1940's Vintage Wedding:
A "Big Band" Wedding Theme Idea

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For those of you who love idea of having a 1940's vintage wedding set in the big band era, this theme should provide a lot of entertainment and fun. Swing was in and the "cool cat" sounds of Benny Goodman, Bing Cosby, and the Andrew Sisters were being heard in ballrooms and nightclubs everywhere. If you love the jumpin' and jivin' sounds of the nineteen-forties, along with ballroom dancing, then why not plan your wedding theme around this fascinating era? Here are some ideas to get you started.

1940's Vintage Wedding Attire

• If you're making your own, decorate the invitations with pictures of either big band instruments (saxophone, trombone, tuba, bass, trumpet). Another choice is to use a graphic of a wine bottle draped with a string of pearls.
  
  
• Use a sepia photo (one that has been made to look antique) featuring you and your fiancée as your background. Surround the picture in a border created to look like it's in an antique frame. Print your wording on vellum paper and secure it over the photo.
  
  

• Fill balloons with helium and float them above the dance floor.
  
  
• Create several balloon bouquets and place around the room.
  
  
• Secure a mirrored, slow-turning "disco" ball over the dance floor.
  
  
• Add strings of small lights over doorways.
  
  
• Buy cheap children's musical instruments (saxophone, trumpet, etc.) and create an arrangement on the main food table as a centerpiece focal point.
  
  
• Have a fountain that produces bubbles.
  
  
• Use posters of famous people of the forties. Hang on the walls. A good place to start your search for low-cost posters and prints is at www.allposters.com
  
  
• Find pictures of cars, bi-planes, etc. that relate to that period. Hang on the walls.
  
  

• Give an actual antique photo of yourselves in an antique looking frame.
  
  
• Create a music sheet with your favorite song, roll up and secure with ribbon.
  
  
• Present small bottles of wine or champagne decorated with some ribbon and a string of fake pearls.
  
  
• Another idea is to buy cheap champagne glasses and fill with rose petals or mints.
  
  
• More suggestions for vintage wedding favors can be found here.
  
  

• You could use wine bottles draped with pearls or army dog-tags.
  
  
• Lay long white gloves in the center of the table and scatter rose petals over them. Place a tall vase with a single rosebud next to the gloves.
  
  
• Buy a large champagne glass for each table and fill with glass beads; place a candle in the middle of each and drape fake pearls along its stem.
  
  
• Create a musical arrangement centerpiece. At a craft supply store, purchase miniature musical instruments (saxophone, trombone, trumpet, etc.), along with a small "music stand" and place an antiqued sheet of music with your songs on each stand.
  
  

• Get a regular wedding cake (2 or 3 tiers) and place small, plastic musical instruments along the edges. For the topper, have two figures standing in front of a music stand.
  
  
• Have the cake shaped into a musical instrument such as a saxophone, trumpet, drums, piano, tuba, guitars, etc. Brass instruments were very popular then.
  
  

Plan A Very Unique Theme Wedding

Unique Theme Weddings

• 19 Original Wedding Theme Ideas - Receive step-by-step solutions to guide you in planning the perfect celebration. These wedding theme ideas are sure to spark some wonderfully creative ideas for you
  
  
• 1014 ways you can plan a beautiful wedding on a tight budget, saving you loads of money
  
  
• 110 inspiring pictures to help you envision your wedding decorations and favors
  
  
• Unique and memorable themed invitations that can be easily created and will give your wedding an extra-special, personal touch
  
  
• 181 decorating ideas that you can mix and match