As COVID-19 stifles large traditional weddings, more and more couples are opting for elopements and micro-weddings (weddings with less than 50 guests). If getting hitched in 2020 or 2021 is a must on your to-do list, fear not, because what your wedding lacks in grandiosity, it can more than make up for in romance, intimacy, and attention to detail. Paring your list down to 30 or 40 guests, or even to just the two of you, means saving tons of money, not having to air kiss people you barely know, and, most importantly, freeing up your wedding budget for things that matter to the two of you. You’ll be able to spare no expense on creating the fantasy theme wedding of your dreams.
One popular theme are vintage-inspired elopements and micro-weddings. The beauty of this theme is there is plenty of room for interpretation. Whether your interests lie in the flappers of the 1920s, the post-World War II-era, or even something as recent as the 80s or 90s, the fun is in piecing all the elements together.
According to McKenzi Taylor, owner of Las Vegas elopement and micro-wedding company, Cactus Collective Weddings, ’50s and ’70s-era weddings have been really popular, possibly because many of us can link both of those time periods back to our parents’ and grandparents’, and there is a desire to emulate the look and feel of their weddings. “Right now, people are gravitating towards things that feel soothing and comfortable, and remind them of family.”
Jewelry with sentimental value, such as a broach, earrings, a bracelet or that treasured string of pearls passed down from a loved one; or vintage shoes and head pieces add special touches that really shine through in photographs and make the memory special. There are plenty of vintage collectors and dealers like Nostalgia Resources, to help fill in the blanks with everything from clothing and accessories to vintage pieces of furniture to help “dress the set” so to speak. You can even roll up to your wedding ceremony in a vintage car from the time period of your choice, with vintage car rental dealers like AntiqueCarHire.
“Aside from the couples who choose to incorporate family keepsakes, many couples who go for the vintage theme tend to be thrifty and sustainable, but they enjoy the glamour of all things vintage. For many, thrifting or combing through vintage shops and the thrill of the ‘find’ is half the fun for these couples,” continues Cactus Collective Weddings owner, McKenzi Taylor.
“We’ve had couples incorporate everything from vintage family heirlooms like jewelry, bibles, dresses, shoes and hairpieces to vintage pieces of furniture from trunks and bookcases to upholstered chairs, couches and chase lounges. You can pull off a polished and detailed vintage wedding vignette for your elopement or micro-wedding with a budget of as little as $500 to $1000.”
One of the best parts of a vintage elopement or micro-wedding theme are the enviable photographs you will come away with. In fact, many couples opt to have their pictures shot on film rather than digital photography to complete their vintage theme. According to McKenzi Taylor, “We are seeing a resurgence of couples requesting their pictures be taken on film.” Film has a slightly different quality, giving the wedding pictures a softer look. You can take it one step further by requesting that your pictures be edited to have slightly darker or sepia toned hue.
If you are doing a micro-wedding with a handful of guests, you can go all out by asking that your guests dress and/or accessorize in keeping with the time-period of your vintage wedding theme.
Lastly, we are all feeling sentimental these days and bringing our lives back to what matters most. For many, it is our family memories and legacy. You can pull your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding photo from the family album and do your best to re-create the hair, makeup, wardrobe, setting and photography to pay homage to a loved ones’ wedding photo.