Victorian Wedding Ideas
- Engraved and embossed invitations were indicative of the period. Common images included cupids, hearts, lovebirds and doves. The old-fashioned tone of the invitation would be the first clue to your guests that the wedding has a Victorian theme.
Wording on your invitations should include the names of the couple's parents. For example, Mr. and Mrs. John Smith request your presence at the marriage of their daughter Jane Marie to William Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Jones on Saturday, the sixteenth of May in the year two thousand and twelve at the First Baptist Church, 200 Main Street, Anytown, USA. - Victorian weddings were held mid-morning to mid-afternoon unless the couple lived in the hot states of the South, where evening weddings were cooler and more comfortable. A church was the most popular location, though some couples chose to get married at the home of the bride or in a flower garden. If none of these venues is an option, consider using decorations that would give a garden feel to your venue, like flower arrangements as well as white wrought iron or wicker seating.
- Wedding dresses of the Victorian era had a high collars, long sleeves, a fitted bodice and small waist that fell over hoops and petticoats. Materials often used to fashion a wedding dress included organdy, tulle, lace, gauze, silk, linen or cashmere. A Victorian-era bride wore a wreath of white roses on her head with a veil trailing down her back. Flat shoes with a bow at the instep and white kid gloves completed the ensemble.
The bridesmaids also wore a wreath of flowers, any white flower, but not roses. They wore plain white dresses until late in the Victorian period, when they stopped wearing white and began wearing colors. This change gives the bride planning a Victorian wedding the ability to keep things authentic and still practice modern-day traditions if she prefers her bridesmaids not wear white. - The groom's apparel also changed during the course of the Victorian era. The modern bride and groom can choose to mimic early Victorian style with the groom wearing a frockcoat of blue, mulberry or dark red with a flower on the lapel. Later in the era, grooms wore white frockcoats and lavender pants.
The best man and groomsmen also wore frockcoats, generally brown or gray. All the men completed their outfits with gloves and patent leather boots. If a frockcoat does not appeal to the bride and groom, rent or buy a tuxedo with tails for the elegant feel of the era. - If the wedding takes place in warmer months, consider a garden reception. The flowers in the garden provide the decoration and color. An afternoon tea reception was common following morning weddings. They would serve tea, lemonade, wine, champagne, finger sandwiches and small pastries.
Venue choices could include a backyard garden, botanical garden or a state park. The traditional cake of the period was a fruitcake with fondant icing. Alternately, you could serve a more modern cake decorated with lace-like frosting and flowers to embody the feel of the era.
Victorian music would include the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Having this play quietly in the background would give a Victorian feel. A change to more modern music for dancing at your reception will modernize the entertainment.
