Old Hollywood Style Wedding

Elegant meets rustic in this old Hollywood wedding from Vinson Images. We’ll let the images speak for themselves. And, check out the bride’s advice to newly engaged couples.Central Design Theme & Colors: I had always dreamed of a winter wedding. I find them enchanting, which only augments the characteristic magic of a wedding day. I wished to create my own ‘winter wonderland.’ Thus, mostly white décor, and a wintry color palette – smoky blue, charcoal, and ivory – were central to our ceremony and reception. From the wispy tree centerpieces with crystals and lit globes, to the balls of baby’s breath atop Eiffel tower vases, to the fur shrugs adorning unopened wine bottles…every detail was meant to create an icy, yet whimsical ambiance. I fell in love with the smoky blue hue while in search of bridesmaid’s gowns and I incorporated ivory sashes to not only create a stunning silhouette, but to also complement my ivory gown. The bridesmaids were wrapped in charcoal fur stoles that both captured the essence of vintage Hollywood glamour and complemented the charcoal and silver tuxedos worn by the groomsmen. The finishing touch was the simple yet elegant ivory rose bouquets, with mine containing hints of blush that brought out the peony tinted organza overlay of my skirt. At the end of our perfect day, I felt as if I were superimposed into my own fairy tale, as if it were just a winter night’s dream.

Most memorable moment of my wedding day: While difficult to choose only one, the moment that seems to captivate my mind most when looking back on my wedding day is when one of my best friends read a letter that I wrote my late father at our reception just before I danced with his dearest friend. Contained in that letter were all of the things I wished I had said to my father before he died, namely, that he is my hero. I had to enlist her to read it, as I was certain I could not read it with the same poise and grace that she did. Hearing it gave me the overwhelming sense of my father’s presence, and an unquestionable feeling that he heard those ever-so-important sentiments. My husband and I have both lost our fathers, and it was our wish to honor them at our ceremony and reception. If every person present thought of them once, even if only for a second, then we were successful.

Advice for newly engaged couples in the planning process: The biggest piece of advice that I can offer from my experience is to compromise with each other. This day is about two people who love each other, and it is easy to get caught up in the little details that may seem important at the time and lose sight of why you are planning such a beautiful day in the first place. Second, listen to each other more than anyone else. There will be an abundance of opinions floating around, but at the end of the day, yours are the only ones that count. For the bride – when you find THE GOWN, stop looking at other gowns immediately! It will only serve to incite doubt…and the one you have chosen is already perfect.

How I found my wedding vendors: The beauty of growing up in a small town is having connections and prior experience with many vendors. I had worked with the caterer, Chatters, for almost six years, so using their services was a given. My makeup artist, Christy Kotzman at Salon Josephine, and hair stylist, Kennedee Borum at The Beauty Bar, were hired due to wonderful personal experience and the valued opinions of other brides. Vinson Images was an easy choice based on knowing them personally and seeing the breathtaking work they do. Table 11 Productions was chosen for décor and planning because of their ability to listen well and work hard to create your vision. My mother had many connections including a relationship with the owner of The Barn at Timber Cove where our reception was held, and our florist was a woman my mother had worked with in the past. The cake designer was also a friend of my mother’s.