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Are Vintage Weddings Over?

A few years ago, there was a Huffington Post article proclaiming that vintage was dead. It created both a buzz and a backlash among wedding bloggers and the industry as a whole. At the time, I dismissed the article because I didn't see the point in taking sides. Some people like vintage style, some don't - to each his own, right?

Well, in the past few months I've noticed a resurgence in what I'm going to call 'vintage attacks.' Fellow bloggers and industry pros alike keep letting little snarky tweets, memes + posts fly. They're saying they're (yet again) sick of the vintage trend.

But you know what? They'll be saying the same thing again five, ten, twenty years from now. Why? Because vintage is an ever-evolving + enduring style that never goes away.

A big reason so many vintage items and styles are still popular is because the styles themselves are undeniably classic.

Want some examples?
Full tulle skirts from the 50s.
Popular mod looks of the 60s and 70s.
Sequined frocks from the 80s.

These were all trends of their day but because the looks are so timeless, it doesn't feel dated when they're worn today. In fact, it tends to feel fresh.

Heck, even the plaid flannel J. Crew shirts I wore in middle school in the 1990s are a good example. They're definitely vintage now (as that door is always revolving) but they're just as chic and comfy now as they were then.

My point is that you can apply the word 'vintage' to almost anything that's more than 10 years old.

And while some of it may fade in and out of popularity (think 80s neon), some of it retains an eternal charm because of its inherent timelessness. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who would scoff at vintage Chanel or a vintage Aston Martin.

But let's talk weddings. As a girl whose only aim with her wedding style was to stay polished and timeless, I spent over a year collecting antiques for my wedding. Almost all of the decor at our wedding was vintage or antique and I personally found it (and still do find it) timelessly beautiful. My engagement ring is a combined family heirloom - it has diamonds from my family and from J's family. There's no new ring that would ever mean as much to me as the one I have.

Trends fluctuate ... they ebb and flow like the tides but classics remain constant and antiques and vintage wares are a big, huge part of that genre. They stand the test of time. I promise you they'll continue to be used in weddings long after people look back and laugh about the chalk color they wore in their hair on their wedding day or the paper mustaches they provided guests at their photo booths.

Obviously, not all vintage is created equal. But if you have the ability to distinguish the classics from the commons, you'll be swimming in enduring style.

To the classics!

I thought I'd end this post with a few favorite examples of vintage chic weddings I've previously shared on the blog:

This Southern bride used the same antique tussie mussie to hold her bouquet that all the brides in her family had used in their wedding ceremonies. Meaningful vintage may be the very best kind. See more from this Mountain Brook, Ala. estate wedding. Photo by Leslee Mitchell.

Classic vintage car exit FTW! See more from this preppy wedding here. Photo by Patricia Kantzos.

Family (wedding) photos never get old. And they look even more beautiful in antique frames. See more from this elegant wedding in the Hamptons. Photo by Patricia Kantzos.

A peek from my own wedding - antique silver will always offer a classic and polished look. And vintage cake toppers happen to be a personal favorite. See more from my Mississippi wedding. Photo by Itinerant Studio.

Vintage suitcases may have hit a high in the wedding industry a few years ago but this photo clearly demonstrates how classic and beautiful they can still look. See more from this vintage chic wedding in Columbus, Ohio, here. Photo by Adam Lowe.

Another from my Southern wedding. It just doesn't get more classic than an antique car, does it?

Hope you'll weigh in and tell me what you think about the state of vintage chic weddings. Love the look? Not so much? Let's chat!

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