Vintage Weddings

[The Bingstress]

Hey Big Guy, tell the missus-to-be to get her patootie into the Fedora Lounge! I had such a great time talking with her when we met in LA last year, and she'd be a great addition to our little hen party.

Big T and I also send early (and hearty) congratulations on your pending nuptials. You two make an adorable couple, and I can hardly wait to see photos of the big day!

Hugs & blessings,
The Bingstress

 

[ITG]

Yes, tell Jeanna (Gina?) to come over to the lounge...we need more ladies to yack with in the Powder Room.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

That's for sure--it's always nice to see a new face in here!

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Vintage Wedding

My fiance and I are planning on getting married sometime in the spring of 2008. And being that we're both WW2 era nuts, the obvious "theme" to our wedding is going to be vintage/ 1940's.

I grew up in a military family, and spent alot of my childhood and teenage years visiting different veterans museums, battleships, airshows, etc- so I really want to include that into our ceremony. Originally I wanted to get married on the U.S.S. Massachusetts because it's my favorite ship, but considering the majority of my guests live near my fiance and myself in Philadelphia, we want the ceremony to be aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey- right across the river from us. (http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/)

I'm also a wedding dress designer and in the process of starting my own small business, so I'm going to be making my dress as well as my bridesmaids. I wanted something period, not floor length, and simple. I found this idea for my dress (minus the bows at the hips):

Other than those details, I'm not really sure where to go next. I know I want an swing band to play, but I don't know of any in my area. I found some on "The Knot" website, but I don't know anything about them!!

Does anyone have any suggestions on things like favors, decor, and the one I'm really hoping for- ideas where to find vintage or repro invitations? I really don't want "vintage inspired"... or any other suggestions at all? There aren't too many resources on this sort of thing other than most weddings were rather non-chalant and done often in a hurry due to the military.

I'm sorry this is such a long post!! Thank you in advance!!

 

[Viviene]

Check on Ebay for unused wedding cards. Here is an exact title of an auction I found:

Wedding Vintage Greeting Cards Unused wEnvs 1940s Mint

Type it in the search box and the auction will come up. You can always copy the invitations.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I actually wrote a series of vintage wedding planning articles, which can be found here:

http://www.porthalcyon.com/features/200406/vintagewedding01.shtml


I've been expanding my series into a full-fledged book, which should be available sometime in the spring

 

[BettyValentine]

Well ... it would be really pricey, but would engraved invites not be much the same as what went around back then? I only mention it because my mom brought samples of every invitation she could find, and the Tiffany ones were very simple, engraved in black ink on plain squares of very nice paper that seemed to feel a lot more vintage than any of the "vintage inspired" ones I picked up. But that could just be because of Miss Manners' bizarre obsession with engraved stationery.

Though they're probably 4x the price of the letterpress "vintage inspired" ones from costco. Le sigh.

Oh, and I love the dress! (minus the hip bows).

 

[Miss Dottie]

I second Jitterbug's Port Halycon articles. They are really good!

I just got married in November and tried to go for a vintage themed wedding as well. You can see my bio under MissDottie on the Knot.

As far as invitations go--you may not find the quantity you need online, but working with a good graphic designer, I bet you could create something along those lines.

Favors are a tough one because I don't think they were popular in the 1940s, but I know those jordan almonds were popular in the 1950s. We used push button puppets for our favors because my sweetie proposed to me with a vintage one of a bride and a groom.

Where are you getting married in Philadelphia? I used to live on the Main Line. I used to go to dances at the Merion Tribute House. There are so many gorgeous places in Philadelphia to get married.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Thank you Dottie! I am glad you found them useful

I checked out your photos and your wedding turned out lovely; what a gorgeous gown you wore, by the way.

As for favors, the traditional choice was a slice of cake, boxed up and sent home with your guests. The story behind this is that unmarried women would sleep with the cake under their pillow, and would then dream of the man that they would marry that night.

Rushed WWII weddings certainly put a damper on things like favors, but I think the cake tradition is a fun one to revive at a modern-day vintage wedding

 

[BettyValentine]

As for favors, the traditional choice was a slice of cake, boxed up and sent home with your guests. The story behind this is that unmarried women would sleep with the cake under their pillow, and would then dream of the man that they would marry that night.

Hee ... "I'm going to marry a man who is white and sticky." or ...
"I dreamed I was eating cake at my wedding and I woke up and my pillow was gone."

Aack, I just looked at MissDottie's Knot bio. Will you move to New York and plan my wedding? I adore the little ice buckets so much. And I want fringey tattooed dancers and cute toys too!

(So far what I've got is a mom trying to get black market zanax just over invitation drama, and seven people who won't believe that I don't like peonies.)

 

[texasgirl]

I just got married in November and tried to go for a vintage themed wedding as well. You can see my bio under MissDottie on the Knot.

I just went and looked at your wedding- so beautiful! I am getting married in March, hopefully mine will go as well as yours did! Just stunning! BTW, your beautiful red shoes from the previos thread inspired me- I changed mine to a gold sparkly pair- so much better than the Dyeables I had planned.


Also CherryBombb, you might try Rubylane for cake toppers, they have a lot of antique ones! And keep us posted!!!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Well ... it would be really pricey, but would engraved invites not be much the same as what went around back then? I only mention it because my mom brought samples of every invitation she could find, and the Tiffany ones were very simple, engraved in black ink on plain squares of very nice paper that seemed to feel a lot more vintage than any of the "vintage inspired" ones I picked up. But that could just be because of Miss Manners' bizarre obsession with engraved stationery.

Though they're probably 4x the price of the letterpress "vintage inspired" ones from costco. Le sigh.

If you want a cheaper alternative to engraved, thermographed printing gives you a similar "raised print" feel.

 

[Kim_B]

I don't know what your plans are for a photographer, but I know of some one who does beautiful work who is also into the vintage lifestyle. Here is her website - http://www.photomuse.com

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Thank you Dottie! I am glad you found them useful

I checked out your photos and your wedding turned out lovely; what a gorgeous gown you wore, by the way.

As for favors, the traditional choice was a slice of cake, boxed up and sent home with your guests. The story behind this is that unmarried women would sleep with the cake under their pillow, and would then dream of the man that they would marry that night.

Rushed WWII weddings certainly put a damper on things like favors, but I think the cake tradition is a fun one to revive at a modern-day vintage wedding

PLEASE!! Send me some of that cake!!!!! I'm always looking for an easy way to meet a guy, dreaming one up sounds good to me!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

PLEASE!! Send me some of that cake!!!!! I'm always looking for an easy way to meet a guy, dreaming one up sounds good to me!

Think of the business one could drum up at a bakery by selling that kind of cake

 

[Miss Dottie]

You guys are very very kind! I just found out that some photos from my wedding may be picked up by Martha Stewart's wedding magazine on a piece she's doing on vintage inspired weddings.

And TexasGirl, I'm sure your wedding is going to be stunning. Can't wait to see pictures of it afterwards.

I like the cake idea! I think that is a great one to revive.

 

[Viola]

Are you doing "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, silver dollar in your shoe"?

I love the sparkly shoe idea, I never would have thought of that!

I'm single as can be, but I love this topic and I love this board.

-Viola

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Check on Ebay for unused wedding cards. Here is an exact title of an auction I found:

Wedding Vintage Greeting Cards Unused wEnvs 1940s Mint

Type it in the search box and the auction will come up. You can always copy the invitations.

Thank you so much!! This was exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for!

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

I second Jitterbug's Port Halycon articles. They are really good!

I just got married in November and tried to go for a vintage themed wedding as well. You can see my bio under MissDottie on the Knot.

As far as invitations go--you may not find the quantity you need online, but working with a good graphic designer, I bet you could create something along those lines.

Favors are a tough one because I don't think they were popular in the 1940s, but I know those jordan almonds were popular in the 1950s. We used push button puppets for our favors because my sweetie proposed to me with a vintage one of a bride and a groom.

Where are you getting married in Philadelphia? I used to live on the Main Line. I used to go to dances at the Merion Tribute House. There are so many gorgeous places in Philadelphia to get married.

My fiance is a graphic designer, so we're just looking for designs to get us started on the invitations. I lucked out!!

I'd like very much to do ceremony and reception on the USS New Jersey. I'm just so in love with battleships... I'm a nerd for military history!! And luckily, he thinks my obsession is adorable!

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Also CherryBombb, you might try Rubylane for cake toppers, they have a lot of antique ones! And keep us posted!!!

Oh my gosh!! I love them! Thank you so much!

I hadn't gotten around to thinking about the cake yet, but I think I'm going to have to indulge in one of those toppers!!