A Perfectly Vintage Wedding

I shot Zola & Derick's engagement session early last year at their super sweet 50's/60's decor home here in San Diego. Their wedding, as expected, was ABSOLUTELY stunning. This is a perfect example of a beautiful vintage-inspired DIY wedding. You can view more photos of their wedding on my blog here.



There are some really clever, tasteful & creative ways to do things for original & cost-conscious couples with an old-timey flair... Here's what Zola had to say about how she planned her big day...

After dating for five years, we were engaged and married within seven months, so there wasn't much time to dawdle over all things wedding related. I wanted to keep a mid-century aesthetic, but also make sure that everything was simple and not too themed; we wanted the feel of a family picnic more than anything else. Eclectic Vintage it was!

Some advice for anyone planning a vintage (or not) wedding:
1. Use what you have. I collect vintage Mexican owls and have amassed quite a collection of succulents in the last twelve years. For that reason, using owls and succulents in our wedding was an obvious choice and one that people seemed to really enjoy.
Vintage Brass Owls: Etsy and Ebay, usually sold in trios.



Succulents and growing materials: Hillcrest Farmer's Market and Walter Anderson Nursery
Glass bowls for Terrariums: Michael's



2. Ebay and Etsy are your friends. If you can think of it, you can find it. And of course, if you have several months to do it in, collecting specific types of vintage tableware, vases, knick knacks, etc. can be done through regular visits to thrift stores.
Cake Stands and small turquoise vases: Ikea

3. Buy online. I was able to limit the amount of running around town, and stress I felt as a result, by doing the majority of my purchasing by computer. I did, however, vow I would never step foot in a Michael's again after my seventh trip there!

4. When people offer to help, accept. Planning a wedding, even a simple one, is a lot of work. We are so grateful to our many friends and family members who pitched in to help, both by taking on major crafting projects beforehand and by setting up and decorating for the day's events. I don't know how we would have done it without them.


Fabric for napkins and banner: Amy Butler's Nouveau Trees from FABRIC.COM
Vintage Wallpaper used for photo wall and flower cones: Ebay
5. Forget the favors and just share. As the wedding wound down, our wedding party started collecting and packing away the terrariums and table displays. When I hollered, "Hey, people are supposed to take those home!," everybody ran over (Really. People were excited!) and ended up with something. And now when we visit our friends and family, we'll see a little reminder of the day they shared with us.

My attire
Veil: Something Bold Veils on Etsy
Vintage Brooch: borrowed from our friend (and officiant), Lisa
Earrings: J.Crew
Vintage Homemade Dress: Vintage Castle on Etsy
Shoes: Frye (I found them for 30% off at Shop Bop, but they still cost more than my dress!)



Best Women's Attire
Dress: the Kate dress from J.Crew via Ebay
Shoes: Modern Vintage
Derick & Best Men's Attire
Linen Summer Suits: Banana Republic
Black & White Gingham Ties: Kenneth Cole
Flowers: zinnias and dahlias from Alfredo at the Ocean Beach Farmer's Market

Also, Zola got her Owl Invitations from Ello There on Etsy, and her DELICIOUS cakes from Extraordinary Desserts.
Thanks for sharing the details of your gorgeous wedding with us Zola! It was an absolute dream to shoot :) You can view more pics from Zola & Derrick's wedding on my blog here: featherlove.com/blog

Noa

Vintage Traditions: The Send Off

{via}

The send-off is one of those traditions that we see once in awhile during modern weddings but was really a staple of the weddings of yore. Maybe it's because we party later into the night and don't really ever want the fun to end that a lot of weddings don't include the formal getaway to the honeymoon car. Some of us don't even leave right away for our honeymoons and spend the next morning with our friends & family.

{via}

I don't see anything wrong with including a fun costume change and faking a send-off though. At my friends New Year's Eve wedding everyone surrounded the couple with sparklers and they ran through the crowd with big smiles on their faces. Then grabbed another drink and went straight to the dance floor. So pick out a honeymoon outfit, some confetti or lavender (but no rice, please) and make a break for it (even if it just to the dessert table).

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Widescreen Wedding

The other night I caught the end of the original Father of the Bride with Elizabeth Taylor. For any couple who is aiming for a 50s-inspired affair go rent this flick immediately. Though the budget might be a little off ($85 for the orchestra, yeah right) the details are incredible from the dress to the flowers. Old movies make a great date night AND planning session. Here are some more classic cinematic nuptials -

It Happened One Night (a 30s dream)

The Graduate (LOVE her hair and makeup)

The Deer Hunter (Meryl Streep is a beauty and those gold crowns!)

The Godfather (OK, maybe not the most romantic but oh that wedding!)

bridesmaids: no matchy-matchy

(photographer: Stephanie Williams. See the rest of Haley & Brent's wedding here)

When I got married in June 2006, I found it impossible to find a wedding dress anywhere that was my style (but that's a WHOLE other post). I also had a real hard time looking through bridesmaid dresses.

As you may have figured by now, I like breaking the old wedding rules when it comes to design. Here's what I considered: I had 2 Maids of Honor (my sisters) and 2 bridesmaids (my bff's). My sisters are both older than me, one was 4 months pregnant- she's the short one, maybe 5 foot 2" or so, the other one is the tall one, maybe 5 foot 8" or so. The tall one is long and lean, the shorter one voluptuous and pregnant. My 2 best friends- one just had a baby 4 months previous to my wedding, the other has a tiny thin body and is also a VERY picky fashion designer from New York. To top it all off, each and every one of these marvelous ladies has COMPLETELY different taste in fashion. There was no way I was going to stuff them all into the same dress. I really didn't even want to do that, I have never really connected with the idea.

(Photo from my wedding)

For me, asking them to be my bridesmaids and my Maids of Honor meant that these ladies were pertinent in my life, I respect them for their individuality amongst other things. So wouldn't it be sort of inconsiderate of me to ask them to wear some dress they wouldn't even like? And that they wouldn't feel confident in? Here's what I decided- I was going to give them a color and let them figure it out for themselves. I was SO STOKED that I made that decision. They each wore a dress that they were comfortable in & that matched their body type. And they each looked beautiful and confident in their dress.

(Photo from my wedding)

Here's what I say: Let's break up the whole "matchy-matchy" bridesmaids thing. Honestly, I really love how sweet it looks when each lady is wearing her own dress.


(Photographer: Red Photo Co. Via Snippet & Ink. See the rest of this wedding here)


(photographer: One Love. See the rest of Erin & Greg's wedding here)

If you are concerned that people may not know who the bridesmaids are since they're not matching, just tell them that they are the ladies holding the bouquets and walking around looking totally bitchin' in some dress that they really really love. Let's remember too- that the colors don't have to match EXACTLY, we can have shades of a color, similar hues, or a complimentary palette, and still get the point across.

For example.

(photographer: Tinywater. See the rest of Chrissie and Brian’s wedding here)


And this wedding is to die for. I love the old-school influence... so if your bridesmaids are a little lost and not sure where to begin, I say a good place to start is always in the beginning. Go vintage.

(photographer: Raya Carlisle. Via Once Wed. See the rest of Hannah & Kyle’s wedding here)


(photographer: Andrew Thomas Lee. See the rest of Ben & Brooke's wedding here)

Here's some old folklore: initially bridesmaids were supposedly designated for the purpose of confusing the demons that were thought to torment a bride on her wedding day. The demons would think that the bridesmaids were in fact the brides and therefore would leave the real bride alone on her special day. I say, why not confuse the crap out of those pesky demons. Besides, they're probably not that evil if their job is to just hang around at weddings all the time...

Thanks to all the seriously talented photographers who shared their work with me for this blog, And all the beautiful brides & bridesmaids with impeccable taste!

xo Noa (feather love photography)

Vintage-Inspired vs. Eclectic Vintage

Just take one look out into wedding blogland and you will see multiple posts with the word "vintage" in the entry header. It is clear that what started as a small group of couples styling their weddings with their signature vintage looks has exploded into a big-time wedding trend. Trendy or not, I think a couple should stay true to themselves throughout the wedding planning process. If vintage isn't necessarily your thing, don't feel like you have to incorporate it just because you see it in all the magazines and blogs. AND if you have always shopped in vintage boutiques and thrift stores don't resist the urge to go the vintage route just because you feel like it's the big thing right now. You will be happiest knowing your wedding reflected who you and your partner are and not another person's idea of what a wedding should or should not be.

Alyssa & Howard's Vintage Dream Wedding

With all the different kinds of vintage weddings out there it can be overwhelming at first. I find it simpler to think about vintage as being in two camps - vintage-inspired and eclectic vintage. So what is the difference, anyway? For me, the difference can be pretty big and probably the main factor will be how many hours you end up spending scouring yard sales and second-hand shops.

Vintage-Inspired

Maybe Katherine Hepburn is your style icon or you are a die hard collector of 70s rock albums or finger waves is your signature hairstyle. If your outfits, hair or home are influenced by the past why shouldn't your wedding be too? But being inspired by the past doesn't necessarily mean you have to start a collection of depression-era china or 19th century apothecary jars. It is possible to emulate the look of a wedding from the 30s or 60s without spending every waking moment (and dime) on EBay.

Rebecca & Jason's 30s-inspired affair

What is it about a specific era you find most appealing? Is it the high glamour of the 20s or the femininity of the 50s or the simplicity of the 70s? Look for what you find most attractive and bring that into your day. There are great resources, like LIFE's collection of vintage weddings, to use for your inspiration files.

Rachel & Terry's 50s-inspired wedding

Eclectic Vintage

An eclectic vintage wedding doesn't necessarily end up looking like it came out of a specific time or place in history. Perhaps you have a love of mid-century modern furniture but also collect kitschy trinkets and old suitcases. If you have eclectic taste then why would you limit yourself to just one era? Take your love of second-hand shopping and bring that into your wedding decor. Who says you can't mix simple wildflowers with silver plated vases and a rocking tea length lace and chiffon princess dress?

Brit & Daniel's eclectic vintage wedding

Just don't go overboard. Pick one or two things to focus on so that you don't break your budget or your sanity. Most likely you already have a collection or two started so make use of what you have.

Jessica & Curt's mismatched vintage party

More on specific vintage decor and shopping advice coming up!

Wedding Dresses: Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya

A big trend right now for brides is finding that perfect vintage wedding dress whether it be Edwardian or boho. But for something that has already been worn at least once, that dress can come with a hefty price tag. Why would you spend hundreds, if not thousands, if someone very close to you already had a great vintage dress in her closet (or at least one with great potential)?The following ladies decided to make that "something borrowed" a big something and raided mom's closet. A couple wore their mother's dresses just like their mothers did on their wedding days while others saw potential in an outdated style and gave it a modern twist.

Raina looks classic and gorgeous in her mother's dress at her simple and sweet library wedding.

{flickr}

Sam wore her mother's delicate dress (with a couple changes) for the ceremony and then changed into a non-vintage dress to boogie in at the reception to keep her mom's dress from getting damaged.

{from Sam's blog}

{romine weddings}

Charlie decided not to change a thing about her mom's dress and she looked radiant in it. The only alteration was an embroidered label that her mother sewed in (check out her shop).

Like mother...

like daughter!

Cassie loves old-fashion lace dresses and was searching for a modest but not at all boring dress. After trying on dress after dress, she was beginning to feel discouraged. Inspired by the high-neck of her mother's gown, she had a good neighbor create a one-of-a-kind vintage-inspired piece.

{touch of grey photography}

My favorite transformation has to be the alterations Reese made to her mother's wedding dress. Just stunning!

Before

After
See more photos on Reese's blog.

~Emilia Jane