There’s a reason why vintage weddings have become more and more popular in recent years. It’s more than just the aesthetics (although there’s really something very romantic about a vintage wedding theme). Vintage weddings offer couples a chance to express a sense of authenticity and personal narrative. It’s a celebration that feels like a chance to connect and experience a special occasion made more meaningful with personal artifacts, shared memories, and carefully curated details.
Vintage weddings don’t have to take a lot of work but a lot of the magic is in the details and how they help you express your vision. Read on to get our tips on the different details that help you create the gorgeous vintage wedding of your dreams.
The perfect vintage wedding venue
While there are plenty of locations that would work for a vintage wedding theme, some locations just have an advantage as a vintage wedding venue because of their history or their natural setting. Based on our years of experience catering weddings, we think that the three types of vintage wedding venues below are among the best choices for the mood and atmosphere they bring.
Photo courtesy of Straus Home Ranch
Historic houses and heritage sites
Imagine saying your vows among well-loved books at a historic library, a charming old Victorian house that's been loved for for a century, or at a museum filled with beautiful objects from around the world. A heritage building brings its own character and sense of the old world that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
It’s ideal for a bride whose vision of an elegant vintage wedding centers on the history of a space and its formality.
photo courtesy of Diana Rothery
photo courtesy of Diana Rothery
Outdoor gardens
A naturally soft and romantic backdrop for a vintage wedding, a garden venue filled with the season’s flowers is like stepping into a Jane Austen book. Perfect for spring and summer weddings, gardens bring to mind long walks and stolen glances through lush greenery and blooming flowers, with dappled sunlight filtering through ancient trees.
This is the venue for the bride who wants her day to blend natural beauty with a sense of classic literature.
photo courtesy of Nelli Noel Photography
photo courtesy of Nelli Noel Photography
Rustic barns and farms
With exposed wooden beams, string lights, and wide-open spaces, barns give vintage weddings a sense of nostalgia combined with down-to-earth charm and warmth. There’s something about barn weddings that evoke simple pleasures like running hand-in-hand down a field with someone you love, picking daisies and other wildflowers, sitting in a beat-up pickup watching the sun set.
This type of bride wants a rustic vintage wedding that feels cozy, authentic, and welcoming, with a relaxed atmosphere that makes guests feel part of the family. If you'd like to read what it's like to host your wedding at a historic barn, read our tips from the nice folks at Straus Home Ranch.
photo courtesy of Megan Goetz
photo courtesy of Megan Goetz
Picking a vintage floral style
The right flowers are crucial to setting the atmosphere and mood for a vintage wedding, and there's more than one way to personalize your floral arrangements to suit your personality and the mood of your wedding. Below are three floral styles that are perfect for vintage weddings, with plenty of opportunities to customize with the scents, colors, and textures you love.
photo courtesy of Ryan Chard Smith
Classically elegant flowers
A vintage wedding is a wonderful backdrop to the lush, full-bodied blooms of fairytale weddings: think garden roses, hydrangeas, and anemones in palettes of ivory and blush. Apart from full centerpieces and bowers, consider a more updated look with smaller, more intimate arrangements to provide a timelessly romantic, soft-focus setting that complements a vintage wedding theme while keeping the attention on you.
photo courtesy of Nelli Noel Photography
photo courtesy of Diana Rothery
Carefree chic flowers
For a vintage wedding theme that conjures up nostalgic images of a flowerchild, boho era, wildflowers in effortless-looking arrangements capture a relaxed, artistic feel. This style focuses on texture, with flowers like Peruvian lilies, daisies, and gilli-flowers mixed up with ferns and lavender sprigs. The final look should feel organic, as if the bouquets were just gathered from a sun-drenched field.
photo courtesy of Lexie Hand
photo courtesy of Ryan Chard Smith
Eclectic and personal flowers
Vintage doesn’t have to mean muted, and a vintage wedding theme is also a chance to make a bold statement with an eclectic mix of flowers. Draw inspiration from vintage patterns like William Morris or from art, such as the still life paintings of 18th century painter Rachel Ruysch. This is a fun approach that combines unusual flowers with fruit and unexpected items like feathers and ceramics, along with nostalgic knickknacks like childhood toys and photos to create a joyful, deeply personal approach. It's perfect for small intimate weddings or bohemian weddings that have a loose, casual vibe.
photo courtesy of Katie at West by West Co.
From first sip to last bite
We always celebrate special occasions with meals, and the food and drink we choose helps us tell the story of who and what we’re celebrating. Of course, as caterers, we have plenty to recommend about crafting a culinary experience that highlights the vintage theme of your wedding by focusing on the key elements below.
photo courtesy of Ryan Chard Smith
Signature cocktails
Name a signature cocktail after your grandparents, a beloved love song, or the street where you met. Serve drinks in vintage-inspired glassware, like coupe or crystal tumblers, for an instant touch of classic glamor.
photo courtesy of Lexie Hand
Curated wedding appetizers
Appetizers always set the tone for meals, so make sure they reflect your vintage theme by offering delicious wedding appetizers that are familiar yet sophisticated. Start off with lush, bountiful grazing tables with seasonal fruit and delicacies (we set ours with cheese and charcuterie from local artisans and farmers), and serve classic flavors with a fresh twist, like crostinis topped with Ahi tuna or seared scallops or pork loin on wonton crisps. For more appetizer suggestions, we put together an appetizer guide here. While it's technically for the holidays, there’s plenty of great inspiration for weddings too!
photo courtesy of Megan Goetz
photo courtesy of Helena & Laurant Photography
Family-style service
For a vintage wedding reception, we suggest family-style service over a formal plated dinner, with large platters and bowls placed on the tables for guests to share. This style is perfect for a vintage wedding because it fosters a sense of community and conviviality, encouraging conversation and connection as guests pass dishes around. It mirrors the feeling of a large, cherished family gathering, making the reception feel incredibly warm and personal.
photo courtesy of Megan Goetz
photo courtesy of Nelli Noel Photography
A whimsical finale
Desserts offer a delightful opportunity to really dig into a vintage wedding theme, with whimsical choices like seasonal pies that recall nostalgic tastes. For a truly personalized touch, display them on stands and plates that you or your loved ones bring; the more mismatched, the better! Cupcakes and favorite childhood cakes are also a fun choice for more bohemian vintage weddings, and they can be a wonderful supporting cast for your wedding cake.
Speaking of which, add a fun cake topper to your wedding cake: maybe a childhood toy or something that recalls a wonderful memory?
photo courtesy of Nelli Noel Photography
Personalized details are at the heart of a vintage wedding
What truly sets a vintage wedding apart are the details of your personal stories that connect the past to the present. By highlighting important moments with special mementoes, you can infuse your day with extra meaning.
photo courtesy of Helena & Laurant Photography
The narratives of photographs and letters
Photographs and handwritten notes can weave stories into the day in a subtle, beautiful way. Place them on tables as a seating marker or where people can browse and immerse themselves. It’s a beautiful way for guests to get to know you more intimately.
photo courtesy of Ryan Chard Smith
Heirlooms and childhood mementoes
Beloved childhood mementoes and family heirlooms can be used as part of a centerpiece or as decorations dotted around your venue where guests can come across them as an unexpected and delightful surprise. These not only help add a visual element to your stories, they also create instant conversation starters to help deepen connections among your guests.
photo courtesy of Katie at West by West Co.
photo courtesy of Megan Goetz
With all these tips, you should have enough to get started on planning for your vintage wedding. Just remember: it is a celebration of your unique love story, framed by the beauty of the past. Don't get overwhelmed by the details; see them as opportunities to infuse your day with personal meaning. Whether it's a letter from your grandmother, a favorite family recipe, or simply the joy of a shared meal, the true magic lies in the love and history you choose to celebrate. You have everything you need to create a day that is not only beautiful but profoundly and joyfully yours.