificates) and have them reset in modern settings or opt for an antique through and through. Keep the investment of a vintage piece of jewelry in mind when shopping; those created and signed by famed jewelry houses are rare and considered pieces of design history.
Borrow a Vintage Car
PHOTO BY EMILIE WHITE; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY POCKETFUL OF DREAMS; FLORAL DESIGN BY FIGA AND CO
Make your something borrowed a vintage car! This bride—who looked beyond chic in Oscar de la Renta—rolled up to her church wedding in a 1971 Rolls Royce.
Carry Lily of the Valley
PHOTO BY RODEO & CO. PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANNING & FLORAL DESIGN BY RUBY MCDERMOTT DESIGNS
Lily of the valley is forever timeless, as this bride proved at her summer wedding in Maine.
Add a Subtle Note
PHOTO BY KAYLEA MORENO; CALLIGRAPHY BY M.B. CALLIGRAPHY; FLORAL & EVENT DESIGN INES & MARIE; PLANNING BY KATIE GREGG EVENTS & CO.
Incorporate special quotes throughout the day-of details, as this couple did at their wedding in Detroit. Here, the bride's bouquet was wrapped in a light-peach ribbon calligraphed with the words “I will always choose you.”
Use Books as Props
PHOTO BY LANCE NICOLL; PLANNING BY CLARK & KELLY; FLORAL DESIGN BY PISTIL & STAMEN
Even if you're not a book worm, you can add a touch of vintage vibes by incorporating worn books as photo props. Bonus points if they are the same palette as your florals.
Provide Lace Parasols
PHOTO BY JULES BOWER; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY THE EXTRAORDINAIRE; FLORAL DESIGN BY STIATTI FIORI
If you’re having an outdoor wedding, lace parasols not only make an ode to the 1800s but provide guests with a way to shade themselves from the sun. Place them in baskets at the entrance to the ceremony for guests to grab before sitting.
Frame a Vintage Door
PHOTO BY JAMES X SCHULZE; PLANNING & DESIGN BY CALLUNA EVENTS; FLORAL DESIGN BY BARE ROOT FLORA; RENTALS BY EVENT RENTALS
Whether you're marrying indoors or al fresco, a doorframe can help set the scene for a ceremony or reception. So, make like this Boulder couple, and mark the aisle with a vintage doorframe for your grand entrance and exit.
Historical Setting
PHOTO BY LISA POGGI; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY EXCLUSIVE ITALY WEDDINGS; FLORAL DESIGN BY STIATTI FIORI; VENUE BY VILLA CORSINI A MEZZOMONTE
A destination villa is guaranteed to boast rich historic architecture for a dreamy wedding backdrop. Two renaissance sculptures flank an organic arch of eucalyptus and oak leaves stuffed with white roses and hydrangeas for a European-style altar.
Make a Giant Scroll Backdrop
PHOTO BY LES AMIS PHOTO; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY THE WEDDING CARE; STATIONERY BY MONDO MOMBO
Love letters come to life in this flowing ceremony backdrop. An oversized scroll featuring script in Italian evokes the elegance and romance of centuries past.
Decorate an Arbor
PHOTO BY SARAH FALUGO; PLANNING & DESIGN BY SARA LANDON EVENTS; FLORAL DESIGN BY L’ATELIER ROUGE
With a vision for a fairytale wedding, this couple decorated their ceremony site with a gazebo decorated in baby's breath by L’Atelier Rouge. How romantic is that?!
Use Antique Furniture
PHOTO BY KELLY ANNE BERRY; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY POLLYANNA RICHTER; FLORAL DESIGN BY LINDSAY COLETTA DESIGNS
A weathered wooden mantle, candles in modern hurricanes, Persian rugs, and mid-century furniture recreate a living room outdoors. Top off the mantle with a eucalyptus garland of burgundy and blush dahlias, ranunculus, hellebores, and roses.
Incorporate Old Trunks
PHOTO BY LACIE HANSEN; WEDDING & FLORAL DESIGN BY JENN SANCHEZ DESIGNS
Solidify your theme in a retro-chic way by adding a few vintage suitcases as side tables. With this idea, the trick is to lean more chic than kitschy so stick to your wedding color palette.
Opt for Bistro Chairs
PHOTO BY MORGANE LAY AND JONNY COCHERANE OF M & J PHOTOGRAPHY; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY AGENCE FIZZY; FLORAL DESIGN BY GAZTELUR
Vintage ice cream parlor chairs with a twisted heart design take us back to the 1930s summers. Place them around circular tables in simple white linens for an outdoor bistro vibe.
Decorate a Fountain
PHOTO BY CLARK BREWER PHOTOGRAPHY; PLANNING & FLORAL DESIGN BY BIG EVENTS INC.
Set the scene for cocktails by enhancing an aged fountain with garden roses and strands of orchids spilled from each tier. Even better: Add a jazz trio and strings of café lights.
Find a Stately Venue
PHOTO BY HEATHER WARAKSA; PLANNING BY CLASSIC EVENTS NYC; FLORAL DESIGN BY DENISE FASANELLO
Marrying in a historic venue? Take inspiration for your surroundings, as this couple did at The High Line Hotel in New York City by filling the space with banquet tables and silver candelabras.
Tent Your Reception
PHOTO BY CORBIN GURKIN PHOTOGRAPHY; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY TARA GUÉRARD SOIRÉE; VENUE BY FENWICK HALL
A vast tent creates an elegant, timeless reception area with a hint of drama and flair. Surround the entrance with scattered votives filled with flickering candles and vines for a glowing ambiance.
Create a Fairytale Tablescape
PHOTO BY MONICA LEGGIO; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY SPOSIAMOVI; VENUE BY BORGO STOMENNANO; FLORAL DESIGN BY LA ROSA CANINA
A moody, romantic table setting is purely enchanting with lush centerpieces, glowing candles, and string lighting twinkling from the trees. This single reception table curves beneath the trees, seating 100 guests in an intimate environment.
Vintage Tables
PHOTO BY LISA POGGI; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY EXCLUSIVE ITALY WEDDINGS; VENUE CASTELLO DI VICARELLO; FLORAL DESIGN BY LA ROSA CANINA
Pastel tones make for a dreamy reception dinner. A long vintage wooden table sits underneath a pergola adorned with eucalyptus and romantic gold-rimmed lanterns that accent the tablescape’s white and gold flatware.
Inspired by the Countryside
PHOTO BY PAOLA COLLEONI; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY THE WEDDING CARE; VENUE ABBAZIA SAN PIETRO IN VALLE; FLORAL DESIGN BY NINA E I FIORI
This U-shaped table setting has a strong Italian countryside feel. A garland of olive and oak branches intertwines among white tapered candles and slim vases housing olive branches, eucalyptus, and white delphinium.
Get Glam Chandeliers
PHOTO BY KT MERRY; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY LISA VORCE; FLORAL DESIGN BY TUSCANY FLOWERS; VENUE BY ROSEWOOD CASTIGLION DEL BOSCO
Statement chandeliers hover over long wooden tables set with taper candles and low floral arrangements, exuding the perfect amount of romance with a grand vintage touch.
Set the Tone with Music
PHOTO BY WITHIN THIS DAY
It's no secret that music evokes memories of the past so play up the tunes on your big day. No matter your style—whether it's a big brass brand or electric guitar—we say embrace your inner rockstar, and maybe even hop on stage for a set!
Have a Champagne Toast
PHOTO BY LOGAN COLE; PLANNING & FLORAL DESIGN BY HELLO GEM
OK, we blame Gatsby for this one but there's something about a champagne toast that evokes a celebration from the past. Take this to the next level for your wedding-day toast, by making a tower of coupes—and adding twinkle lights above. Cheers!
Vintage Cake Topper
PHOTO BY JOEY WILLIS; DESIGN AND PLANNING BY LITTLE LANE EVENTS; FLORAL DESIGN BY HOLLY HIPWELL; CAKE BY BY GIGI
Vintage wedding cakes are iconic for a reason. Those toppers! Those tiers! Play homage with yours by sourcing a vintage topper or family heirloom, as this couple did with a 1920s topper on a pleated fondant cake.
Ice Cream
An ice cream tricycle is such a brilliant idea for a summer wedding and is a piece of décor within itself. Guests will love it, and with your server dressed in old-school clothing, it’s like a living piece of art and delicious fun! Decorate with bunting and choose traditional flavours like raspberry ripple and mint chocolate chip.
Vintage-Style Photobooth
Photobooths are one of our favourite entertainment options at a wedding - guests adore them! If you want to stick with the vintage theme, then hire yourself a vintage photobooth.
Exit in Style
PHOTO BY POLINA VINOGRADOVA
End the night on a high note by decorating your getaway with sweet, homemade decorations like tin cans tied to ribbon and a handwritten banner. There's nothing more special than a heartfelt (and DIY!) touch.
Get Inspired by the Icons
Turn to the ultimate style icons of decades past, and what they wore down the aisle, for inspiration. Choose fashion's best bridal hits—like Diana Ross (pictured here), Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Bianca Jagger (pictured above), Elizabeth Taylor, Priscilla Presley, and more for ideas on styling your (present-day) vintage bridal look.
Whether you take notes from Ross's all-lace veil and midi length or choose a hat that nods to Jagger's iconic chapeau, tapping the fashion hits of decades past (especially those from the decade your gown is originally from) will give you ample inspiration to include vintage fashion in an equally iconic way.
And of course your RHL would be…
HERA WEDDING DRESS
HERA is the perfect dress if you are looking for clean lines and figure-hugging beauty. The HERA dress has a low V back and a simple but stylish column silhouette. A beautiful and delicate row of silk-covered buttons on the back adds the finishing touch to this stylish lace wedding dress. Match back to our delicate PEARLY MOOD CLIP.
ALEXANDRA BOW DETAIL MINI DRESS
Our A-line mini dress in crepe has structured bow details with a sheer tulle panel across the neckline. It even has pockets for the all-important wedding selfie. This style is perfect for a bride looking for something different for the day, evening, or even the night before celebrations.
MIRA SILK WEDDING DRESS
MIRA with the soft and refined drape detailing of its cowl neckline and drape back design bring a simplicity and ease to your wedding look. With a fitted silhouette that shows off any Brides gorgeous figure. MIRA is the perfect antidote to the bride who wants straightforward but chic.
BEATRIX BOW MIDI DRESS
Sexy and chic BEATRIX our midi-length bridal dress is perfect for you. This fitted silhouette is flattering for all shapes and the bow detail is the perfect finishing touch for that added femininity.
The soft but structured fabrication gives the bride something to look not only fabulous in but also feel comfortable on her big day.
REINAA BRIDAL JUMPSUIT
Our REINAA bridal jumpsuit has a flattering halterneck design with a sexy but subtle split front bodice detail. The back is completed by a simple tie neck detail and the wide leg trouser shape is the finishing touch to this modern design. Whether you are getting married in a city hall or countryside manor house, step out in style on your wedding day with this gorgeous design.