The Victorian Wedding

If you've always loved the Victorian era and elegant old-fashioned style, why not have a Victorian wedding? Here are some great tips to get you started.


ATTIRE: Think ruffles, bows and lace. Check out Victoriana.com for examples of Victorian brides. Consider wearing an antique wedding dress, or a reproduction. (link url=http://weddings.about.com/od/bridalbeauty/a/VintageWedding.htm]Read more about buying a vintage wedding dress.) Since Queen Victoria wore a long lace veil at her wedding, almost every bride in that era followed her fashion.

Men should wear morning dress, or for an evening wedding, a tailcoat. They may also wear a top hat, if they are so inclined.

MENU: For a more informal wedding, the Sunday tea dance with petit fours, scones, and fresh fruit is ideal. For a formal wedding, follow the tips for a traditional formal wedding. Rent movies such as The Age of Innocence for inspiration.

INVITATIONS: For a formal wedding, have a beautiful embossed border on the edge of your invitation. Ideally the writing should be engraved, and the text should be as formal as possible. For a more casual wedding, consider these illustrated cards. Or, design your own invitations with a favorite Victorian love poem.

FAVORS: Consider a cracker like the ones popular at holiday time. They were invented in the Victorian era; they open with a snap and usually contain a joke and a small prize in them. These crackers can be filled with a trinket appropriate to budget and personality. Also, especially for a daytime wedding, consider a folding paper fan printed with a beautiful poem and your wedding date.

FLOWERS: Pay special attention to the meaning of flowers. Consider carrying a tussy mussy. Your flower girls might carry pomanders.