Handley and Karl had a vintage wedding, and the details were perfectly authentic. From the bridesmaids vintage dresses, the stationery from the 1960s and all the retro knick knacks and props, they wanted to be crowned Prom King and Queen.
“Our wedding was a a 1950s prom, because tinsel and puffy dresses are what dreams are made of!” the bride began. “Plus, we got to fulfil our dream of being crowned Prom King and Prom Queen!”
“I’ve been a collector of all things vintage for most of my life, and as a fashion designer I’ve always loved the playfulness of the 1950s. Karl shares a passion for this era, as he is a furniture designer with a soft spot for mid-century aesthetics. I never grew up dreaming of a big wedding (or any wedding at all, to be honest!) so I think our 50s prom really is a decision that fell perfectly into place with us. It just felt right from the first casual mention.”
“I love colour and sparkle, and we both love the classic timelessness. Neither of us have ever been very traditional, and this was the perfect time for us to show that. I never wanted the white dress or the elegant up-do. We live in a world of bright colours and our wedding showed that. Plus, that gorgeous black and white dance floor even tricks folks into thinking we’re classy!”
The bride designed and made her own dress, veil and garter and the bridesmaids were in genuine 50s vintage dresses. “I am a fashion designer (Hiccup by Handley, based in Minneapolis MN)”, she explained, “So I made a dress with 1950s prom inspired silhouette. The best part was it only cost me $200 in materials. My shoes were from ASOS and my jewellery was vintage aurora borealis style costume jewellery from the 50s. My bridesmaids were in assorted 1950s prom dresses, hand-dyed various shades of green by myself. One bridesmaid, Emkae Olson, is also a designer and made her dress by mimicking vintage construction techniques (hers is emerald green with a crumb catcher along the bustline).”
“For decor we had assorted 1950s ceramic anthropomorphic/novelty planters with tulips and tinsel. We also had authentic life-sized carousel horse for our homemade photo booth (borrowed from a family friend) and vintage mid-century velvet couches and chairs. The plates were mix n match vintage dinner plates.”
There were plenty of memorable moments throughout the day. “A bridesmaid tore her vintage gown half an hour before the ceremony and a fellow bridesmaid repaired it on the spot!” she laughed, “A relative spilled red wine down the groom’s back 15 minutes before the ceremony and then there is the best surprise of the night…the rain. We had a huge downpour 10 minutes after our ceremony! but luckily it passed within 15 minutes and then we got a giant double rainbow! We danced our first dance to Be My Baby by the Ronettes, under the gorgeous arches in the sky. The timing was perfect. There wasn’t another drop after that!”
As well as making her own outfit, the bride did lot of other DIY projects. “We made all our bouquets and boutonnières from artificial flowers purchased on Amazon. The cake toppers were re-purposed vintage Ken & Barbie Christmas ornaments that I painted to have the right hair colour to match the groom. Our table arrangements were the result of months of antique shopping to gather adorable vintage ceramic planters. Our groomsman, Steve, did the photo booth set up, using an authentic carousel horse borrowed from a family friend.”
“Our advice to other couples is to follow your gut when you start planning your day. If something feels odd, say so and nip it in the bud. When the day comes, savour every moment. I wish I hadn’t wasted 20 minutes being upset about the rain, because quite frankly, the rain made it perfect.”
