by 
Hello and Happy “Vintage Wedding Accessories” Monday!!!!
I had the BEST Friday ever last week. Not only did I have the chance to give back to all of you thanks to the GRATEFULNESS FRIDAY GIVEAWAY sponsored by Victory Vintage (you can still enter — until midnight tonight!), but I also received a great gift back from all of you on the fan page, too.
I asked a simple question and received a ton of photographic replies! I wanted any vintage lovers who had been married in vintage/or were married long enough ago that their outfit is considered vintage now to submit those pictures for use on this blog post TODAY!
The submissions rolled in and I was seriously smiling all morning at the thought of them — a few of you submitted pictures of your GREAT GRANDPARENTS on their wedding day, circa the early ’20s! Unbelievable!
Besides offering great fashion insight and a connection with our personal style, vintage offers a story and a connection to our own special past.
While I love my digital photos and their limitless opportunity, there just really is a thousand words you can say about a vintage picture. Maybe it’s because taking photographs used to be an occasion — we primped, prepared & posed for these portraits!
I wanted to share the vintage wedding photography love I received Friday with all of you in this blog post today. Each photo possesses its own unique characteristics and story, but there was a common thread I found worth performing further research on.
What I noticed between many of the vintage outfits was the bride’s gorgeous “head piece,” whether it was a traditional cathedral veil or something more unique, like a pillbox hat veil, floral tiara, tilt hat veil or a sparkling, sensational head crown!
Keep reading after the jump to see these truly special photos and vintage wedding dresses for yourself, and to learn how you can wear a vintage bridal accessory to YOUR wedding (or just spread the knowledge to someone who is getting married!) by buying lookalike pieces on Etsy right now!
If you’re reading this line, that means you clicked through to the post to see some of the magnificent wedding moments below. I’m so glad! I believe that weddings are such beautiful occasions of celebration because they represent the unity between us all.
While marriage is binding to one person, the sheer fact that we are all alive together — RIGHT NOW — is a cosmic connection just as meaningful as marriage itself.
Thank you for “marrying vintage” with me, everyone! I absolutely loved receiving these photos and hope that the fun doesn’t stop with this blog post.
If you ever have a photo of you wearing vintage, or a family member’s photo from eras past that you’d like to share … you know where to find me!
My email is [email protected], and you can also say hello on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube.
xx, SD
PLUS: More Vintage Wedding!
MODERN STYLE: Vintage Wedding Dresses to Wear Any Day of the Year
BRIDAL HISTORY: How to Identify Vintage Wedding Dresses ’20s-’80s
WEDDING STYLE: Advice on Wearing Vintage to 5 Themed Weddings
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #1: FLORAL EMBROIDERY
SUBMITTED BY: Trish, a vintage lover from Fairbanks, Alaska introduced to me by Victory Vintage!
VINTAGE STORY: Each photo documents a wedding moment of her family — so amazing that she was able to inherit these!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: Here we see the father of the bride escorting his daughter into the church as she wears a veil attached to a headpiece structured with white flowers. It is almost a hair band. The veil is technically an elbow veil because it falls to her elbows.
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $175
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #2: DECORATIVE HAIRPIECES
SUBMITTED BY: Trish
VINTAGE STORY: This bridesmaid is a close-up picture of a bridesmaid from the ’20s — see the full family portrait further below, in vintage inspiration #7
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: I searched far and wide — even citing my handy dandy Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion — but could NO find the proper vintage name of this hair piece!
It is absolutely stunning and something I think I would wear for the everyday. I may try to DIY my own version! If anyone knows the correct style name, please contact me and/or leave a comment.
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: I uncovered a similar style also from the ’20s on Etsy for $150 that is designed with lace veil attached to a beaded head piece, almost like something an Egyptian Pharaoh would wear.
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #3: TURBAN STYLE
SUBMITTED BY: Trish
VINTAGE STORY: This photo dates from exactly the year 1929. Perhaps this was before the stock market crash of 1929 — this photograph comes from a collection that shows the stunning happiness of newlyweds!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: The bride is wearing a gypsy-inspired “turban” style bridal veil. It’s not quite a bonnet and not quite a “hat” either. It’s truly one-of-a-kind and I’d LOVE to see this style return to modern wedding fashion!
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: From the 1920s on Etsy, $146
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #4: LIFTED HAT VEILS
SUBMITTED BY: Trish
VINTAGE STORY: This is Trish HERSELF! being walked down the aisle in 1973 with her father!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: Trish’s bridal accessories include what I’m referring to a a “lifted” head piece. The veil is a “flyaway” veil because it rests on top of her head and “lifts” to create space between her face and shoulders and the veil itself.
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $150
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #5: TILT HATS & BLUSHER VEILS
SUBMITTED BY: Ellen
VINTAGE STORY: This shows Ellen & her husband Eric on their wedding day. Ellen THRIFTED this 1940s dress in the ’80s for her wedding day! Ellen, you INSPIRE!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: Ellen is wearing a tilt-style hat with a blush veil (they usually don’t fall lower than your chin). I love this style because it just looks so comfortable and secure — and very appropriate for spring & summer! I didn’t get a chance to ask Ellen if her hat & veil were vintage when she wore them for her wedding day — so Ellen, if you are out there, correct me in the comments please! ;-)
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: 1960s version on Etsy, $168
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #6: GREEK GODDESS FLOWERS
SUBMITTED BY: El Vocke on the fan page!
VINTAGE STORY: This is Miss El Vocke’s own wedding picture, married on November 17th, 1979 in a $7.99 wedding dress from the clearance rack! Her shoes were also on sale for $10.50.
I did the inflation math, and her wedding outfit cost $54.83 by today’s prices! Go EL!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: What a Grecian delight! El is wearing white & blue flowers in her hair. It doesn’t appear as if she’s wearing a veil. I LOVE THIS! All of the attention is directed on her natural beauty. I also want to point out that her bouquet of lowers matches the flower headband in her hair. Miss El, did you design the head piece yourself? ;-)
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $45
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #7: FOREHEAD RHINESTONE TIARAS
SUBMITTED BY: Another vintage family wedding portrait from Trish!
VINTAGE STORY: This is the full family portrait of a 1920s wedding, complete with bridesmaids & groomsmen, a flower girl & ring boy! (who is actually holding flowers as well)
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: Again, I wish I could give you all the proper terminology behind what these ’20s bridal head pieces were called. All I can do is refer to them as “forehead tiaras” for now, until some educated vintage lover enlightens me in the comments!
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: Rhinestone 1920s headpiece on Etsy, $275
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #8: PILLBOX BRIDESMAIDS VEILS
SUBMITTED BY: Thrifted Sister, an delightful thrift loving community on Facebook that I recommend you “like!’
VINTAGE STORY: Thrifted Sister is in this picture of her aunt’s wedding in the early ’60s … she’s the (drum roll, please!) FLOWER GIRL! Aww Thrifted Sister you are too cute! (and she recently confessed to me on Facebook that she still has her hat!)
VINTAGE BRIDESMAID STYLE: This is such an exciting style for me, because we’re showing some love for the bridesmaids!
Each bridesmaid is wearing a pastel-colored pillbox hat with a “back” veil — which makes sense, because only the bride should have a veil in front of her face, considering she is the one being married!
I’m enjoying how each bridesmaid (and Thrifted Sister herself!) are wearing matching hats to their dresses in varying pretty pastel shades.
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $18
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #9: DAISY TIARA ELBOW VEILS
SUBMITTED BY: Trish
VINTAGE STORY: Taken in 1954, Trish’s aunt is the bride, and her mom is on the right wearing a birdcage hat!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: The bride’s elbow length veil is delicately positioned on a daisy-studded tiara-headband. Her bouquet of flowers match!
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $44
VINTAGE INSPIRATION #10: CROWN TIARA VEILS
SUBMITTED BY: Lilliana on the fan page!
VINTAGE STORY: This picture was taken of Lilliana’s parents in 1965. What a great wedding picture pose!!!
VINTAGE BRIDAL STYLE: Lilliana’s absolutely STUNNING mom (please tell her I said that, Lilliana!) isn’t wearing quite a tiara, so I’m calling it a crown!
It reminds me slightly of some artistic interpretations I’ve seen of Cleopatra. In any event, it’s VERY exotic and I definitely hope to see a revival of the “wedding crown” for future bridal seasons to come!
BUY A SIMILAR VINTAGE STYLE: On Etsy, $18
Oh My God!!! I got the goose bumps through this whole post. I feel so honored on having my parents wedding picture posted here and to see it as participant of this blog just gave me the chills! Thank you Sammy.
I am working on getting my Mom’s “crown” back, somehow it got lost somewhere in Colombia. It will become my most care of treasure when I get it back. I might even think about sharing a picture of it with you Sammy (Just Kidding), that will be my priority, task #1 to do. xoxo
Oh, dear, I have a dreadful memory and don’t remember about the hat, but I’ll bet we went to Hot Couture, a lovely vintage clothing store here in Santa Rosa (California) and asked Marta, the proprietor, to help us find a hat to match the era of the dress.
Thank you for including us in the blog, Sammy! It was a joy to see all the photos, especially the one of Eric and me with my dad, who died 3 months ago, and my stepmother.
Hi Sammy,
My little blue & white headband & bouquet were handmade and given to me as a wedding gift and my husband’s outfit was already in his wardrobe so that was more savings!
Thanks for including me!!