March 6, 2020

How to plan a vintage wedding and hire a wedding reception band that really swings

Planning a wedding starts with searching for inspiration and ideas. If you’ve often dreamed of stepping back in time, or gravitate towards the styles of the 1930s and 40s, a vintage wedding is the perfect choice.

Here are 5 essentials you need to work into your planning, whether it’s deciding to hire a wedding reception band or choosing the perfect historic venue.

1. Choose wartime wedding fashions

Make sure the wedding party looks the part. 1930s and 40s brides would usually wear lace, silk, corseted dresses with long sleeves, high necklines, and mid-calf or floor length hemlines, while grooms wore broad shoulders, waistcoats, and brogues.

Bridesmaids wear pastels, golds, and floral prints, with understated bias cut skirts and cowl necklines. Groomsmen would be at home in similar tailoring to the groom, featuring old fashioned buttonholes.

2. Set the table for tea (and champagne!)

The early 1940s was all about the ‘DIY wedding’. With so many couples separated by war, getting married in a hurry was a priority and weddings were often thrown together as a result. Your wedding will hopefully have much more planning time, but you can still pay tribute with a traditional and timeless wedding breakfast.

After your drinks reception, set the tables with china cups and teapots, delicate flowers, tiered cakes, sandwiches, scones, and all the afternoon tea favourites. If you hire a wedding reception band, they could perform while people help themselves to really set the mood.

3. Choose a venue with style and history

There are many historic buildings up and down the country, all with rich pasts, classic architecture, and some stunning gardens. If you want to be truly authentic, research local churches, registry offices, hotels, and other venues with connections to the 1930s and 1940s. You could even get creative a book a steam train, museum, or country pile in the middle of nowhere!

Bonus points if the venue has plenty of stained glass and original features. They’re the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.

4. Strike up the band!

For a truly spectacular party, you need to hire a wedding reception band. When you’re stepping back in time, a DJ doesn’t always cut it!

The 1920s onwards were all about jazz. People couldn’t get enough of the deep bass lines and hot brass. Weddings were no different. Couples with style would make sure their nuptials were serenaded by jazz musicians.

Silk Street Swing play sophisticated jazz and lively swing music – all live and dripping with 1930s and 40s style. Their huge repertoire of songs can be played by line-ups of 2 to 5 talented, experienced musicians. Silk Street Swing know how to turn up the fun at any celebration.

Hire a wedding reception band with style and swing. Get a no-obligation quote today.