Throwing A Retro Wedding: All The Tips & Tricks For The Perfect Day

Want to plan the retro wedding of your dreams? If you’re someone who looks to the past for fashion and aesthetic inspiration, then why not indulge some of this nostalgia on your wedding day with a beautiful retro wedding?

Whether you’re drawn to the iconic silhouettes of the 1950s, the music of the 1960s, the vivid color palettes of the 1970s, or the cheesy action movies of the 1980s, you can bring touches of these interests to your wedding for a day that’s as special to you as it is memorable to your guests. Keep reading and Peerspace will touch on the right way to choose a wedding venue We also offer some tips and trips regarding retro wedding decor, retro bridalwear, and photography for your “blast-from-the-past” wedding.

Finding a retro wedding venue

Intimidated by the task of finding a retro wedding venue? No need! With Peerspace, the process is amazingly simple. Peerspace is the internet’s largest marketplace for all sorts of event venues (not just retro ones, but virtually any kind of space you can imagine!).

The site offers thousands of listings available in hundreds of cities across the United States, Canada, the UK, and beyond. Just to give you an idea of what’s out there, here are a couple of examples of retro venues that you can rent by the hour through Peerspace.

Perhaps one of them will be a great fit for your wedding:

Unique 70s Retro Vintage Vegas Home / Mini Mansion on Acre lot w/ Large Pool

If you’re a big fan of the 1970s, you’re looking for more than just a hint of glamor, and you’re located in or near Las Vegas, Nevada, this might be the right location for your retro wedding. It’s a location that can accommodate up to 70 guests in its 4,000 square feet. One of the most fun aspects of this mini-mansion is the assortment of themed rooms: “tiki jungle room green room/dressing room, 60s retro blue room, 70s retro living room, jungle etc.”

The family room is a special gem, too, with “70s style decor with rare sunken couch seating area and huge stone fireplace/firepit area covering a 16′ wall.  Awesome 70s stone cocktail bar, 12′ ceilings”. As for the backyard, it has an extra-large saltwater lap pool, palm trees, lounge chairs, a lawn area, and even another cocktail bar.

Also promising is the fact that it has dozens of positive reviews from those who’ve previously rented this space. One reviewer who had her destination wedding here wrote: “My husband and I had a destination wedding in Vegas from North Carolina so planning was very confusing and difficult to do from across the U.S and I’m not sure if we woulda pulled it off without these amazing hosts. They have amazing recommendations for pretty much everything and will go above and beyond to make whatever event you’re having great! House was super clean and unique! I would 10/10 recommend any day.”

Unique Retro Futuristic Loft in the Heart of Downtown Dallas

Are you a fan of the retro-futuristic aesthetic? Consider renting this one out for your retro wedding! Just a glance at the photos of this space and it’s completely unsurprising that it’s as popular as it is, with more than 450 reviews from previous renters adding up to a perfect five-star rating. At this loft, you’re three minutes from downtown Dallas and you’re immersed in “1700 square feet of windows, exposed brick and hard wood floors.”

It’s such a picturesque and visually interesting space, in fact, that it’s most often used for photo and video shoots, but it could be an equally great destination for a wedding. There is also a full kitchen and a bathroom available to renters.

Retro wedding decor

What you decide to do for your retro wedding decor will depend quite a bit on what era you’re most inspired by. A 1950s-inspired wedding will have a very different feel than a 1980s-inspired one.

But either way, Etsy is a great place to get started looking for retro decor pieces. For instance, check out this modern disco wall hanging from TheIconicBride. You can also pick up this personalized wedding art by CustomAlexander with a very 1950s feel. Or how about this set of 70s-inspired wedding invitations from MalloryMakingPaperie?

The other thing to make sure you do is to play music from the era of your choice to really add to the retro atmosphere, but don’t feel like that’s all you can play. Your modern faves can absolutely be mixed in there as well. It will make for a really fun contrast!

What to wear at your retro wedding

As the Bella Bridesmaids blog notes, “The most important part of a retro wedding is, quite arguably, the outfits … Everything from the bride and groom’s outfits to the bridesmaids’ dresses and flower girl’s dress should fit the chosen theme”.

However, it’s not always a great idea to seek out an actual vintage dress from the era you’re emulating as your wedding gown: “A retro gown from the time period might seem like the way to go, but it could end up looking more like a costume than you intended. Instead of wearing a vintage wedding dress, look for a modern dress with vintage-style details.”

For instance, for a 1950s-inspired wedding gown, “look for a knee-length or tea-length A-line dress with cap sleeves”. The same is true of bridesmaids dresses – you want them to have vintage-inspired details, rather than actually being vintage dresses. One place to really get inspired by the decade of your choice is with your hair. Ask the stylist to emulate a specific popular look from that era. For instance, “do your hair with victory rolls and bold bangs for a 1940s look”!

Looking for some visual inspiration when it comes to retro bridalwear? Check out this list of “22 retro weddings that slayed with throwback style” from Offbeat Bride, a site geared toward alternative and non-traditional wedding ideas.

Retro wedding photography

Consider seeking out a photographer who specializes in creating a vintage/retro look to their photos. This might mean using older film cameras or editing the photos after the fact to give them a throwback feel by adjusting the colors of the photos and adding filters. Depending on the era you’re going for, you might even want some of your wedding photos to be in black and white.

You might take a few Polaroids in addition to your other wedding photos, too. One photographer who does retro wedding photography noted that “shooting instant pack film on a Polaroid 360 camera” gives a vintage feel to the finished product.

For more inspiration, check out this great example of a retro wedding photoshoot by photographer Anastasia Jobson.

Find unique wedding venues on Peerspace