Vintage Weddings

[Lillemor]

I love some of Unique Vintage's swing dresses but at only 5'0" tea-length doesn't really work on me. And looking at regular places like David's Bridal - why did they decide all women WANT and CAN wear strapless?! I need some kind of strap or sleeve or I am not getting it. :rage:

Thank goodness I got married in 1999 when sleeves were still popular. They throw women of all different shapes into sleeveless and strapless today. If the women feel confident about it then that's fine but I've heard of stories where the bride has had to search the rest of the country for a wrap, stola or bolero and then that's been a compromise.

Sometimes having a dress tailored doesn't cost that much more than buying one off the hanger. If you're in good time, then maybe having a vintage one modified can be an affordable choice.

Choose a natural fabric that can be dyed afterwards if you don't like to wear white or light colored dresses.

 

[Lillemor]

I made the mistake of getting married in a synthetic guipure lace/chiffon maternity empire gown that just took up 1/3 of my closet until I stuffed it into a bedding box. It can't be re-sold because I'm so short and the skirt can't be lenghtened, modern pregnant brides don't mind showing off the bump and it's in real poor shape now. It was ½ price. DKKr. 3000 including viel. I bought sensible white shoes with a low, wide heel, mary jane style. Probably intended for communion but I wasn't going to risk falling over 20 weeks pregnant.

What were the guests thinking who kept wanting us up on the chairs to kiss?!

I love those venues you've linked to. We were married in our local rural area surrounded by the country side. The church and restaurant were in close proximity of each other. Just cozy, rural idyl. I don't know if my "short" account below can be of any help or inspiration to anyone:

I couldn't find any images online that do justice to the beautiful scenery around the church:

http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Ousted_kirke/Ousted_kirke102.htm

We had the wedding party here:

http://www.ejerbaunehoj.dk/ The place was cozy and beautiful in an informal rural way, the food was great but the chemistry between us and the owner was poor and we've heard many others complain about the service.

Our party was in the largest room or second largest room which was a soft yellow back then and had panorama view over the neighboring fields. I had everything set in creamy yellow and white. The flowers were just simple white daisy types mixed with some local white road side flowers and greens.

We bought the invitations, seating cards, etc. at the bookstore and just filled in the information. Cheap.

I didn't coordinate the church, venue and bridal bouquet flowers. I let the erh..."digger???" choose a single flower at each pew and it turned out to be a light pink one, my bouquet was red/orange/salmon/peach, very late 90s. I think it all worked together to create a very informal atmosphere and I think the colors of the different flowers worked together. There were both gerberas and roses in my bridal bouquet so having similar flowers in the bouquet tied in nicely with the roses in the church and the large white daisies at the restaurant.

If bouquets are too expensive then carrying a leather bound Bible is a nice option and that one you can keep for the rest of your life and you don't have to pay to have it preserved. I dropped the idea of having my bouquet preserved. We have such a good photo of it.

We lived in Tebstrup at the time and drove home to our own place for the night. We'd only given my MIL a key and she'd only thrown a bit of rice in our bed but left a few rice bags around. Nothing too messy, nothing damaged. We still live in the area and it's nice that we can drive up to the tower and look over at the church and restaurant any time we please.

No honeymoon, we relaxed alone on the patio the next day then drove to Legoland with my dad who'd flown in from CA the following day and had a nice day there.

Btw. our wedding transportation was his rental car. The longest distance was from the church and to the photographer in nearby Skanderborg so we didn't want to waste money on something we'd hardly get any use of. Actually the photos my parents took were better than the ones the photographer took so that's another thing I would've saved on if I'd known. So if there are any willing and good photographers among the guests and if you trust them to actually bring all of their gear, working and fully loaded batteries and back-ups. Then that might be an option to consider. My dad did the photo documentary style which was really nice.

Simple gold bands. New but the same style many older generations wear. They're timeless. I'm glad I didn't give into the titanium and gold craze at the time. A few years later it was gemstones set in stainless steel rings. Whatever makes people happy...I just hope they've really considered those choices.

Under my maternity wedding gown I think I must've just worn regular maternity foundations. There was no such thing as attractive maternity lingerie and I'm not sure my hosiery was even a maternity style or if I was forced to push the waist band under my bump.

My regular hairdresser at the time did my hair and make-up and helped me get dressed. So it was relatively cheap and stress free. I brought my own lipstick with me because I wanted to make sure it was RED!

I think I recall borrowing someone's handbag and I wore some Dior costume jewelry my paternal grandma who couldn't be there, had bought me some years back. I don't know if they were actually new pieces when she gave them to me or if they were of an older date. If you can borrow classic pearls then that's great. I would've preferred that. This gold tone set with rhinestones looked like the real thing and people just couldn't stop starring at them and touching them. It was a simple timeless design.

My husband and his dad wore matching black suits, white shirts, black vests with silver pinstripes and butterfly ties because they're such nut cases!lol My husband got a lot of use out of the suit afterwards and the vests was great for parties, and I believe he still uses the vest every NY. Mother and MIL wore black which shocked me at the time but I like their choices now. I don't know if they'd coordinated it. They're certainly dresses they could get much use out of afterwards and I believe my mom actually just had hers hanging in the cellar. It was probably a thrift find, nothing to be ashamed of.

I wish we'd asked my FIL's old boys band to play or some of them. Another 5 people wouldn't have made a difference and probably wouldn't have added much to the costs of the party. I think we'd still have been well under DK 20,000 kroner. The lady we wanted to play the piano wasn't available. We got some guy on a keyboard and it's a good thing people were drinking because he wasn't that good. I even heard Puff The Magic Dragon at some point. These are things that don't ruin a party but gives you something to laugh at years after.

If I may give some unsolicited advice; If you have a sense of humor then everything doesn't have to be perfect. NEGOTIATE PRICES! There's no such thing as set prices when you dump a load of money on people! If they won't agree to a negotiation, then either accept that or look around some more. That's why you should do as I say and not as I did! I only had 4 months and only visited two venues and hub only talked to one florist but maybe that's just a man thing.[huh]

EVERYTHING included - DKKr. 16,000. We only had 20 guests but that's my style. I was a very pregnant bride so I overruled my FIL's wish for a huge, formal do with 200+ of his relatives. We had a really good evening and I don't think more flowers, a more colorful or imaginative theme, a veteran car, or personalized invitations would've made us happier. More guests might've warranted a decent band but I would've been miserable at a larger party.

The only thing I would've changed was my dress - I would've had a simple maternity dress in a natural fabric like silk made which wouldn't necessarily have to cost that much (Panduro hobby has cheap Thai silks) which could've then been dyed and re-tailored afterwards or I could've chosen a colored dress rather than the off white chiffon with white guipure lace. I would've foregone the viel and gone for flowers in my hair. If I'd started collecting vintage costume jewelry back then, I would've hunted down and invested in a really nice and very collectable set. Maybe I should've just worn a simple gold cross and carried a bible.

 

[Ms. McGraw]

Well my big day is still pretty far away, but we booked a venue for the ceremony and reception all in one! Since it's beautiful AND historic, I thought I'd share. It's going to be at the Canton Club, which is over 100 years old and was designed by the architect who did the ballroom on the Titanic. This is the front entrance hall and one of the sitting rooms:

The service will be held in front of this fireplace (obviously the furniture won't be there!):

This is the "man bar" where the cocktail hour will be held:

I don't have any pics of the grand ballroom where the reception will be held but you'll have to trust me that it's beautiful. The pictures don't really show all the amazing woodwork and architectural detail but it's stunning in real life.

 

[cecil]

Well my big day is still pretty far away, but we booked a venue for the ceremony and reception all in one! Since it's beautiful AND historic, I thought I'd share. It's going to be at the Canton Club, which is over 100 years old and was designed by the architect who did the ballroom on the Titanic.

What an amazing venue!!

 

[Viola]

Bumping because my mother and I went shopping today and I GOT MY WEDDING DRESS. I am sooo happy.

It is really lovely, a little MORE fluffy-princess than I had pictured falling in love with, but I saw it on me, and it was love! It's sleeveless and perfect for a summer wedding.

Now I know what my dress looks like, which means I can move on what kind of shoes and hair accessories work with it. I'm really, really happy with it. It was a bargain, too. And it fits, right now, no dieting, no worrying. The only thing it needs are slightly shortened straps, and that's okay.

 

[The Shirt]

I came across this site and thought there were so many beautiful and vintage inspired looks and ideas. I thought some might find it interesting.

http://www.oncewed.com/wedding-ideas/?clearSelections=yes

Sigh - still waiting to plan my own. Whatever happened to the guys that wanted to get married?

 

[Delia's Gone]

I thought I would contribute to this thread. Although we did not have a true vintage wedding, many of my details were vintage-inspired, from the 50s silhouette of my dress, to the pincurl-ish details in my hair, the birdcage veil I wore, etc. We held this outside in a local garden. We made and did almost everything ourselves, except the flowers, cake and the dress (which was custom-made for me by a local dressmaker).

You can see the hair pretty well here. I also wore a white hair flower, you can see that here in a not so great shot of us getting ready. I made the birdcage veil myself (in my avatar).

My dress.

Our first dance was a swing dance! We worked with an ex-ballroom teacher friend of ours to learn some basic steps. It was pretty fun.

Vintage birdcage on the gift table - the card says please feed your cards to the invisible wedding bird.

Our DIY centerpieces which were so cheap they were practically free. Recycled bottles & jars, plus cheapo flowers, fake flowers and branches.

There are a lot more pictures here if you're interested. Plus I wrote about everything here on my blog.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

Really love what you did there! I am heavily into my recycling and love the idea of used pierced old cans as tealight holders and old jars etc...for flowers.
Well done! Gorgeous dress.
K

 

[The Shirt]

DG- you look stunning (loving the tattoo!). I adore the flowers/centerpieces. I am hoping to have an instructor at the reception so that we all can learn a few new(old) moves. I hate that we've as a society forgotten how to dance close and with each other rather than at each other.

Viola/Kitty- can't wait to see your plans unfold as well.

 

[C-dot]

Beautiful, DG! You lived my dream of swing dancing for your first dance! Congrats! :eusa_clap Viola, can we see a picture?

My wedding is about a year and-a-half away. It's going to be a military wedding, and it will be just before Christmas. It won't be very large either. What I'm thinking of doing, when the time comes, is going to a secondhand shop like Goodwill, finding a wedding dress with potential (and in my size), and altering it to be just how I want it.

I can't stand today's strapless dresses - Very few people look good in them, myself definitely not included!

 

[*martini*time*]

I thought I would contribute to this thread. Although we did not have a true vintage wedding, many of my details were vintage-inspired, from the 50s silhouette of my dress, to the pincurl-ish details in my hair, the birdcage veil I wore, etc. We held this outside in a local garden. We made and did almost everything ourselves, except the flowers, cake and the dress (which was custom-made for me by a local dressmaker).

I looked at all your other photo's and you had a beautiful wedding. I love your colors and the length of your dress. You looked absolutely stunning. :eusa_clap

 

[Delia's Gone]

Thank you everyone for the sweet compliments!

 

[Christy]

I'm glad to find this thread! DG you look beautiful! I also love Miss 1929's photos.

We don't have a date (we were hoping 2010) set yet, but I've already picked out our wedding venue. It's called the Wolf Creek Inn, and it's a bed & breakfast. http://www.thewolfcreekinn.com/Wolf Creek is a place that is considered to be a bad town, but it's beautiful out there. One of my biggest reasons for this place is because of the history of it. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard have stayed there. Jack London has also stayed there.

We just want to have a small low key wedding with close friends and family. I actually already have a dress because we were originally going to get married in 2008 but we postponed our wedding until after I finish school. I have 6 months left, but now we're talking about postponing until I find a job in my field and new place to live.

Before I got my dress I knew that I wanted something that had a vintage feel and had lace and buttons down the back and my dress doesn't have either. It's a strapless ballgown, princessy type dress. I recently went with my mom to try other dresses on, but I still like my first one best, but I want to add something or change something on it to give it more of a vintage look. Maybe a lace bolero or something... I guess I still have some time!

 

[C-dot]

It's a strapless ballgown, princessy type dress. I recently went with my mom to try other dresses on, but I still like my first one best, but I want to add something or change something on it to give it more of a vintage look. Maybe a lace bolero or something... I guess I still have some time!

Give us a picture?

Gals, I have a question. Growing up, my mum always told me that she was saving her wedding dress for me, although I didn't think she was serious. It turns out she was!

Here are my folks, married in 1986:

Now, what I'm wondering is, could it be altered to be more vintage-like? It's incredibly of-the-decade, I know, but it has merits - namely the lace sleeves and cinched bodice. It also has a long train. I will need to alter it anyway, since it is a size 10 and I'm only a 4.

Does anyone have suggestions for me?

 

[*martini*time*]

Get rid of the puffy sleeves. Eek.

 

[C-dot]

Get rid of the puffy sleeves. Eek.

Yeah... Go eighties, eh? lol I'll probably replace them with regular sleeves, since it'll be a December wedding. I could also take the dip out of the bodice... (Another merit: The bodice is absolutely studded with beautiful pearls and lace detailing.)

A few nights ago I was helping my fiancé's granny to pack up her house for moving. I came across her wedding photo (m. 1951) - She wore this amazing dress with Chantilly lace sleeves and partial overlay. Upon further interrogation, I learned she still has the dress, fully intact. The woman then says she wants to cut it up, give the skirt to a dressmaker friend, and make a blouse out of the lace. I didn't know whether to shake her violently, or cry.
To twist the knife deeper, the dress is a petite 4!
Kyle says she won't touch it, it'll stay in it's box until her passing. As it's unlikely I'll ever get my hands on it, I figure I'll get a copy of the photo instead and work the similarities between my mum's dress and hers.

Or perhaps I could burgle her house in the night.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

You could remove the mesh and high neck, build up the neck into a sweetheart. Slim down the sleeves, or appeal to his granny and *sniff* say that *sniff* you always wanted to wear a *sniffle* vintage dress......it would be sooooooo special...

 

[Inky]

ahhhh, the 80's. Looks just like my first wedding dress (1989) but mine had a solid bodice covered with hand appliqued lace and pearls. same funky sleeves and crazy headpiece. Except I made my dress and headpiece - total insanity.

I would make the sleeves normal fitted sleeves for sure, elbow length could be lovely with some gloves and then make the neckline sweetheart. Hard to tell about the skirt in that picture whether it needs adjusting or not but based on typical 80's dresses, it might need some slimming down.

what i REALLY would do is talk to your in-laws and/or your fiance's granny and ask her if she would do you the honor of letting you wear her dress for the wedding (if your mom won't mind, that is, I know how mom's can be).

 

[C-dot]

...or appeal to his granny and *sniff* say that *sniff* you always wanted to wear a *sniffle* vintage dress......it would be sooooooo special...

what i REALLY would do is talk to your in-laws and/or your fiance's granny and ask her if she would do you the honor of letting you wear her dress for the wedding (if your mom won't mind, that is, I know how mom's can be).

I don't think my mum would be devastated if I didn't wear her dress - upset maybe, but only temporarily. She's not sentimental about things like clothes.

Here's the problem: Granny is 86 and suffers from Alzheimer's disease. If she did agree to let me wear it, she would likely not remember/change her mind (this happens often). As for my FMIL, we don't get along, and rarely speak. I would not consider asking her for the dress - If she found out I wanted it, she would snatch it up immediately.

The sweetheart neckline, slimmed sleeves, and skirt reduction (you're right, Inky ) are all great ideas. I could even remove all of the mesh and replace it with Chantilly lace. With these alterations, it wouldn't be dissimilar to Granny's dress!

 

[Christy]

C-dot, your mom and dad are so cute!

Here are the pictures of my dress. Please ignore my expression, I'm not sure why I look angry.[huh]

I love the color of my dress, I like the shape, and I really like how it makes my waist look smaller.