Wedding Theme: 1940's

I'm always fascinated by different time periods. Maybe you didn't notice but I have a vintage portion on my website.(currently waiting to get some inventory up) So I was thinking what to write about today and I thought "Hey why not a 40's themed wedding?". 

That's right, a 40's theme. What could be more fun? It was an action packed decade full of swing music, Hollywood, and boys in uniform.

"How could I pull this theme off?", you might ask. "Easy", I say just take some advice from the pointer's below.

Invitations:   Your invitations set the tone for your wedding. You must decide on whether you are going for a formal wedding, or something a little more fun. Some ideas to fit the 40's theme could be invites that include swing or big band images on them. Another cute idea is to fashion your invitations to look like an old Western Union telegram. You could also consider hiring a friend or local photographer to take some pictures of you and your fiancée dressed in period costume, modeling like a poster for a War-era Hollywood film and then photo-shopping the pictures into custom invitations. 

Dress: This is the fun part. If you are dressing the part, which you should if you are having a themed wedding, go for a slim satiny type of dress. Think long and slender. Gowns during this era were long and fit tight to the body, not poofy. You can find many authentic vintage gowns by searching eBay, or you can find a vintage pattern and make/hire a seamstress to make it for you. If you don't want a formal gown you could also wear a white suit, which was the trend during this time since many couples were married on very short notice.

You can add to your look with red lipstick, fishnets, a short net veil,and a perfect pin-up hair style.

For extra fun have your bride's maids wear vintage 40's dresses, also abundantly available on eBay.

Guys can wear a retro military uniform, easily found at army surplus stores, or go for a more traditional suit. 

Encourage guests to wear their finest swing dance attire.

Decorations: Decorating is easy. Watch a bunch of old 40's movies to get a better idea for decor back then. Look for a venue that was built during that era to instantly get the 40's vibe. Army halls are a good choice.  Many clubs and ballrooms in the 40's tended to have a lamp on each table, which makes for an easy centerpiece. You can find old authentic vintage lamps at second hand shops or antique dealers. Another option is to do some research on flowers that were popular in the 40's and make big centerpieces with those. Chrysanthemums were a popular flower with war time brides.

Music: Swing!!! If your budget allows, hire a local swing band to perform at your wedding, maybe even a few swing dancers too. Guests are sure to get up and start dancing.

This video gives you an example of the clothing and styles from this era.