How to throw a vintage wedding reception
Mar 16, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Image from the John Oxley Library
The “I Do’s” are done, the guests are excited (and a bit hungry!), and everyone is ready to put on their dancing shoes. It’s time for the reception – prime time to cut loose and enjoy. You may be asking yourself – what cocktails should I serve, what music should I play, how should I decorate the venue? Fear not and enjoy our tips on how to throw a vintage wedding reception.
How to throw a vintage wedding reception
Vintage wedding decoration ideas
The great thing about vintage weddings – less is more. By choosing the vintage path, you are already choosing the path of less stress. When it comes to decorating your party space, you cannot beat the classics: candlelight, muted colors (which complement your overall wedding tones), and plants (flowers arranged in greenery, trees, or dried rose petals).
Image by Femedib
Retro-inspired events are all about the small details. These personal touches make the day special and very memorable for you and your guests. Make sure your friends and family are guided to their appropriate seats with place cards. You can use the same vintage font from your programs or a different look to make the names stand out. These placards show your guests you’re excited to have them join you and additionally it will avoid any last minute stress of who is sitting where.
The wedding cake is often the focal point of any wedding reception. For a vintage affair, you will often find three cakes: a wedding cake, bride’s cake, and groom’s cake. These cakes will often be decorated with real flowers (building off the room-wide theme of incorporating nature). However the bride’s cake was a very special cake indeed. With a small trinket baked into it, it was much like the bouquet toss. Whoever found this item in their slice was the next to walk down the aisle. When it comes to feeding your guests, you can keep it simple with punch and sandwiches or the standard coffee and cake. After all, who doesn’t want to have a sweet treat after such a romantic day?
Nancy and Ronald Reagan, 1952
Most vintage brides like to keep with tradition even when it comes to the favors. Cake boxes with personalized cards attached are a touching tribute to your love and new life together. When guests open the lid they will find small cakes decorated with your initials as a reminder of your fresh start.
Vintage wedding cocktails
With all this talk of yummy cakes and sandwiches, a guest can develop quite a thirst. Incorporating era-appropriate cocktails into your reception is a nice touch. Your family and friends can dance the night away, sipping on a signature drink that captures the ambiance of the entire event.
For a Victorian-inspired wedding, we recommend the Gibson. While the exact origin of this cocktail is unknown, its delicious taste is undisputed. Made with gin and vermouth, this martini oozes sophistication.
Image by SteveR
Gibson Martini, perfect for the 1910s vintage wedding
Ingredients
2½ ounces of gin
¾ ounce of dry vermouth
3-5 cocktail onions
Directions
Stir gin and vermouth on ice in a mixing glass. (You may substitute gin with vodka). Strain this mixture into a martini glass and top with cocktail onions.
For our jazz age brides, we recommend the Sidecar. It’s luminous glow will make your guests’ light up as they enjoy the smooth sweet flavors complemented by the citrus tones. Composed of Cointreau, lemon juice, and cognac – your bartender will have no problem keeping the good times flow as your friends dance the Charleston!
Image by Evan Swigart
Sidecar, perfect for the 1920s vintage wedding
Ingredients
3/4 ounce of Cointreau
3/4 ounce of lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces of cognac
Directions
Prepare your cocktail glass by rubbing its outside rim with lemon juice. After the rim is moistened, dip in sugar and chill the glass. Thoroughly shake the ingredients along with cracked ice, then strain into your pre-chilled cocktail glass.
The cosmopolitan is the perfect drink of choice for the 1930s bride. Like the Gibson, its creator remains unnamed, but its stunning flavors make it easy to see why it’s so popular. The striking red color will make your guests feel even more energized as they get ready to help you celebrate your new life!
Image by Rick A
Cosmopolitan, perfect for the 1930s vintage wedding
Ingredients
2 ounces of vodka
1 ounce of Cointreau
1 ounce of cranberry juice
1 ounce of Rose’s lime juice (this can be replaced with equal parts lime juice and simple syrup)
Directions
Thoroughly shake your ingredients along with cracked ice, then strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass.
You may prepare the cocktail glass in the same way you have done with the Sidecar.
The Mai Tai is a fun drink that works perfectly for a 1940s or 50s wedding reception. This word roughly translated from Tahitian means good and we wager that you will find this drink great! It’s exotic flair will take your gathering to the next level!
Image by Achim Schleuning
Mai Tai, perfect for the 1940s or 50s wedding
Ingredients
1 part light rum (we recommend Bacardi 8 anos)
1 part gold rum (we recommend Bacardi)
1/2 part Orange Curaçao
3/5 part freshly squeezed lime juice
3/5 part Orgeat syrup
Directions
Start by pouring all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Next, add plenty of ice cubes and mix it thoroughly. Finally, serve by straining the mix into a glass full of crushed ice. You can complete the cocktail by garnishing with a sprig of mint and a wedge of orange.
Vintage wedding reception music
The night’s festivities won’t be complete without the perfect soundtrack. But what should you play to get everyone in the vintage groove? Let us guide you to some artists of the day so you can play your music list in style!
The 1910s and 20s were ruled by the Gershwin. Anything from George and Ira will be perfect; throw in some Irving Berlin as a special touch! The 1930s is all about jazz – get your guests going with hits from Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Guy Lombardo, Bing Crosby, or Duke Ellington. Ten years down the road and swing was king. Enjoy tunes from Glenn Miller, The Andrews Sisters, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, or Jimmy Dorsey. Rock started to roll in the 1950s and we recommend Perry Como, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, or Fats Domino.
Like we said, the vintage reception is all about simple touches. Using our primer as the foundation for your own event, you can easily create your stunning day. We guarantee your friends and family will be talking about your vintage wedding for years to come!
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: “Vintage Wedding: Simple Ideas for Creating a Romantic Vintage Wedding” by Daniela Turudich, “Style Me Vintage: An inspirational guide to styling the perfect vintage wedding” by Annabel Beeforth, Wikipedia, Mad Men, Esquire, Bacardi, and the people who post their images without restriction.
For our readers: What special details do you want to incorporate into your vintage wedding reception? Do you have any advice for our community? Share it with us in the comments!