A Very Vintage Romance

August 27, 2012 in
Real Weddings
Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods

Tabitha Emma
Tabitha Emma

Tabitha Emma is a designer and illustrator who sews, draws, creates and designs. She works as a freelance designer and sells digital downloads on Etsy.

http://www.tabithaemma.com
@tabithaemma

Dan and I met in Sydney and spent two fun years getting to know one another before embarking on the big adventure: getting married. He proposed to me at his uncle’s farm over Easter weekend last year, and we spent the following day picking out a beautiful sapphire ring from an antique shop in Sydney. Later, he found a wedding band over 100 years old to complement my antique engagement ring.

Since we both love architecture and exploring antique shops for well made things full of character (we prefer them to shiny modern things), we wanted our wedding to reflect that shared interest.

One of the first things we decided on was location. For the ceremony, we booked the Great Hall at Sydney University, and for the reception we booked the Town Hall at Petersham. The town hall was built in the 1930s (an era we love) in the Art Deco style and was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 film “Strictly Ballroom.”

We invited 250 guests, which created an amazing atmosphere. It was important to us to share our special day with as many of the people in our lives as possible. Our friends and family helped us with the preparations to save money so we could invite more guests.

“It was important to us to share our special day with as many of the people in our lives as possible.”

We included children, which was wonderful. The little girls all wanted to touch my dress and dance with me. To keep them entertained during the reception, I made little fun packs with crayons, stickers, a notebook and sweets all tucked into a calico bag.

For the decor, I spent many hours searching for unique pieces at good prices, and many of the things I bought were second hand, vintage or handmade. I also did a lot of crafting myself, including table numbers, table runners, favor bags, bunting, my garter, and the escort board.

“I spent many hours searching for unique pieces at good prices, and many of the things I bought were second hand, vintage or handmade.”

We decorated the hall with handmade bunting (some I made and some I bought), and added vintage touches like an old camera, wooden crates, books, badges and doilies. The guest book was a collection of vintage postcards for people to leave messages on, and we put a vintage suitcase on our gift table for cards. To jazz up the suitcase, I hung old metal letters that spelled “love”, and attached a doily and an instant photo of me and Dan.

We used old glass bottles to hold the flower arrangements, and my mother and I potted pretty little violas in vintage glass bowls for each table. I’m a graphic designer, so I designed all of the graphics for the invitations, signs and programs, including our monogram. All in all, the day was full of personal touches.

“I’m a graphic designer, so I designed all of the graphics for the invitations, signs and programs including our monogram.”

After the ceremony, we enjoyed a buffet-style meal, and everyone chatted and had a good time. The cake was rather special – my grandmother baked it using her mother’s old fruit cake recipe – and my mother and I decorated it together using faux flowers and berry picks. We had a jazz band at the reception, which encouraged some good old fashioned dancing at the end of the night.

Looking back, our wedding day was full of love shared between our family, friends, and all the amazing people who helped make it come together. It was a surreal moment to walk into a room full of people we have known and loved during the course our lives, and to have them witness our declaration of love and commitment to each other.

“What a very special moment to cherish in our memories!”

All photographs by Luisa Brimble of Serendipity Corner. Luisa was assisted by Leah Kua & Julia Trotti.

Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods
Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods

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