A 1950s wedding theme is a cool, retro style that’s easy to incorporate into your day.
Use it subtly in your details for a look that will never date or go all-out on 50’s styling to make your day stand out from the crowd.
How to get a 1950s Wedding look…Dresses
For the bride and bridesmaids, dresses need to be tea length and fall just below the knee. When it comes to colours, brides should stick with traditional ivory or white and bring the look up to date with a coloured underskirt.
Give bridesmaids a 1950s wedding feel with dresses in pretty pinks, lavenders and pastel blues, ideally with satin sashes. Veils should be short, just kissing the shoulders – satin edged ones look best!
When it comes to bridal jewellery, look for classic strings of short pearls – choose chunky, over-sized strings for a more contemporary look.
Shoes and Accessories
When it comes to shoes, you can rock two different 1950s wedding looks. Go for leg-lengthening stilettos for the day time celebrations (just remember to wear them in on carpet first) and then change into cute kitten heels, so you can dance the night away.
When it comes to accessories, if you’re planning a glamorous retro day, go for faux-fur stoles and elbow-length gloves. For more relaxed ceremonies swap flowers or tiaras in the hair for pastel-coloured ribbons instead. Team it with a high ponytail for a really retro look.
Decorations
Take a look at old films and TV series like Happy Days, Grease, Back to the Future and Pleasantville to get inspiration for your 1950s wedding decorations. Arrange black and white photos around the reception room showing pictures of your relatives getting married in the 1950s.
Give reception tables a retro feel with lacy overlays and ribbons hanging from the chair-backs. 1950s entertainment comes in the form of Jukeboxes and live bands playing a mixture of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Little Richard.
Treat children to a milkshake bar and a sweetie bar filled with retro favourites like Black Jacks, Fruit Salads and Sherbet Fountains.
Older guests will appreciate a bite to eat before they head off home… why not serve hamburgers and french fries just before your final dance?
To finish off your wedding breakfast, why not choose classic Knickerbocker Glories? You and your new husband could even serve these to guests as a fun, personal touch.
Stationery and favours
For fabulous 1950s-style wedding favours, we love little pots of hair gel for the men and hair ribbons or silk gloves for the ladies.
For little guests, try Barbie dolls for the girls and mini matchbox cars for the boys.
Table names could be written on old 7-inch records and invitations could be in the style of old-fashion cinema tickets.
Transport
The transport for a 1950s wedding has to be a classic Cadillac – pink, of course! Or how about a Chevrolet? Want something more up market? Try a Jaguar or Bentley. The Greased Lightning car used in the film Grease (below) was actually a 1948 Ford.
