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Decor Ideas for Your Vintage Wedding

You may have always regarded yourself as a bride or groom with a certain ‘old school’ sensibility; alternatively, you might simply adore the vintage aesthetic and wonder how good it would look on you. Whatever your taste may be, the craze for all things retro is still going strong among the loved-up couples of the 2010s.

Another marvellous advantage of basing your nuptials on a vintage theme is the vast range of possibilities for captivating wedding decor centred on the ‘olde worlde’ look.

Here at leading French wedding venue Château Bouffémont, we therefore thought we would outline some of our favourite decor suggestions for a vintage-themed ceremony and reception.

Centrepieces

There are a lot of timeless centrepieces that you can add to the tables at your wedding venue to maximise that charming vintage vibe. You might go for an eye-catching candelabra, for example, or a birdcage such as this well-priced mint green-footed one from The Wedding of My Dreams’ online store. The latter can be enhanced with flowers or a pillar candle on the inside.

Teacups

Teacups aren’t just dainty and beautiful – which are characteristics that lend themselves perfectly to a vintage wedding theme – but you can also source them from all manner of places, such as flea markets, car boot sales and charity shops. They don’t need to be strictly used for drinking, either, as they can represent fine decorations in their own right when you place flowers inside them.

Aisle runners

Don’t just think about the vintage decor possibilities at your reception, but also at the ceremony. For example, the long piece of fabric that runs down the centre or main aisle of the ceremony is known as the aisle runner, and this may be customised in all manner of ways. You could have your vows hand-calligraphed onto it, for instance, for a powerful reminder of your commitment to each other.

Guest books

A guest book can provide a great way for attendees to extend well-wishes to you. It is a somewhat retro idea in itself, that can be made even more so if you enable your guests to type out their messages on a retro typewriter. Or why not stretch even further back into the past, with a literal guest book that your beloved family and friends are encouraged to write in with a quill and ink?

Suitcases or trunks

It helps to have somewhere to keep all of the cards that your guests give you to congratulate you on your marriage. You may use one of the aforementioned birdcages or even a trunk for this purpose. Alternatively, you might like the idea of opting for a vintage suitcase, which can be an especially suitable choice if you wish to imbue your old-school wedding with a ‘travel’ theme.

Pastel colours

If you are unsure as to which colour scheme may lend the most advantageously ‘vintage’ look to your wedding, we would advise you to start off by experimenting with various ‘safe’ pastel colours and neutrals such as beige and cream. Together, these hues will ensure a pleasingly light and gentle aesthetic that creates the perfect conditions for tender romance.

Remember that all of these touches will make an even greater impact when you select a wedding venue that boasts its own endearing and historic aesthetic, such as the splendid stone-built Château Bouffémont near Paris. Meanwhile, the Wedding Ideas website has many more great articles to inspire you when you are fine-tuning your vintage ceremony and reception.

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