Are ‘vintage’ weddings a dying breed of wedding?  There seems to have been a lot of mumblings in the wedding world recently that ‘vintage’ weddings are has-been, over-done, contrived and a ‘trend’ that is on its way out.  As someone who’s never really been that fussed by trends, it got me wondering if this is really the case.

The lovely Helen at Doily Days was the person who planted a seed in my mind about whether I had an opinion on this subject when an email popped into my inbox last week.  So I decided to get in touch with some of the businesses listed on the directory who hire out vintage crockery and accessories for weddings.  I wanted to know what they thought.

Jenna from Wren’s Tea Party told me that couples should do what they want: I don’t think that brides-to-be should feel that a vintage vibe is ‘so last year’ if that’s what they want.  Weddings are very personal occasions and should reflect a couple’s personal style.  People’s homes are also a reflection of their style – our home is a mixture of old and new things, we have lots of vintage furniture and accessories as well as newer pieces.  My wedding was therefore a reflection of our love of good design and vintage pieces, it wasn’t about following a trend.

I think Jenna’s completely right that weddings should reflect you as a couple, and not just themed to a trend or what you might be told is in fashion.  Like Jenna, our home is a mixture of old and new, which is naturally what our wedding turned out like – if the great-and-the-good of the wedding industry had told me that glamorous and oppulent weddings were in last year I wouldn’t have styled my wedding that way.  It wouldn’t have been ‘us’ as we don’t live that way or love those sorts of things.

Lucy from Pretty Vintage wrote saying that It seems that people are becoming braver about expressing themeselves in unique and personal ways on their wedding day and vintage has fallen in with this trend.  I totally celebrate the non-conformist wedding and perhaps that is really what we mean by vintage.  

For Lucy many of her customers just want a few vintage details to help make their wedding day feel personal and individual.  She does think that the term ‘vintage’ has been overused, the fact is we love to find something new and then flog it to death in the public arena and the vintage trend is no exception.  We tire of it and look for something new to inspire us and that’s just the way it will always be.  But in terms of weddings people want beauty, elegance and individuality and I don’t think this will ever change.

For me, the delicacy of a 1920’s china teacup will never lose its appeal because it is a thing of beauty, and if you love that sort of thing then it’s not going to change because a wedding magazine says something different.

Lucy suggests that there are many subtle things that you can do at your wedding that don’t scream ‘slave to vintage’ but instead express your personality and show attention to detail.  Putting flowers into something a little unusual such as a teapot, teacup or pretty old tin looks charming and simple.  I think when done with style and creativity whatever this ‘vintage’ thing is, it can take your breath away, which is what we’re all after on our wedding day after all!

Carrie from Simply Love Vintage believes that ‘Vintage’ covers so many amazing aspects as it’s timeless.  It can mean something different to everyone, that’s the magic of it.  We’ve had clients whose dream wedding was a sophisticated, classic vintage style day, and others whose vision has been the “vintage rustic” look.  Each vintage wedding is different – that’s the beauty of it.

Carries believes there will always be a call for the past, and that by adding handmade and vintage-inspired touches to their wedding, couples are adding a sense of history and family.  Vintage can inspire you to develop your own decorative style through re-using family items, hiring, or creating your own vintage-inspired items to hand down through generations.

Sharon from For The Love Of Vintage told me that she thinks all the talk is down to the idea of ‘vintage’ as a theme for weddings.  I’m a true vintage lover, and like many devotees will look for a vintage item over a new one because I love the romance of an item’s history – even if it’s a cup and saucer, who knows who sipped from it and what conversations surrounded it.

Sharon believes that ‘vintage’ is more alive than ever, with magazine launches in recent times such as Vintage Life Magazine catering for a niche group who value something old.  For Sharon, vintage is the answer for anyone who loves to be unique, and that goes for weddings too, with vintage elements allowing couples to really personalise their day.  If this is something you like the idea of, Sharon recommends picking a decade you love, and shares a great point – not all vintage means floral.

If you are looking for inspiration in 2012, Sharon says the roaring 1920s and 30s are fashionably in the spotlight with the popularity of Boardwalk Empire and the long-awaited release of The Great Gatsby.  She think that speakeasy teaparties will be popular – think chilled teapots of your favourite cocktails served in iced teacups.  Don’t you just love this idea!

Jan from Devon Vintage China thinks that Without the vast array of past designs and features to select from, couples would be limited to contemporary fashion and all weddings would look very similar, as they did in my parents’ time.  I don’t think every modern couple wants that.  Jan also told me that she feels ‘vintage’ inspired weddings are by their very nature diverse, from rustic all the way through to opulent glamour.

Jan also provided some interesting examples of recent times that have borrowed from earlier styles and previous influences.  In the late 1960s and 70s, Laura Ashley promoted a pretty, country look that echoed the patterns and styles of Regency England.  Many brides were influenced by this and wore cotton, high waisted dresses.  Throughout the 1970s and 80s many brides wore Shakespeare Juliet caps, Edwardian high necks, Victorian crinoline hoops, 18th Century lace ruffles and mediaeval pointed sleeves.

For Jan, she feels that The way vintage styles are used will always be evolving and that people increasingly like to be individual and plan their wedding to reflect their tastes and lifestyle.

On a positive note looking forward to 2012, Rosalie from The Crockery Cupboard said that they haven’t noticed a drop in the ‘vintage’ market – We’ve already had lots of bookings for this year from people who want a personal touch to their weddings, or simply don’t want boring white plates! 

She feels that although the trend for ‘vintage’ themed weddings might go out of fashion, that they are committed to providing a high quality service and beautiful, unique pieces for their clients.  Our beautiful collection of crockery can be used in any setting simple for its elegance, not to create a theme.

And finally, the lady who started this all Helen from Doily Days shared with me that her business has evolved over the years from a purely ‘vintage’ based business.  The style we represent now is simple, natural, rustic, relaxed, idyllic, a style that Helen feels will be hard-pushed to become ‘uncool’, because many couples strive to keep costs down on their big day and express their relaxed style.

Helen does say that the style of her business did all start with vintage, and that for 2012 she thinks her brides will be using more subtler touches of vintage china, mixed in with vibrant colourful glass, retro tins and bold flowers.

It has been wonderful to get feedback and thoughts from businesses who live and breathe original vintage pieces.  It’s given me lots to think about, so here are my final thoughts and a round-up of ideas on how to incorporate older, vintage-inspired elements into their wedding:

• Make your wedding a reflection of who you are as a couple and how you live.  If for example, you genuinely love collecting old jugs (I do) then there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t have them on your reception tables filled with flowers.  Perhaps you just love old jugs or have one that you treasure that was your great-granny’s – no trend should tell you that you can’t incorporate this into your wedding.

• Consider moving away from ‘theming’ your wedding, instead use a selection of older pieces mixed in with other styles you love to create something really personal.  However, if since you were 5 you’ve dreamt of a Jane Austen style wedding and your husband-to-be is up for it, then why shouldn’t you live out a bit of that dream?

• Don’t go overboard because you feel like this is your one-and-only day to have everything you’ve ever wanted.  I kept reminding myself this throughout wedding planning, there are other celebratory moments in our lives when we can have afternoon tea parties where we hire in beautiful crockery, or decorate our gardens with bunting, so don’t feel pressured to fit everything into your wedding day.

• We have always borrowed from past eras, and those eras have been inspired by other eras, so surely we have better things to worry about than whether we are copying a has-been idea.  Take an idea and make it your own.

• Use items that have meaning to you or your family, our wedding day is after all the next branch of our family tree – what could be nicer than feeling a sense of family and ties to your ancestors on that day?  If you don’t fancy ‘old’ things at your wedding, create and make new things to pass on to future generations.

• There is something out there for everyone – if you’re looking to hire vintage crockery or accessories for your wedding you’ll find that each business has its own style and passions, so find one that suits you and you’ll be onto a winner!

• Be creative – take old items or vintage pieces and be creative with them, dream up new and unusual ways to incorporate them that you haven’t necessarily seen elsewhere, and your wedding will be true to you.

• As well as being inspired by the past, be inspired by your future together as husband and wife.

What are your thoughts on this subject?  Do you like themed weddings or do you prefer a mixture of elements?  Are you interested in the latest wedding trends and want to incorporate them into your day, and if not where do you get your wedding inspiration from?

Images: (1) Wren’s Tea Party; (2) Tom Moriarty for Allie + Tom’s wedding; (3) Devon Vintage China; (4) Mark Tattersall Photography for The Natural Wedding Company; (5) Simply Love Vintage; (6) Wren’s Tea Party; (7) The Crockery Cupboard; (8) Weddings By Two via 100 Layer Cake; (9) Marie Labbancz via Elizabeth Anne Designs + via Perpetually Engaged