Throw an Unforgettable 1920s Style Wedding

These days, more and more couples are choosing to personalize every aspect of their wedding day to their unique preferences and tastes. One of the wedding themes that is becoming increasingly popular with today’s bride is a vintage 1920s theme.

There’s just something to be said for the understated glamour and elegance of days long ago. And from the car you use to make your grand entrance to the elegant suits of your groomsmen, there are so many ways to incorporate a little 1920s style and flair into your wedding.

So if you and your beloved want to make your wedding soiree a classy and fun blast from the past, read on!

1920s Themed Wedding Invitations

When planning your 1920s wedding, a great place to begin is with the wedding invitations. There are two options for incorporating a 1920s theme into your wedding invitations. You can either… 

  • Choose to replicate the exact look and feel of a real 1920s wedding invitation
  • Choose to create a fun and trendy 1920s invitation with a modern twist 

Traditional 1920s Themed Wedding Invitations

If you choose to go the traditional route for your 1920s themed wedding invitations, you will want to think simple, classy, and elegant. Most invitations of the time were vertical and folded in the center, with scripted font, embossed letters or borders, and a formally worded announcement in the center.

If you’re creating your invitations by hand, you could consider adding some sort of beading reminiscent of flapper style dresses made famous in the 1920s.

Modern Style 1920s Themed Wedding Invitations

For a creative and modern twist, some couples choose to purposely have some fun with the invitation and get their guests excited about participating in all the 1920s fun.

Some ways to do this are to play up iconic 1920s themes such as bold art deco patterns, Gatsby-era imagery, flapper-style artwork, or Prohibition-era designs. Some couples have even made their invitations into a vintage telegram design.

1920s Wedding Invitation Wording

If you’re planning a vintage wedding, you may want to think about changing the wording on your wedding invitations to match! So what does a 1920s wedding invitation sound like? 

Traditional

For a more formal take on your wedding invitations, you’ll want to include classic wording such as “request the honor of your presence” and stick to the basic information such as date, time, and location.

Modern

You may want to include some fun wording in your wedding invitations, so guests know what to expect at your 1920s soiree. There are many themes you can play off of, including dancing, drinking, and flapper culture. For help coming up with some playful wording, check out this list of 1920s slang terms for inspiration!

1920s Style Wedding Dresses

Although you really can’t go wrong with any elegant vintage-style dress, there are a few characteristics unique to 1920s style wedding dresses:

  • Wedding dresses in the 1920s were more likely to contain intricate lace or beading than the sleek modern dresses of today.
  • Cap sleeves were the most common sleeve style in the 1920s.
  • Some dresses of this era were shorter, in keeping with the flapper trend and women’s empowerment movements.

1920s Style Wedding Veils & Headpieces

Veils in the 1920s were more likely to be longer than veils of today.

Most wedding veils were made with what was called a Juliet cap (made famous in the 1920s and 30s). The Juliet cap consisted of a snug fit cap on top of the head, and the looser veil trailing behind. They were usually handmade with flowers or other designs on the cap.

Today, Juliet caps have come back into style as more and more brides are selecting vintage styles for their wedding day look.

An authentic 1920s style alternative to a veil would be a flapper-style headpiece or an art deco headband.

1920s Wedding Hairstyles

A 1920s bride would have worn her hair in one of these timeless fashions: 

Elegant Updos

The typical vintage hairstyle would have been an updo pinned close to the head. To accessorize the updo, it was typical for a flower or 2 to be pinned into the hair. If not wearing a veil, the bride may have worn a feathered headband or beaded headpiece.

Marcel Waves or Finger Waves

This signature look was created to feminize the short haircuts popular in the 1920s. Today, brides enjoy copying these timeless waves as part of their updos, on their own short hair, or even on long hair for a modern twist. 

1920s Style Wedding Bouquets

The wedding bouquets of the 1920s were all about soft, romantic tones and elegance.Their over-the-top size and cascading foliage reflected the opulence of the decade.

The most popular flower choices for use in wedding bouquets 100 years ago were carnations and roses. Calla lilies are another unique option for a vintage-inspired bouquet.

Bouquets in those days were usually oversized – much larger than today’s bouquets.

1920s style wedding bouquets were usually made up of oversized floral arrangements with long trailing ferns. This style of bouquet is also referred to as shower bouquets. 

Sheaf bouquets (also known as Bernhardt bouquets) also became popular during this time. These arrangements of long-stem flowers are held in the crook of the bride’s arm and usually made with longiflorum lilies, orchids, long-stem roses or calla lilies. 

The most common colors used in 1920s bouquets were either white or pale, understated shades of pink or yellow. Vibrant colors were not common until later decades, and unlike the mixed bouquets of today – most bouquets in the 1920s were made of only one color and usually only one type of flower.

To quickly add some vintage charm to any bouquet, some brides enjoy adding accessories to their flower arrangement. Feathers, strands of pearls, or ribbons hanging down from the bouquet can all serve as an extra touch of 1920s glamour and elegance.

1920s Style Grooms & Groomsmen Attire

Although selecting menswear for your wedding is typically much easier than deciding on a bridal style, there are still a few different potential looks to keep in mind when trying to style a 1920s wedding. Check ’em out!

Casual

The typical vintage casual look for a man should include two-tone shoes, a newsboy or fedora hat, high-waisted pants, a dress shirt, vest, and suspenders. 

Formal

For a refined look, you can’t go wrong with a blue, grey, or brown wide-fit or classic-fit suit. Again, pair with a fedora hat or a Homburg hat. 

Morning Suit

Perhaps the most common 1920s wedding style for men, the morning suit is a dapper look for any man on his wedding day.

So what IS a morning suit? This suit consists of high-waisted striped pants, a white dress shirt with a wingtip collar, tie and vest, coat, pocket square, gloves, and black patent leather shoes. Most of the time, this regal outfit would even be topped off with a cane and top hat!

“I say, my good man…to Industry!”

Gangster

Some couples choose to go with the 1920s “gangster” theme for the wedding, or for just the menswear. This look could include a pinstripe suit, a black Homburg hat, two-tone shoes, and even a cane.

1920s Wedding Music

Whether you have your own live band or just an iPod shuffle, you and your guests can be transported back in time to a bygone era with just a little bit of creativity. 

Music typical of the Roaring 20s was “big band” style or jazz tunes.

Popular artists of the time included Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, Al Bowlly, George Gershwin, and Helen Kane. 

The Charleston

You can’t forget the Charleston! Definitely make this iconic 1920s song and dance a part of your wedding reception that your guests won’t soon forget. You could even make it your first dance if you’re feeling creative.

1920s Style Wedding Transportation

You have to make a grand entrance (or exit) anyway, so you might as well do it in the 1920s style! There are many ways couples can make a vintage car part of their wedding day. 

A common sight is a bride arriving at the ceremony in the backseat of a beautiful classic car. If the ceremony and reception are at separate venues, the new husband and wife could choose to ride in the vintage car to the next venue.

Other couples use a vintage vehicle as part of their send-off at the end of the reception. Imagine riding off into the sunset in your vintage cream-colored Rolls Royce?

Regardless of how and when you actually ride in the car, it is becoming increasingly common to incorporate vintage vehicles into the wedding photos.

Some of your favorite pictures from your wedding day may end up being the ones of you, and your spouse styled in all your 1920s clothing seated in your 1920s car for a real vintage look.

Wrapping it Up

We hope you have gained some inspiration and ideas for personalizing your wedding day. For the ultimate in refinement and luxury, or for the fun and carefree mood of the roarin’ 20s – you can’t go wrong with a vintage 1920s themed wedding!

No matter how you choose to incorporate the 1920s style into your big day, we hope you have a fantastic time celebrating your marriage with friends and family.