The old money wedding aesthetic is proving to be a fun and enduring one. Think of movies like 'The Great Gatsby' and 'High Society' and the wealthy lifestyles they both portray. This wedding style draws on timeless elegance and sophistication, interwoven with understated luxury.
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New and trendy items do not feature in old money ideas, but items that look like family heirlooms are perfect. Attention to detail is needed to ensure that every aspect of the wedding captures this vintage-inspired magic perfectly.
1) Vintage lace table runners
Vintage lace table runners are the perfect way to develop your old money ideas, as they hint at quiet luxury and can make even the plainest table look elegant. The classic colors for this wedding style are pale shades of blue, green, or snowy white with accents of deep forest green, navy blue, burgundy, or black.
Gleaming pieces of silver and gold accentuate the rich history of classic silver cutlery, crystal glasses and the beauty of the table runners. These, in turn, add vintage glamour to antique china, the sandals, and the flower arrangements. Nothing makes a table look more impressive than gleaming silverware offset by vintage lace runners that definitely have a story to tell.
2) Heirloom silverware
Nothing makes a table look more instantly elegant and regal than beautiful antique silverware. Each place setting is laid with gleaming silver cutlery and twinkly crystal glasses, and gorgeous antique candelabra with elegantly tapered white candles complete the wonderfully luxurious and romantic ambiance.
If you don't have any family heirloom silverware, it is possible to rent it from event companies and hotels for the day.
3) 1920s jazz playlist
The rich sound of jazz music somehow epitomizes the glamour and wealth of a bygone era. The music is upbeat, and the melody of the saxophone will soon have everyone up and dancing. Ask your guests well in advance of your big day if they have any jazz classics they would like to hear, and you will soon have a great playlist!
4) Champagne tower
This fabulous centerpiece adds glamour and theatrical drama to the wedding celebration. The Champagne is poured into traditional Champagne coupe glasses, which are distinctively shaped with wide, shallow bowls and elegant stems.
The glasses are then carefully arranged in a pyramid at least seven tiers high. This must be done by an expert, as it is harder than it looks!! The pyramid can be decorated with ribbons in your wedding colors.
The result is stunning, with the glasses of Champagne twinkling in the light and the fine bubbles clearly visible. A Champagne tower will definitely prove a memorable feature of your wedding celebration.
Remember to enjoy your glass of Champagne quickly, as the coupe-style glass means that the lovely bubbles are lost more quickly.
5) Monogrammed napkins
Crisp linen napkins with pretty monograms add a lovely personal touch to each place setting. White linen is the classic choice, with embroidered monograms that match the color scheme of the wedding.
They enhance the beauty of the wedding tables, and their colored monograms can also reflect the tones of the flowers in the table arrangements.
6) Floral arrangements with peonies
Peonies along with roses have long been popular for wedding flowers and their pretty fluffy round blooms certainly add class to wedding bouquets and table decorations. Old money flower displays are usually over-sized with tumbling greenery and displayed in large classic stone urns. White is the most popular color, but very soft muted shades of color create the same stunning effect.
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Ranunculuses and lily of the valley are other popular classics that look stunning when arranged with peonies. Many couples planning an old money wedding choose fresh peonies to decorate their wedding cake too.
7) Classic calligraphy invitations
Choose elegant designs for your wedding invitations that have a luxurious feel. Either hire a professional calligrapher or have them printed in a calligraphy font or a classic serif font. To add a feeling of luxury, the invitations can be sealed with a small wax seal and ribbons.
These gorgeous invitations will certainly set the tone for the day.
Mirror the design and font that you have chosen for your invitations in your place names for the wedding tables too.
8) Antique mirrored seating chart
An antique mirror in a large, opulent frame is the perfect elegant style for your seating plan, and this can be enhanced by surrounding it with flowers, fairy lights, and twinkling candles in glasses. This display will add character and old-world charm to your celebration and will effortlessly guide your guests to their correct seat.
Clean the mirror carefully with alcohol and then use oil-based paint or a marker pen to write all the information on it.
9) Cigar and whiskey lounge
This idea really adds a touch of opulence from yesteryear. A small, comfortable area needs to be set aside with traditional leather armchairs – or similar – and several low tables.
Guests will be able to choose from a fine selection of premium hand-rolled cigars to accompany a glass of excellent single malt whiskey. Try to get some more unusual whiskies for the selection, such as peaty Scottish or Irish whiskies made by artisan distilleries.
10) Black tie dress code
What better reason to dress up than an elegant wedding? Black tie is the essential dress code for your old money wedding. Men should wear bow ties with dinner jackets and tuxedos.
Female guests should wear floor-length gowns or really beautiful cocktail-length dresses – with simple, elegant accessories.
The dress code should be stated on the invitation.
An amusing game for the cigar and whiskey lounge is to discover who has cheated by buying a clip-on bow tie rather than hand-tying their tie – have some fun forfeits lined up!!
11) Vintage Rolls Royce getaway car
A vintage Rolls-Royce is the most popular choice for a wedding car as it adds elegance and luxury to every style of wedding and could not be a better choice for an old money wedding.
Not only does the Rolls-Royce offer the bridal couple a beautifully comfortable first journey together, it also provides many photo opportunities. The car can be decorated with flowers along the bumpers front and back, ribbons on the door handles and 'Just Married' signs as number plates or hung on the back of the car.
A lovely touch is to ensure that if there is a cocktail cabinet inside the car, it contains two glasses and a bottle of bubbles – what better way to begin married life!
