How to Have a Victorian Theme Wedding?

Wedding themes are increasingly popular, and having a Victorian-themed wedding may be of interest to some couples. This article offers ideas for a Victorian wedding.

Some brides and grooms prefer to have a themed wedding. One option that is popular is the Victorian theme wedding. Brides and grooms can send out nineteenth century style wedding invitations to guests, wear Victorian wedding dresses and morning suits, carry a Victorian style bouquet, give themed favors, choose a suitable venue and eat a Victorian style meal.

Victorian Wedding Invitations

When informing guests of their wedding, the engaged couple may wish to send out Victorian style invitations to give guests an idea of how the event will be. To add a personal touch, the engaged couple could pen calligraphy onto the invitations, or search out antique, authentic Victorian cards to send to desired guests. Engravings will also give the invitations a sense of authenticity and age.

Victorian Wedding Gowns and Suits

Queen Victoria wore a white gown for her wedding to Prince Albert, and ever since, it has been popular for brides to wear white gowns for their own weddings. However, before and even after that some brides chose to wear different colors, especially if they could not afford a new dress. Brides today have myriad colors to choose from, and so some may wish to follow Queen Victoria while others may follow other Victorian women.


Some brides may choose to wear an antique dress that is genuinely Victorian, or have an antique dress reproduced with modern materials. Others may wish to go for a more subtle and understated look to their attire. But Victorian women often wore huge skirts, with layers of petticoats underneath them, along with corsets, which lacks subtlety.

The corset and petticoat style resulted in a look of a tiny waist with a large, filled-out skirt. The bodice would often be made from whalebone. Long veils were also common for the time, so a bride wishing to have a Victorian wedding gown should consider adding one to her outfit.

Grooms are advised to wear a top hat, and for a morning wedding, a morning suit, along with a cravat rather than a bowtie or necktie. Otherwise they may wear a tailcoat. Dark colors like black, brown or blue for suits are usually best, as men would not have worn lavender or salmon in the Victorian age.


Popular topics

Ideas for Victorian and Other Popular Theme Weddings
Country Western Theme Wedding
Collecting Vintage Wedding Theme Paper Dolls


Victorian Wedding Flowers and Bouquets

Typical Victorian brides carried a bouquet called the posy. It contained flowers of pale colors such as pink, blue and lilac, and was circle-shaped to represent everlasting love, with a rose in the center. The most common flower for a bride to wear was an orange blossom, which was a symbol for purity, while her attendants typically carried roses. Incorporating some of these colors into a Victorian wedding will add strength to the theme.

Victorian Wedding Favors

Simple ideas for Victorian style wedding favors may include small mirrors for female guests and little top hats for men. Lace doilies or handkerchiefs may be another option. As was popular during a Victorian Christmas celebration, crackers could be pulled. Crackers are twisted papers which two people pull to open, and inside are tiny toys, jokes and paper crowns to wear.

Venue for a Victorian Wedding

Castles always make for a majestic wedding, regardless if there is a theme or not. The Knot suggests looking up stately and historic homes, particularly ones that may have been of importance during the Victorian era. Any homes of famous Victorians that are available for weddings should be considered, such as the Farringford Hotel on the Isle of Wight, which was home to the great Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Victorian Wedding Food and Drink

Victorians traditionally had what was called a wedding breakfast, and that name stays in the United Kingdom today, though it is usually a luncheon or dinner rather than breakfast. The main meal typically included meaty fare like roast mutton, rabbit, roast beef, turkey and duck. Lighter fare might be sandwiches such as tuna or cucumber. Drinks should include a variety of teas. For the evening, white wine and champagne are recommended by The Knot.

Victorian Wedding Cake and Other Desserts

A cake was not always expected at a Victorian wedding, but when they did have one it was generally a fruitcake that was decorated with white icing and orange blossoms (as noted, the traditional flower for a virgin bride) and filled with good luck charms such as a horseshoe and a penny. Puddings, tarts and pies were also commonly served at Victorian weddings.

Brides and grooms who wish to have a Victorian theme wedding may incorporate a few or all of the ideas suggested above. Touches to the wedding that evoke the nineteenth century may be more appropriate, or a full-scale Victorian feast and festivities may be what the marrying couple desires. The end results are sure to delight guests and wedding attendants alike.
　

Sources:
•Creating a Victorian Posy, Floristry Expert UK
•The Victorian Wedding: Part One, Preparation, Literary Liaisons
•Victorian Weddings, Victoriana
•Wedding Style: A Victorian Event, The Knot