Going Vintage!
Vintage is the “new,” “hot,” and “fresh” idea for this wedding season. Today, Bride’s are reinventing the old and turning it into something innovative! When thinking about the word “vintage,” what vision comes to your mind? Do you think old-fashioned and historical? How about fashionable and glamorous? What about warm and cozy? Vintage can be so many different things. Vintage can be an era, a particular piece of furniture, a memory, and even a style.
Because finding Vintage items and ideas to enhance your theme can be like finding a needle in a haystack, here are some options I have put together for you, the Vintage Bride!
1. Vintage Location: As a vintage Bride, you may want to create your vintage look by first and foremost hosting your wedding at a historical site. Some examples in the Southern California Area are the Jones Victorian Estate in Orange, the Centennial Museum in Santa Ana, and the Grand Tradition in San Diego, to name a few. In this way, your Vintage look begins the moment you book your venue. When guests arrive, they are instantly brought back in time to a period when hospitality and gentility reigned.
2. Vintage decorations: When buying vintage and antique items, you can begin at Antique stores, but don’t limit yourself there. Although going into an Antique store, where you are guaranteed to find an abundance of vintage items from broaches to furniture, can feel like you have found the pot of gold, these items may come with a heavy price tag.
If you’re ready for some adventure, try bargain hunting! Flea markets and antique swap meets have a wealth of vintage items that you can pick through and choose from. Keep your eyes pealed because there can be a fabulous one-of-a-kind find hidden under a mound of items. Remember, you can barter, so find the best deal! In addition to flea markets and swap meats, try Salvation Army and Good Will stores, which have new items arriving practically every day! At these stores, you’re always guaranteed a good price.
Tired of run-around shopping? Try Ebay, Craigslist, Etsy.com, or “Google” the word Vintage, where you can find everything from a vintage bridal gown to trunks, chairs, vases, and more!
3. Worried about the cost of acquiring these Vintage items when everything is all said and done? Rent vintage items! Vintage rentals are becoming more and more popular. Vintage Rentals come from specialty sources like “FOUND” based in Fullerton, CA, whose owner, Jeni Maus, finds joy in discovering that collectible item you’ve been searching for! From trunks, chairs, couches, and decor, you can style your photo-shoot and wedding vintage and bring guests back to another time period.
4. Ask a relative! Remember going into your Grandmother’s, Great Aunt’s, or another relatives house and admiring all of their nick-nacks and pictures? For your wedding, bring some vintage memorabilia that will represent your family, such as black and white pictures of your grandparents, an old quilt, dishes, teapot, or your Grandmother’s broach or locket to pin on your bridal bouquet. One thing to remember when asking your relative for these items is that these may be heirlooms or important artifacts of his or her past, so take good care of them. Any items that the relative will lend or give you for your wedding need to be written down on a checklist. To make sure everything is organized, print two check lists: one for a check-in and one for check-out.
Michelle Gregory, Wedding Coordinator and Event Planner at the Jones Victorian Estate recommends, “In order to make sure everything gets back to the owner, choose a reliable family member with a vehicle that will be responsible for those items. He or she will have the list and the coordinator or site representative will have a copy of the same list to make sure everything is collected and packed safe and correctly.”
5. Make your own! Vintage can also be a style and not specifically an item found in an era, so be bold and try creating your own! For a picture frame, get a brown frame and white wash it, or spunge gold, bronze or silver patina onto the frame to make it vintage or vintage glam. Do you have some extra costume pearls or jewels? Think about incorporating those into an idea too! Is there a box in your attic of discarded fabric or materials? Why not make some original vintage looking quilts or napkins? All these ideas and more can create your “vintage look” and can help minimize cost.
Whether going “vintage” shines through your location or your vintage memorabilia, make your Vintage Wedding your own! Reflect who you are and where you come from by creating your very own vintage theme. Going Vintage can lead you to all kinds of new and exciting destinations. Think about Vintage Glam, Vintage country, Vintage shabby-chic, Vintage garden, and more! Keep your eyes and mind open. Happy planning!
Stay tuned for a Vintage photo shoot from the Jones Victorian coming soon!
Love,
Erica May Gregory
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