A Kitsch and Quirky 50’s Retro Inspired Rock n Roll Wedding

Good morning all, I have a really lovely 1950’s rock and roll themed wedding for you today, with a wonderful humanist ceremony, an original dress and the most amazing sounding food, all located in a beautiful old theatre in the heart of Edinburgh. The photographer for this fabulous wedding was the very talented Loraine Ross, and I very much hope we see more of her work on Love My Dress in the future.

There are so many wonderful homemade and locally sourced details in this wedding I almost don’t know where to begin, and I can’t wait to show you. My apologies in advance- this is going to require a cup of tea and a sit down- there is just so much to share!

Luke and Afsi, both civil servants, married on the 24^th of May last year in a lovely personalised humanist ceremony at Thomas Morton Hall, part of the Leith Theatre Trust.

“We love the romance and faded glamour of cinemas and theatres from the early and mid-20^th century and are keen collectors of vintage clothes and, er, ‘objects’ from the 1950s. We were excited about planning a massive party and once we’d found a band that could play two hours of rock n roll from the 50s and 60s… settled on the theme ‘1950s glitz disco’ and the dress code ‘fabulous’.”

Photography by Loraine Ross

If you’re planning a DIY wedding, or looking for inspiration for venue decor, look no further. Afsi, Luke and their friends and family worked like Trojans to make their beautiful venue even more spectacular, and made or sourced all of the decor themselves.

“Although a little rundown in places, Thomas Morton Hall is so beautiful that, for decor, we could rely on the flowers and some simple lighting (carnival bulbs and string lights strung across the hall with a few ‘theatre style’ par can up lighters on the stage, all supplied by Banana Row). We also splashed out on some XXL helium balloons with tassels in soft pinks and gold to compliment the flowers and instead of table numbers, we used vintage romance comics on table top easels.”

“In a herculean effort, Afsi’s Mum handmade 120 chair covers out of an eclectic mix of floral vintage curtains that she collected over several months from charity shops and eBay. Afsi and her Mum borrowed a chair from the venue and invested in one sewing lesson with a professional to come up with a pattern that they adapted to ensure swift assembly and dismantling.

The leftover scraps from the chair cover fabric were used by Afsi’s brother’s girlfriend to make bunting which we hung outside the venue and by the florist in the flower arrangements. The overall effect was the perfect combination of 1950s granny chintz with teenage rock n roll breaking through. Exactly like the ‘1950s glitz disco (in a school hall)’ that we wanted!”

Afsi was determined to wear an original 1950s dress and after 3 other attempts, found the perfect frothy 1950s lace and tulle dress on eBay for just £100. Her jacket, shoes, underwear and accessories – as well as the bridesmaids’ and mother of the bride’s dresses – were also vintage which meant a lot of fun was had rummaging online and in the vintage shops of Edinburgh and Glasgow!

One thing brides who choose full length dresses don’t really have to consider is legwear, as it is usually warm enough under all the layers of dress and petticoats! However, having chosen a short dress and this being Scotland (albeit in May) Afsi also wore a pair of bridal tights- Charnos bridal pearl backseam – which I didn’t even know existed. A brilliant tip for those of you who are planning a short dress and/ or a cold climate! Find them via Tights Please.

On her feet, Afsi wore vintage Roland Cartier lace heels, bought on eBay, and on her head, a delicate wax flower headpiece bought from a local charity shop, teamed with vintage ‘aurora borealis’ costume jewellery ear studs; just 50p from an antiques fair at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, and a brooch found at a car boot sale. She also had the lovely addition of a beaded clutch bag, which belonged to her Grandmother in law, which she used on her own wedding day.

I really love Afsi’s summery bouquet of hydrangea, eucalyptus and stocks in pastel hues, and all the Scottish and Iranian flower combinations, to represent the couple’s diverse heritages.

“Fiona Smit at Curcuma Flowers, supplied the flowers for our wedding. We’d looked everywhere for a florist that would listen to our ideas, be enthusiastic and show real creativity by suggesting their own ideas. Fiona was that florist. She was easy going, motivated, organised, inspiring, flexible and so creative. Her work ethic and attention to detail was remarkable. Most of our guests specifically commented on the beautiful overflowing vases of spring and summer flowers in pastel hues and the amazing scent that filled our venue.”

“Fiona incorporated personal touches such as a traditional Iranian wedding flower and a vase of red roses from Afsi’s grandmother in Iran. She also built a magical floral arch, brightened with lemons and limes, which was a treat for our guests to enter through! The overall effect was touching, natural and one we’ll never forget.”

I just love how excited Afsi looks in her getting ready photos! Photographer Loraine Ross captured each moment of this sweet wedding just perfectly, and Afsi and Luke were thrilled with her work.

“Loraine was the perfect choice for us. She really understood the theme and was super imaginative, creative and enthusiastic about capturing the mood we wanted in our photos. She was organised and communicative and, on the day, had the experience to be firm when necessary to make sure everything went to schedule and we got the memories of our family and friends that we had hoped for. I would recommend her in a flash!”

The two bridesmaids chose two very different, but complimentary vintage dresses; one a 50/60s style frock in pink raw silk, from Fantouche Vintage in Edinburgh and the other a sky blue 70’s style wrap dress from Retro, Glasgow. Their shoes were from Faith at Debenhams.

Luke’s Christmas proposal was a complete surprise to Afsi, and I love the celebratory bacon sandwiches afterwards!

“We met at work and had been dating for 4 and a half years when Luke proposed on Christmas Eve a year and a half before our wedding. We hadn’t discussed getting married in any detail, so when I pulled an engagement ring out of the 24^th pocket on the advent calendar Luke had filled for me I was a bit confused… until I saw that Luke was on one knee. The answer was obvious. I phoned my Mum straight away then we dashed out for a celebratory bacon roll before heading to our respective parents’ homes for an amazing Christmas.”

Groom Luke looked a real bobby dazzler in his traditional kilt (in his own Gunn tartan) and suit jacket, from Geoffrey Taylor Kilts, worn with a pair of bamboo glasses from OJO and personalised wooden cufflinks from The Cross-Eyed Fox.

Luke and Afsi were wonderfully fortunate, as Afsi’s bridesmaid, Fiona, is a professional harpist and played a waltz that she composed for the couple as Afsi descended the stairs into the ceremony room with her Mum and Dad at her side. She also wrote the music out by hand and framed it as a very special wedding gift- how wonderful.

“We chose Thomas Morton Hall because of its connection to Leith Theatre which was built in the early 1930s and gifted to the people of Leith by the people of Edinburgh. We’d recently moved to the area and wanted to keep our wedding local and to celebrate the rich history of our new neighbourhood. The theatre has been closed since 1988 and is being renovated by Leith Theatre Trust but we were able to arrange to hold our ceremony in the foyer (known as ‘the Crush Hall’) so that our guests could enter through the original pay boxes, Afsi could make a dramatic entrance by descending the staircase into the ceremony and we could hold our reception in Thomas Morton Hall which is part of the Leith Theatre complex and has a sprung floor and stage – perfect for the band and dancing we planned for the evening!”

“We had a humanist ceremony which we wrote together with contributions from our friends and family. This gave us an opportunity to create a non-religious but still spiritual ceremony which was personal to us and those we love. Two of our close friends told the story of how we met, Luke’s family friend Julia spoke about the significance of marriage, one of the best men (Stuart) sang an a capella Robert Burns song, Afsi’s father delivered a message (and the rings!) from their family in Iran and one of the bridesmaids composed and played our wedding waltz as Afsi descended the stairs into the ceremony – we are very lucky to have such talented and generous friends!”

I do love a humanist ceremony, and think it’s such a shame that they are only currently legally binding in Scotland as they just allow a touch more flexibility and more personal elements can be added than is possible with a civil ceremony (lovely as they are- I had one myself!). I would love to see humanist ceremonies legalised in England and Wales in the near future.

“We wrote our own vows and decided it would be special to have our guests read them to us so we put the vows on cards which we handed to our friends and family in envelopes that they opened for the first time during the ceremony. It was very special to have Afsi’s grandfather, brother and mother and Luke’s father, mother and close friend Alex ask us if we would make certain promises to one another. This felt more meaningful than responding to a celebrant who we didn’t know that well. Just before we concluded the ceremony, Luke and I turned to one another and made one promise directly to one another.”

Luke to Afsi: “I promise to try to understand you, to work to be deserving of you, and to always make decisions with our shared happiness in mind.”

Afsi to Luke: “I promise to broaden your horizons with adventure and new experiences; to respect your feelings and work hard to understand your point of view; and to end every day excited for our next.”

Really lovely, don’t you think?

“The engagement ring was an Edwardian 18ct gold ring set with 3 fire opals and 4 rose cut diamonds. Luke bought it on eBay and managed to keep an original inscription from 1907 by hiring skilled jeweller Ian Gallacher to resize the ring. The wedding bands were a gift from Afsi’s family in Iran and handed to the best man during our ceremony by Afsi’s dad”

As with many couples, the food was a key part of the celebrations for Afsi and Luke, and it was important to them that they chose a caterer who could meet their needs.

“We chose another local company to cater our wedding. Appetite Direct were professional, reliable, organised and made absolutely delicious food with a modern presentation. We cannot recommend them enough! The food was so important to us and they got it exactly right.

Given Afsi’s Iranian background, we wanted a Middle Eastern element to our meal. We also wanted to encourage a relaxed atmosphere so served hot and cold canapés while our guests mingled post-ceremony and then had dips, olives and breads sitting on the tables so people could nibble during the speeches. That starter was followed by Ottolenghi-style salads and mains in communal bowls for our guests to serve themselves from the centre of each table. The pudding was a full of Iranian flavours and the finest pannacotta either of us have ever had (which is saying something as Luke has had quite a few!).”

“Another local company, Banana Row, did our sound and lighting and went above and beyond the call of duty by decorating the rigging to fit our theme.  Afsi’s Mum made 120 crackers covered in romance comic strips from the ‘50s and which functioned as place names during the reception as well as adding a bit of fun and containing our wedding favours: bottle opener keys with a personalised message tied to each with gold ribbon.

We made our own Save the Date cards with magnets and vintage postcards that Afsi bought at a vintage fair. We also made our own invites with the help of our friend Mary who is a talented artist and was kind enough to sketch an Edinburgh skyline that we incorporated into our design. We bought pearlescent card and paper and stayed late at work to use their guillotine! For RSVP cards we used postcards of vintage romance comic covers from the 1950s and asked guests to ‘fill in the blanks’ (including their top tip for a lifetime of happiness) so that we’d have personalised messages to keep forever. As you can imagine, some of our guests took this more seriously than others!”

“Spray painted tin cans and jam jars were dotted up the stairs during the ceremony and reused as table centrepieces at the reception. Some of the jars were filled with lemons and limes for added colour and the cans had scraps of the floral fabric from our wedding chair covers tied around them. We handed these jars and cans to our guests as they left as added favours so none of the florists’ effort was wasted!”

The couple and their guests ended the day by dancing the night away with their guests, to the cheerful tones of a rock and roll band, which looks so much fun!

“We went to a few vintage wedding fairs in the run up to our wedding and chanced upon ‘The Midnight Specials’, a band from Edinburgh who have an extensive repertoire of rock n roll tunes and get particularly excited about playing those from the 50s and 60s. We heard Christopher from the band sing a Frankie Valli number and decided we wanted them to play at our wedding. They were an absolute pleasure to make arrangements with and delivered a brilliant 2 hour long set of dance floor filling tunes.”

“It’s so difficult to pick a favourite part of the day as we both loved every single moment of it. From our respective wedding breakfasts (Luke went with his best men to a brilliant Leith restaurant called the Vintage and Afsi’s Mum nipped out to get croissants for the bridal party from Manna House) to Luke greeting our guests while Afsi waited alone upstairs and listened to the hubbub grow louder and louder as our families and friends filled the Crush Hall.

Then there were the moving contributions to our ceremony by family and friends, the moment Afsi had to catch her breath to stop herself from crying as she said her vows, the best mens’ speech which featured a full rap from Luke’s best man Stuart and a dance floor packed with all those we love. Squeezing into a taxi at the end of the night with a giant helium balloon, a basket of flowers and jam jars and realising we were finally alone together as husband and wife was the perfect end to a brilliant day and a year and a half of preparation.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Do exactly what you want, not what you think others might expect from you. If you want to organise every last detail, it’s possible to do that, but if you just want to make sure everything runs smoothly so that you and your guests have a stress free day, then don’t feel guilty about taking an easier route. No one really cares about the peripheral stuff, they are there to celebrate your marriage and the sheer amount of good will on your wedding day means that even if something does go ‘wrong’, it will just be part of the fun!”

Absolutely spot on, thank you Afsi and Luke, and huge congratulations.

I absolutely love the amount of time, energy and passion which went into this wedding, and although the couple do remind us that the peripheral stuff isn’t important (or not important as the marriage at least) Afsi and Luke, and their families and friends, put such a lot of care and love into the preparations for this day, and it really shows. I still can’t quite get over Afsi’s mum doing all of those chair covers!

Many thanks to Loraine Ross Wedding Photography for the gorgeous images. You can find more inspiration for 1950’s and rock and roll themed weddings here and here.

Now I’m off to plan a shopping trip to Edinburgh!

Much love,

Shona x

 

Photographer – Loraine Ross
Venue  – Thomas Morton Hall, Edinburgh
Wedding Dress – eBay (vintage)
Headpiece – Wax Flower headpiece via St Columba’s Charity Shop
Shoes – Roland Cartier vintage via eBay
Accessories –  antiques fair at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh + Tights Please
Bride’s Scent –  Dolce & Gabbana, Dolce
Groom – own kilt + suit via Geoffrey Taylor Kilts + cufflinks via The Cross-Eyed Fox
Bridesmaids – Fantouche Vintage + Retro, Glasgow + jewellery via Retro, Glasgow
Florist – Curcuma Flowers
Cake – The Manna House Bakery
Transport – Ecosse Classic Cars
Rings – antique via eBay (wedding rings purchased in Iran)
Catering – Appetite Direct
Stationery – Home made, with help from friends
Hair Stylist – Ariana at Miss Dixiebelle, Edinburgh
Groom’s hair – Lipstick, Lashes & Locks
Bride’s Makeup Artist – Layla at Miss Dixiebelle, Edinburgh
Bridesmaid’s Makeup Artist – Hannah Rose at HVR Beauty, Edinburgh
Favours – The Little Craft Bugs + PineappleSupply Etsy shop
Lighting – Banana Row
Vintage Crockery hire- Vintage Tea Times
Afsi’s suggested vintage shops in Edinburgh and Glasgow – Armstrong Vintage + Herman Brown + Those Were The Days Vintage + Vintage Guru + Retro Clothes + Fantouche Vintage + Godiva Boutique