Vintage aristocracy: how to organize a luxurious wedding in shabby chic style

A wedding day in this style is a truly elegant and airy celebration that will appeal to romantic people who adore ancient rarities and want to make a cozy, but at the same time chic celebration. The color scheme of the shabby chic wedding style consists of pastel shades:

  • light pink;
  • Ivory;
  • light blue;
  • lactic;
  • cream;
  • pale lilac;
  • lavender;
  • beige;
  • pale purple;
  • light green;
  • pale yellow;
  • white.

Peculiarities

Shabby chic translates from English as “shabby luxury.” This style appeared recently, in the 80s of the last century, thanks to designer Rachel Ashwell, who collects antique furniture. His ideas quickly gained popularity around the world.
“Shabby Luxury” simultaneously refers to the elegance of the good old Victorian era and the comfort of grandma’s house.

The main feature of shabby chic is old objects: from cabinets or chests of drawers to jewelry passed down from generation to generation. You can borrow such things from elderly relatives, or buy new ones that have been deliberately aged.
Antique birdcages entwined with flowers, richly decorated boxes, diaries decorated with ribbons and bows, and lace will help you set the right accents. Peculiarity! Despite its sophisticated luxury, shabby chic can be quite affordable if you use the help of antique shops and memorabilia from your own family.
The color scheme of the wedding should remain in a pastel palette. It’s good if even your traditional white is not blindingly snowy, but milky, ivory, creamy. Other acceptable colors are pink, from candy-light to a dirty shade of withered rose, powdery, blue, from barely visible to almost heavenly, peach, mint. All colors should look bleached by time, sun, and washing. Bright accents are completely unnecessary; they will destroy the fragile charm.

Furniture selection

The main condition for decorating a room with shabby chic furniture is the effect of aging; design fades into the background.

  • A modern wardrobe or chest of drawers can become a real work of art if it is painted with craquelure and complemented with floral patterns, or a simple delicately colored wardrobe is decorated with plaster stucco.
  • A sideboard with glass doors filled with tableware is suitable for the dining room.
  • The sofa is covered with a light-colored fabric cover and complemented with small pillows. Another option would be a sofa with a wooden base and upholstery with floral patterns.
  • A good option for a living room would be a combination of a plain sofa and a pair of armchairs of a different color, combined with a pillow or bedspread.
  • In the bedroom, a wrought-iron bed, painted white or light turquoise with metal gaps, looks especially elegant. The advantage of this choice is that it saves space; the frame looks impressive, but it is not bulky.
  • The choice in favor of wood remains unchanged; it fills the interior with warmth.

In the photo on the right, the bed and bedside tables are decorated with plaster stucco.

Place

It is best to choose a closed room for a celebration in the shabby chic style, next to which there is an open area , and it is preferable to plan a wedding for the spring-summer period.

In what places does luxurious vintage look especially good?

  1. Vacation home. The main thing in this option is space, the opportunity to add the necessary details and a blooming garden. It’s good if the room is equipped with a glassed-in terrace or veranda;
  2. A place in nature. Naturalness, airiness, spaciousness - what could be better? A field, forest, river bank will do. But in case of bad weather, do not forget to put up a light canopy or an openwork tent, designed in the main shades of the style - cream or pink;
  3. An ordinary restaurant hall. It is important that the room is large and bright, with high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and large windows. When booking, agree with the administrator on the possibilities for arranging your furniture, and not just placing flower arrangements;
  4. Vintage restaurant. In this case, the decorations are already ready, but after agreement with the administration, it will be possible to add individual touches. Choose a place whose interior you like without any adjustments;
  5. Rented estate. Expensive, but aristocratic option that will make you feel like the characters of Dickens. The same space as in a country house, nature and blooming gardens, but seasoned with notes of refined luxury.

Bride's image

The bride's dress should not be too tight, shiny or short. Flashy sexuality will only destroy the overall fairy-tale atmosphere , so it is better to pay attention to airy styles with flounces, puffed sleeves or bells, a free-falling skirt and a high waist. Empire or A-line silhouette looks great.

It is better to choose a light fabric - chiffon, organza, silk, guipure, lace. But the color does not have to be white. Any pastel shade is suitable, for example, mint, powdery, cream, ivory, champagne, soft pink, blue, caramel.

Frilly complex hairstyles are not the best option for shabby chic. Give preference to loose or slightly messy hair.
They can be curled and slightly tousled for a slightly casual feel. A wonderful option is a loose low bun or a variety of braids. Flowers are used as hair decorations separately or in combination with a wreath , ribbons without glitter, and vintage hairpins.

Idea! Instead of a veil, an elegant mesh or veil will do.

Jewelry for shabby chic needs large, antique, worn-out gold and tarnished silver. A very good option is pearls.

Ultra-modern shoes with stilettos or wedges are prohibited at a shabby chic celebration. But low-heeled pumps are perfect. A charming solution that, however, requires careful execution are fabric shoes with small flower embroidery.

As for makeup, the bride's image should be innocent and natural, so bright shades and clear lines look completely out of place. It is worth giving preference to nude, only slightly emphasizing the natural beauty.

Bouquet

Lush flowers with rounded petals are ideal - these can be roses, for example, David Austin varieties, or peonies, hydrangeas, tulips, or any other delicate options. An excellent addition to the central composition will be miniature inflorescences of lilac, astilbe, and gypsophila.

The color of the bouquet should be combined with the overall decoration of the celebration and the bride’s dress. Cream, powdery, caramel, soft pink or light blue shades are suitable.

If we talk about shape, shabby chic implies pomp and delicacy, but does not allow sharp angles and straight lines. It’s great if the wedding bouquet covers your palms, remaining a weightless floral cloud on them. Be sure to decorate the leg of the accessory with lace, cameo or pearls.

Future spouse

The bride's dress should be chosen in soft colors, elegant and suitable for the style of the wedding. Materials for the dress: crepe de chine, guipure, chiffon. The white color of the dress is not necessary for such a wedding. Bed tones are suitable for shabby chic. For example, peach, blue, pink, lavender, caramel, cream.

There is no need for a fluffy dress; give preference to a style where the waist is high, with a deep neckline or puffed sleeves; there may be chiffon or tulle inserts. Decorate your outfit with beads, miniature light flowers, lace or fake pearls.

Silk gloves will come in handy, as will an embroidered belt, hat or veil.

Hairstyle

As for the hairstyle, it is better to let your hair down or gather it up a little, or make a braid with a ribbon woven into it. The most important thing to consider in a hairstyle is the femininity of the bride, her elegance and lightness. To give your hairstyle lightness and ease, complement it with a lace ribbon or a wreath of flowers.

Shoes

Do not choose high-heeled shoes; this does not fit with the style of the wedding celebration. It is better to give preference to low-heeled shoes that are decorated with a pattern or pumps.

Decorations

Jewelry should be large and expressive: earrings, bracelets, antique necklaces or brooches.

Choose the same light flowers for your wedding bouquet. It will perfectly complement your outfit. The shape of the bouquet can be cascading, decorated with ribbons, lace, bows that match the wedding dress.

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Groom suit

The groom is recommended to focus on the outfits of the heroes of Dickens's novels.

To create the desired look, it is better to abandon the standard tie in favor of a bow tie or even a neckerchief with a pin. If desired, the jacket can be easily replaced with a wool vest or tailcoat. You can add interesting details, such as an antique watch on a chain peeking out of the breast pocket. Trousers are short and tapering at the bottom. A bowler hat is suitable as a headdress.

Important! It’s good if the bride and groom’s outfits have a common color or texture. For example, the same rose or peony as in the bride’s bouquet is used as a boutonniere.

The color of the suit can be either classic black or brown, or light - gray, cream, beige.

Dresses for guests and witnesses

To ensure that nothing deviates from the given style, it is worth warning guests in advance and asking them to dress up accordingly.

Men can dress in formal suits, tuxedos, or give preference to looser vests and neckerchiefs. It would be good if the colors were not black, but light or at least brown.

Women will look great in dresses below the knee in pastel shades, lace, gloves, and small hats with fascinators. But bright colors, ultra-mini, excessive shine and stilettos should be avoided.


The bridesmaids look very cute in dresses similar to the hero of the occasion’s outfit, but a couple of shades darker or lighter.
The groom's friends can do the same, choosing suits in paler or richer shades. Another option is for them all to wear the same bow tie or neckerchief with pretty pins. Outfits similar to the groom's suit look original, but, for example, without a vest or jacket.

Invitations

The invitation card can be made on craft paper or on aged cardboard. It is ideal to sign them yourself, with real ink. If this is not possible, vintage fonts will come to the rescue. Any pastoral pattern, notes, keys, birdcages or roses in the decor, lace, ribbons made of matte material are acceptable. Well suited for unique invitations, shabby chic scrapbooking style.

Be sure to indicate in the text that the wedding involves a dress code.

Idea! If you prefer minimalism, then hide the card itself in an envelope with a pattern.

Wedding dress code

There is no special dress code for guests, the only thing you can do is offer your family and friends to plunge a little into the atmosphere of past years by including antique brooches or jewelry, scarves instead of classic ties, hats, etc. in your look.

Recommendations for design

  • Avoid bright details. All colors should be pastel, muted, delicate. It is allowed to use any shade - mint, beige, pink, lilac, but it is important to ensure that the paint appears bleached by time;
  • Avoid rhinestones and sparkles, including shiny fabrics. Replace them with lace, airy chiffon and guipure, flowers, charming old things;
  • You should not give up massive objects like chests of drawers or large frames - they create the required ambiance;
  • Ultra-modern details inexorably destroy the vintage atmosphere , so do not allow them into your celebration;
  • Don't skimp on flowers . Choose lush and delicate buds with round petals.

Style Description

The Shabby chic (shabby chic) ​​style was “founded” in England by a girl named Rachel Ashwell. This happened in the late 80s of the 20th century as a result of a combination of elegant classics and careless vintage. By the way, here you can learn more about decorating a wedding in a vintage style.

The inventive Englishwoman was sorry to part with old things, which is why she began to remake them in a modern way. Gramophones, gramophones, typewriters and other rare items from “grandmother’s attic” were used. Rachel purchased the items she needed at auctions and flea markets. Her ideas have been widely used in the wedding industry since the early 2000s.

Cortege

An antique car or even a carriage drawn by white horses will fit well into the shabby chic theme. If this is not possible, regular transport will do. The main thing is to find cars in soft, pastel colors.


You can decorate the car with wreaths or garlands of flowers - it’s good if the compositions resonate with the overall design. Ribbons look no worse, but not made of shiny material.

Avoid lots of balloons, shiny gold and rhinestones.

Accessories

It is the small details that make up the overall picture, and it is likely that you will have to spend a lot of time finding or creating them.

Glasses can be decorated with engraving in faded gold or silver, or painted with cream acrylic paints. The design can be either abstract, lace, or in the form of small birds, flowers, angels. This design looks wonderful in a duet with porcelain dishes, teapots and cups with flowers floating in them.


Another option is lace skirts or ribbons wrapped around graceful crystal legs. Champagne bottles for newlyweds should be decorated in a similar style.

It is better to make place cards in the style of invitations - craft or aged paper, lots of curls, light ornaments. It is better to choose a tablecloth from a natural and non-shiny fabric, a light shade, plain or with a small pattern. Don't forget to decorate the table with bouquets, cute little things, and lace napkins.

The ring cushion should represent the solemnity and romance of the moment. Pastel, pink, blue tones, antique or artificially aged lace, fabric roses - there are many options. You can decorate the accessory with a bow, ribbons, embroidery, various applications, for example, in the form of old photos of young people. Vintage symbols such as notes, key and lock, and angels are also appropriate. A pillow in a birdcage looks very unusual.


Choose a floral design based on the rule of combining luxurious and delicate. The petals should be fluffy and rounded, the buds should in no case be cone-shaped. It is best to use David Austin roses in pastel shades. Peonies, tulips, and hydrangeas are also suitable. To add splendor to garlands or bouquets, complement them with astilbe or gypsophila. Plants in large, light-colored pots, which can be decorated with fabric, ribbons or lace, look very homely.

Idea! The flowers are beautiful, echoing the pattern of the porcelain service - such careful attention to detail will not leave anyone indifferent.

As for draperies and ribbons, choose matte material - airy chiffon, organza, silk, and to create heavy accents - cotton or matte velvet. Excess glitter will be completely useless, so you should immediately forget about rhinestones.

Pendant HOME

A pendant on a door or wall will decorate any interior, create comfort and unique charm.

Moreover, it is very simple to make - you will need a regular hanger, paint, fabric and a little imagination!

You will need:

  1. Metal hanger
  2. Scissors
  3. Glue
  4. Double sided tape
  5. Brush
  6. Acrylic paint dark brown
  7. Acrylic paint white
  8. Candle
  9. Sandpaper
  10. Natural fabric (linen, cotton)
  11. Printed fabric
  12. Stamps for scrapbooking
  13. Scrapbooking paper
  14. Acrylic block
  15. Brown ink for stamping
  16. Toning ink
  17. Cotton lace
  18. Ribbon
  19. Thick cardboard
  20. Cardboard letters
  21. Decorations

Step 1

  • Take a regular hanger with clothespins. If desired, shorten it with a metal file or grinder.
  • Paint the hanger with dark brown paint and leave to dry. Add another layer if necessary.
  • After the paint has completely dried, rub all protruding parts with a candle. Don't forget to wipe off any remaining paraffin - there shouldn't be any white crumbs left!
  • Then coat the hanger with white acrylic paint, or you can paint it in several layers.
  • When the white paint dries well, you need to erase it in those places where the paraffin was, using fine sandpaper or a nail file. Proceed carefully, as you can wipe it down to the metal, but it won’t look very nice.

Step 2

  • Prepare the fabric. For this you will need any natural material - linen, cotton, etc. You can take an old tablecloth or pillowcase. Cut a piece of fabric that is larger than needed for the job.
  • Dilute strong tea or coffee and soak the fabric in the resulting solution for a while. Wring out and start drying naturally. On slightly dried fabric you can create streaks or marks from cups.
  • Cut a piece of fabric of the required size, make a fringe along the edges.
  • After painting, the fabric can shrink and become deformed, which is why it is necessary to cut it only after it has completely dried.
  • Mark the stamping area with a pencil. You can put barely noticeable pencil ticks. For stamping on fabric, we recommend using Versafine oil-based ink. Vintage Sepia color is ideal for vintage and shabby style work.
  • Attach the stamp to an acrylic block and make an impression.
  • To create a worn effect, make another stamp with the same stamp without applying new ink. Prints can be layered on top of each other to create interesting background designs such as text and swirls.

Step 3

  • Start making the pendant itself. Using curly scissors, cut 4 squares with a side of 3-4 cm from fabric of different colors.
  • Choose light fabric - pink, beige; with flower prints.
  • Cut out a square from scrap paper, trim the edges with curly scissors, and tint.
  • Lay out and glue the fabric squares. If desired, you can stitch them on a sewing machine.
  • Start decorating: stick on letters, a centerpiece, pick up additional decorations.
  • Glue a large square onto the base fabric and stitch. Add lace to the top and bottom.
  • Cut out the back wall from thick cardboard and a rectangle from scrap paper of the same size. Glue them together and glue the fabric onto the resulting backdrop.

Step 4

  • Add accents: ribbons, lace, half-pearls - whatever your imagination suggests!
  • Attach the pendant to the hanger using clothespins, and tie a beautiful bow from a crumpled ribbon on the hook. The pendant is ready!

Cake

When designing a shabby chic cake, it is important to harmoniously combine elegance with pomp. The shade should not stand out from the general range. Let's say lace decor with chocolate, mastic, glaze.

A birdcage or the shape of an antique chest of drawers is ideal for decoration. However, these are options for brave couples. As practice shows, the standard shape is often chosen - round and multi-tiered.

Small figurines, fresh or edible flowers, and sprinkles resembling pearls are used as decorations.

Cake shouldn't be the only sweet treat at a wedding, so add cakes, cupcakes, and macarons.

Basic Rules

The style itself is not very complicated. However, if you are determined to arrange a wedding ceremony in this direction, it is worth remembering some rules:

color scheme: choose a palette of pastel colors, but the main one should be a muted pink shade (as if it had faded slightly due to exposure to sunlight and time); Anything can be pink: plates, textiles, even sweets on the table

floristry: roses, peonies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley and even bells; Cute flowers in equally cute jars

textiles: guipure and varieties of silk are mainly used, but they should not shine or be of “flashy” colors; The fabric can be decorated with floral patterns in the same soft shades

Antique jewelry, clocks, cages with birds, boxes, vases with flowers and vintage lanterns are suitable as decorative elements; Such lanterns can be hung or simply placed on the floor or table

special attention should be paid to table setting: take care of the presence of antique sets.


It is advisable that the dishes be decorated with similar patterns

Photoshoot

Since the wedding decoration itself is already an excellent backdrop, a professional photographer should have no difficulty composing the frame. The only danger is the abundance of details, which, if viewed from the wrong angle, will look too chaotic. Therefore, before choosing a specialist, be sure to look through his portfolio and give preference to one who already has experience photographing weddings of a similar topic.

Think in advance which symbols you want to use during the photo shoot. These could be birdcages, porcelain cups, antique keys, mirrors, antique furniture, empty decorated frames.

Photo

Shabby chic will be an excellent choice for romantic, creative couples who have a liking for antiques and sophisticated airy design. This idea will help make the holiday gentle, original and unforgettable, as in the photo below:

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