Two Dresses for a ‘Touch of Vintage’ Inspired Cinema Wedding

How, but how, is it already February?  (That said, I’m super excited for this month as my lovely husband and I have a very exciting holiday planned- my very first holiday outside of Europe, I can’t wait…).  However, more immediately, I can’t wait to share today’s fun and frolic-filled day with you, so without further ado, let me introduce our brides.  Meet Grace, an executive assistant and Amy, an events manager, who married at the Duke of Yorks Picture House in Brighton on the 18th of June 2016, followed by a reception at The Ginger Fox, in the Sussex Downs.

“The Duke of Yorks is one of the oldest cinemas in the UK so we were inspired to theme the wedding ‘a touch of vintage’ because of the deco/ vintage vibe of the venue.  We didn’t want to be too strict with the dress code so we just went for ‘a touch of vintage’.  This meant that people could chose the era and style that they wanted and we ended up with an eclectic bunch!  We both studied film studies at university so this was the perfect venue choice.”

Photography by Joanna Brown

The lady behind today’s lovely emotion-filled images was Joanna Brown, a talented photographer who we have had the pleasure of featuring on Love My Dress several times already.“We were recommended Joanna by another photographer.  She was brilliant and had the perfect style for us.  We cherish the photos that she took on the day and she was great every step of the way to make sure we got what we wanted.”

Before the arrival of the main couple, the guests were also treated to a mini film about Amy and Grace, which seems the perfect use of the venue.

The little flower boy wore a grey suit bought in Australia, teamed with a palm headdress, while the two flower girls chose their own outfits with a very fashionable palm print.  Don’t they look great?

Both ladies chose a gown which went with the vintage theme, but each was very different, suiting each bride’s individual style and shape.  Grace (seen on the left below) wore an incredibly elegant gown from Ghost which she purchased online and paired with shoes from BHS.

She added an art deco style slide in her hair from Accessorise and a necklace which she already owned, as well as a spray of Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder.

“My dress fitted with the vintage theme and I felt most comfortable in it out of all of the dresses that I tried.  I loved the deco style.”

Amy’s beautiful beaded dress was an original 1950’s gown, purchased from Brighton Vintage Wedding Dresses.  I love the buttons and sash on the back.

“I never thought that I would chose a dress like this.  I loved the vintage feel and the train.  It’s made from raw silk which is unique and perfect for a cinema wedding.”

“We wanted our dresses to complement each other but not be too matchy which was also a big factor in our decision making.”

The brides walked down the aisle of the impressive auditorium together, to Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does it Better’ (in keeping with the cinema venue) and said their vows to one another up on the stage in front of their comfortably seated friends and family.  They chose not to have readings, but rather wonderfully, Amy’s dad performed an acapella version of ‘The Nearness of You’ by Frank Sinatra for the ‘audience’.

The ladies exchanged identical white gold rings, purchased from The Beautiful Company, which matched their vintage engagement rings.

Hair and make up was the work of Kitty Boo, whose vintage style was perfect for the look these glamorous ladies wanted to create. I’m a little bit in love with Amy’s marcel wave.

Amy’s shoes were a vintage pair purchased from Beyond Retro, in Brick Lane, London, while for jewellery she chose a pair of earrings from Joy.

Both ladies wore matching fox bracelets from Etsy, which Grace bought and gave to Amy as a surprise on the morning of the big day as a nod to their reception venue choice.

To transport their guest from the ceremony to The Ginger Fox, the couple hired a vintage 1960’s double-decker bus from South Coast Motor Services, while for the way home at the end of the night, they chose The Big Lemon Bus (which runs on chip fat!).  I do love both vintage and quirky modes of transport.

“We had  five vintage containers of flowers on each table containing individual stems of white and blush pink flowers and foliages with the occasional burst of dark pinky red for drama, while for bouquets we chose white roses, daisies, lavender and white veronica with touches of minimal foliage (Grace) and large pale pink Sarah Bernhardt peonies bound with cream satin ribbon (Amy).”

Floral arrangements were created by the arty hands of Miss Moles Flower Emporium.

Catering was provided by The Ginger Fox, while the simple but lovely naked cake was made by a friend, Amy, and decorated with flowers from the florist. For favours, another friend baked ginger fox-shaped biscuits.

Entertainment was provided by The Chandeliers (through Function Central), who performed modern songs in a vintage style, as well as a slow version of ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’ by Drake for the newly weds’ first dance.

“The first dance was both of our favourite moments.  The band did such a good job of the cover and it is a song that means a lot to us- it was very emotional.”

“We also had eight international guests and we were so happy that they were able to be there.  So many people flew over from Australia.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Do something that means something to you as a couple and is true to your own style rather than sticking to traditions and worrying about what other people will think. (And enjoy it because it goes so quickly).”

Huge thanks to Joanna Brown for allowing us to share her images today and a huge thanks and congratulations to Grace and Amy.  Are you marrying in style in a cinema, or do you fancy doing so after seeing today’s inspiration?  Take a peek here for past weddings either in cinemas, or inspired by film to give you a few more ideas, or just to have a nosey!

Much love,

Shona x