A Super-Sweet 50's Style Wedding

A fun and fresh 50's style wedding. Click Image for Larger.


Top to Bottom, L to R: Clear Rhinestone ear clips by Michelle's Vintage Jewelry; Birdcage Mini Veil by Leah C; "Sweet Innocence" Beaded Bag by OhTwoVintage (Etsy). Lorina pink and yellow lemonade at PopSoda; Personalized cocktail napkins at For Your Party; French apothecary jars at Charles Keath. Vintage china, cupcakes and feather birds at The Utterly Sexy Cafe (hat tip to Bridalwave); White wedding cake and vintage topper by AteToTheBar; Signature Pastel petits fours by Dragonfly Cakes; Sugar Cookie lip balm by MyWeddingFavors; "Maya" by Michelle Roth.

The fashion mags might be dripping with heavy glamour from the 30s and 40s, but what could be cheerier than a 1950s-style wedding that's all sweetness and light?

Take a pass on the Lauren Bacall lips and eyes with some goes-down-easy pastels, a touch of adorable eyelet, a fresh face (and flyaway veil), and anything else that brings to mind the lighter side.

Because while it's true that today you most often see tattooed rockabilly couples making the 50's wedding theirs, you don't have to sport 'I Love Mom' anywhere on your body or roar away on a motorcycle to have one.

Here are a few ideas for setting the stage. Follow up with your own!

The Decor ...

• Vintage china, with lots of chintz and lovely gold banding. Scour thrift stores for gorgeous tea cups and blooming platters.
  
• Flower-topped cupcakes on tiered pastry stands (tuck hand-embroidered doilies underneath for extra points.)
  
• Sweet pink parfaits in tulip-style sundae dishes.
  
• Feather bird decorations, popping up on picks, or scattered around centerpieces and cake stands. Love them feather birds!
  
• Retro-cool matches and cocktail napkins.
  
• Milk cans you've spray-painted enamel white, and filled with flowers (perfect for lining the walkway).

The Edibles ...

• Apothecary jars are all the rage when it comes to candy buffets, but yours will be the sweetest of all when you top them off with pastel Necco wafers or savory herbal penny candy from the past.
• Cake designers do get requests for retro-style cakes, complete with stairs, tiers and fountains, but personally I think those cake horrors aren't so far in the distant past that we should go there, just yet. Much more elegant and totally pleasing to the eye: a simple, white cake-on-cake creation with a gorgeous retro topper.

The Fashion ...

• Sweet beaded clutches.
• A full a-line gown over a petticoat, so it goes "out to there," with a blast-from-the-past neckline (sweetheart, square or bateau, say) over a pair of sassy sandals with some glitz.
  
• A lace bolero, or a cashmere shawl in pretty baby blue or pink.
  
• A bridal hair band, tiara or an updated birdcage.
  
• For him, four words: white tuxedo. Black bowtie.

The Bling ...

• The best part is shopping for jewelry! As always, I love Michelle's Vintage Jewelry for their accessible prices and irresistibly sparkly finds (no lack of rhinestones there). Treat yourself to some delicious ear clips, or pick up some one-of-a-kind brooches to pin to your best girls' sashes.

Tags: 50s wedding, retro wedding, vintage wedding, 1950s wedding