If you are thinking of going vintage style for your cake, a vintage cake topper may be just what you need. Some of them can be quite pricey though, so this would be something special for your wedding. We found a great selection from Fancy Flours.
Many of you commented on our survey that you would like some resources for wedding rentals. We think this is a great idea to achieve the look you want for your wedding without creating so much waste. If you are going for a vintage style, we've found a great selection of vintage umbrellas and parasols for your special day.
Did you have a Pappagallo Bag, aka Bermuda Bag when you were younger? I did, and I also had four different covers that I would change everyday to match my outfit. For real. So when I happened upon this cute yellow number, I thought about what a great gift a Bermuda bag would be for the girls in your wedding party. Maybe you could even throw in a monogrammed cover to boot. Of course, you'll have to search around for another used one, because I already bought this one for myself! Check out valeriellen's Etsy shop for more great retro finds.
Or, maybe you can try your hand at making the bags yourself with these step by step instruction available on Tall Poppy Craft
You will also need to purchase the handles (also available on Tall Poppy Craft)
And go to Repro Depot for some really cool vintage fabric:
- Emily Anderson Eco-Chic Weddings
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be somewhat of a challenge but what you are looking for may be deep in the roots of vintage style and flair. Go back in time with me as I highlight vintage wedding gowns each week. You never know maybe "the one" you've been looking for will be featured here. Not to mention buying a vintage dress is another way to recycle, reuse and reduce!
This gorgeous Long Vintage Lace dress comes from Salvage Life.
Bust (armpit to armpit): 34"
Waist: 27"
Neck to Waist: 12.5"
Hip: free
Length (neckline to hem): 58"
Sleeve Length: 12"
Fabrication: unknown
Brand: no label
Label Size: none
Approximate Size: small
Condition: excellent vintage
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be somewhat of a challenge but what you are looking for may be deep in the roots of vintage style and flair. Go back in time with me as I highlight vintage wedding gowns each week. You never know maybe "the one" you've been looking for will be featured here. Not to mention buying a vintage dress is another way to recycle, reuse and reduce!
Today's Vintage Wedding Gown comes from Thomasina and you won't believe the price! This is their 1970's Long Cream Hippie Peasant Wedding Dress.
It's in great condition and is made of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Would fit an XS or Small best.
Measurements (when lying flat):
bust: 15 inches
Waist: 12 inches
Hips: 19 inches
Length: 50 inches
Sleeve Length: 19 inches
Shoulders: 13 inches
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be somewhat of a challenge but what you are looking for may be deep in the roots of vintage style and flair. Go back in time with me as I highlight vintage wedding gowns each week. You never know maybe "the one" you've been looking for will be featured here. Not to mention buying a vintage dress is another way to recycle, reuse and reduce!
Today's vintage wedding gown comes from one of my favorite vintage shops Enigmavintage. It's a 1960's Dreamy White Satin and organza dress.
Shoulders: 16"(the width of the ruffle)
Bust: 16"
Waist: 12"
Hips: 16"
Length: 38"
Have an Indie Wedding Guide story? Share them with us!
- Gabreial, Vintage Indie
Nothing
Could be Greener . . . 
As we become more conscious of our impact on
the Earth, we are also becoming aware of how dependent we are on an infinitely
complicated system of complex relationships, hidden waste, and obscured
consequences. This can leave us infinitely confused - Which is better, paper or
plastic? Stove or microwave? What’s the impact of the batteries in our
iPhone - or the iPhone itself, for that matter?
Fortunately, there is one way we can be confident
we are making as little environmental impact as possible; Re-use - anything and
everything. And fortunately, we live in
a culture with plenty of everything
to re-use.
But most fortunate of all, the bride who
chooses a vintage gown can be confident she has made the best possible choice
for the environment. One of the few choices she may make that is all reward and
no sacrifice.
Timeless
and Classic . . .
Ever notice how
wedding pictures of even a decade or two ago often appear hopelessly dated? Fashion changes so quickly that what seems
fresh and new one moment quickly becomes stale. But as the saying goes
“Everything old is new again.” Vintage gowns have survived their own phase of
“hopelessly dated” to emerge afresh as classically elegant.
Season after season, designers turn to the fashions of yesterday for inspiration - and they are never disappointed. Far from becoming passé, a well-designed and beautifully made vintage gown will never be out of style.
Something for Everyone . . .
Today’s
bride has decade upon decade of fashion arrayed before her – truly an
embarrassment of riches. She can choose the elongated curves of a 30’s bias-cut,
a shapely gown from the 1940’s, or perhaps a full ball gown of the 1950’s or a Camelot-inspired
dress from the Kennedy era. With such
variety she is sure to find the gown that is uniquely her.
A vintage gown expresses the creativity and
individuality of the bride in a way that a modern gown, however lovely, could
never do. The bride who wears vintage
creates her own style informed by her
own personality - not the dictates of others.
A Vintage Gown is
History . . .
But it’s also the
future. When you choose a vintage gown
you are choosing an heirloom, perhaps the first, for your new family.
These gowns were made to last and have stood
the test of time. With reasonable care,
a vintage gown could be a treasure you’ll share with your own daughter - or
even granddaughter, someday.
One
Last Word . . .
In this modern age, where simple romance is conspicuously lacking, a vintage gown is simply romantic. And romance should never lose its place in the wedding celebration.
- Jennifer Hollon, Cherished Bride
A special thanks to Jennifer Hollon of Cherished Bride for her insight on choosing and buying a vintage gown. We encourage you to head over to her site and browse the gorgeous gowns and accessories that she offers.
Jennifer Hollon is the proprietress of Cherished Bride, a beautiful online vintage bridal salon. She's extremely educated in her gowns, and provides excellent customer service to each of her brides.She'll be with us this week and next for her Six Reasons to buy a vintage gown.
Twice the Gown for
Half the Money. . . 
The quality and
workmanship exhibited in vintage gowns is far superior to all but the most
expensive gowns available today – and even most of them can’t compare. Many of the richly lustrous slipper satins,
delicate laces and dressmaker details are simply not available today at any
price.
Modern gowns often imitate vintage styles but use inferior materials and construction techniques that result in an inferior product – though that doesn’t prevent a hefty price tag. Most gowns, whether shiny satin, duchesse, chiffon, or other fancy weave are made of just plain ole’ polyester and acetate. And modern silks are treated with so many “finishing” chemicals that their resistance to deterioration over time is in serious question.
Made
in America . . .
In the not so distant
past, American goods were recognized as the best in the world. Vintage gowns were Made in America by skilled
artisans during the era of the country's greatest manufacturing achievements.
Unionized craftspeople who earned a decent wage worked to the exacting
standards of designers and producers whose clientele recognized - and required
- quality.
Vintage gowns were not cranked out by the thousands in foreign sweatshops by manufacturers who care far more for profit than excellence. A vintage gown carries no taint of exploitation - just one more reason to revel in its beauty.
- Jennifer Hollon, Cherished Bride
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be somewhat of a challenge but what you are looking for may be deep in the roots of vintage style and flair. Go back in time with me as I highlight vintage wedding gowns each week. You never know maybe "the one" you've been looking for will be featured here. Not to mention buying a vintage dress is another way to recycle, reuse and reduce!
Today's Vintage Wedding Gown comes from SkivvyLuVintage.
This is a vintage 1970's white lace maxi dress with ruffle neckline.
Fits Like: S
Measurements (taken while flat):
Shoulders: ---
Chest: 16.5"
Bodice Length: 15.25"
Waist: 13"
Hips: 23"
Length: 53.5"
Have an Indie Wedding Guide story? Share them with us!
- Gabreial, Vintage Indie
Accessories can sometimes play an important role in your wedding. Whether it's a piece of jewelry handed down from generation to generation or its a special handbag or clutch that holds wedding necessities and memories. You'll want to make sure it's a compliment to your dress and not just a last minute addition.
How about choosing something like this Vintage Beaded Rose Bridal Clutch.
There are so many already produced choices out there in vintage clutches. Like this Satin Opal Clutch, that you'll surely find something special and unique.
- Gabreial
Something old, something new, Something borrowed, something blue. Sound familiar? This saying comes from an old English rhyme and is thought by some to have come from the Victorian era.
Usually the "something old" part comes from using something old and of meaning from a family member. Including family heirlooms in your wedding doesn't cost a thing and is a great way to re-use articles of the past many of which can also be vintage.
(Photo courtesy patternmania)
A few ideas for "something old"
- Your mother's wedding gown
- Mothers & Grandmother's Brooch
- Your Parents cake topper
- Family rings
- Purses
- Vintage Hanky
- Family wedding picture tucked in your purse
- Vintage Hat/Gloves
- Piece of lace or trim, sewn into the hem of your gown
- Gabreial
Vintage Indie
