Victorian Wedding: A Garden Celebration In The Afternoon

Serve up some crumpets, tea, and old world charm with this Victorian wedding garden theme. Here's an interesting little tidbit: did you know that before 1880, a couple was required by law to have a morning wedding ceremony? Well we're bending the rules a bit, and planning your outdoor vintage wedding for the afternoon instead.

Wedding Colors

Cream, blue, yellow. Also consider terracotta, ecru and pastel greens.

Wedding Attire

For any of the outfits, you may also want to include Victorian capes, cameo brooch at the neck, lace hankies, small beaded purses and/or bustles on the dresses.

Choose an off white or white Victorian bridal gown with a high-neck lace collar, long sleeves, lace cuffs. Add a Victorian-style wide-brimmed hat which was usually trimmed with ribbon and flowers; a short veil; white lace gloves; and ankle boots. Carry a matching parasol or a bouquet of pastel colored roses.

Victorian pinafores, ankle boots, lace gloves. Put hair up and entwine with ribbons. Carry parasols, baskets with summer flowers, or tussie mussies with small flower bouquets.

How you dress today for a Victorian wedding will be a matter of preference. Styles changed rapidly for men over the course of a few years. One thing that didn't change...the black top hat was worn throughout the entire period. Here are some suggestions on what you might want to consider:


• In the early part of the Victorian era, the frock coat was popular in either blue or a wine/plum color. Waistcoats were white with lavender colored trousers and gloves.
  
  
• By the mid-Victorian period, frock coats were out of style and men were wearing morning coats. Black and paisley vests were popular with dark gray trousers, folded cravat, and lavender colored gloves stitched in black.
  
  
• Guess what was back in style by 1899? You guessed it...the frock coat. Pair it with a light-colored waistcoat, dark tie, gray striped cashmere trousers, patent-leather button boots and pale tan kid gloves.
  
  
• Add a walking cane to complete the whole ensemble.
  
  

Keep the style the same as the groom.

• Ivory colored stationary with images of lace and calligraphy type fonts. Make sure the first letter of a line is very ornate. Invitations were engraved.
  
  
• Use images of a horse-drawn carriage, Victorian fan, and/or dainty flowered tea cup and saucer.
  
  
• If making your own, consider using Victorian stickers as decoration on your invitations.
  
  

• Rose or lavender scented cameo soaps.
  
  
• Small bottles of scented oils such as rose, lavender, lilac, jasmine. Add personal labels to the bottles.
  
  
• Make or buy cameo chocolates and package in small, heart-shaped or round flower-printed boxes. Tie with lace and ribbons.
  
  
• Give your guest Victorian fans or Victorian style bookmarks.
  
  
• Fill inexpensive decorative teacups with mints or Jordan Almonds.
  
  

• In a garden setting be sure to set up a tent marquee to offer shade on a hot, sunny day; and as cover in case the weather turns to rain. Hang baskets of trailing flowers and vines from the poles.
  
  
• Decorate the area with pastel colored streamers and garlands of ivy vines.
  
  
• Place planters around the area filled with flowers.
  
  
• Tie large bows on the backs of chairs with ribbon streamers.
  
  
• Use silver and/or flowered china serving dishes.
  
  

• Set up tables so they are cozy and personal, no more than 6 people per table (use round tables). Cover with white or pastel colored tablecloths.
  
  
• Use linen napkins with decorated wooden napkin holders at each setting.
  
  
• Fill a galvanized watering can with fresh summer flowers as a centerpiece.
  
  
• Scatter rose petals around table.
  
  

• Hire a string quartet, harpist, violinist or pianist.
  
  
• Dances that were popular during this era were: reels, waltzes and quadrilles.
  
  
• Music was usually by: Tchaikovsky, Handel, Ravel, Debussy, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Bach.
  
  
• If outside in a large area, play croquet, which was a very popular game at this time.
  
  
• If possible, get your hands on a bicycle-built-for-two and have fun trying to ride it.
  
  
• Victorian parlor games will also keep your guests entertained. Try Blindman's Bluff, Charades, and Hunt the Slipper.
  
  

• Mrs. Brown (1997)
  
• The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
  
• Twelfth Night (1996) (Recast for the Victorian era)
  
• Charles Dicken's - A Christmas Carol
  
• Gettysburg (1993)
  
• Titanic (1997)
  
• Any of the Sherlock Holmes series
  
  

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