At BDV we are of the opinion that romance is best epitomized when represented by vintage fashion. To date many brides-to-be, hoping to commemorate their love in style, rightly seek vintage wedding dresses, understanding that an item as special and beautiful as a wedding dress cannot be worn or designed only once.
A lovely photo taken at one of our vintage and handmade wedding fairs by Todd and Moore Photography
After such a storming vintage and handmade wedding fair in the fabulous Merchant Adventurers’ Hall yesterday we thought it was only right to let our lovely brides know about where to find some gorgeous vintage wedding dresses online…here goes…
We just love this tea length style!
Heavenly Vintage Brides is a lovely little site. Owner Helena showcases her own range of reproduced vintage bridal gowns based on, and made to resemble, patterns from original 1930s to 1960s dresses (how amazing, right!?). Helena, who makes the dresses herself, works meticulously to ensure the right silk and lace is used for each style. Her current ‘Heavenly Collection’ consists of 10 dress styles, named Butterfly, Starlight, Violette, Florence, Bette, Blanche, Chantilly, Tea Rose, Stella, and Audrey. (Our fav must be Audrey as we both have an Aunty Audrey!)
The above dress is charmingly named ‘Chantilly’, named so for the fine, ivory, French Chantilly lace overlay and Chantilly lace trim of the bodice. The length is adjustable, depending on the bride’s preference, and can be ordered in ‘tea length’ (as pictured above), ‘ballerina length’ or ‘full length’. The style follows that of the classic 1950s shape with an over-exaggerated nipped in waist and full skirt.
Each dress is made in England and takes roughly six to eight weeks, inclusive of made-to-order completion and delivery time. Patterns can be altered to suit your wishes, while dresses can be ordered in standard sizes and then fitted. Dress prices range from around £1000 to £1500.
Very Vintage Bridal is a great site to buy vintage bridal gowns. Their wedding dresses are all sourced and refurbished by their seamstress, who is also available to make alterations to dresses should you warrant any changes. They also offer a bespoke underskirts and veil service, made to order in house, as well as stocking a selection of informal vintage wedding dresses for those brides intending on a destination wedding (oh lala!).
Such amazing lace detail – taken at one of our vintage and handmade wedding fairs!
The gowns are categorized into 4 different collections: 30s and 40s Vintage Bridal Gowns; 1950s Vintage Wedding Dresses; 1960s Vintage Wedding Dresses; 70s and 80s Vintage Wedding Dresses.
What’s a vintage wedding dress without lace?
The above gowns are from Very Vintage Bridal’s 30s and 40s vintage bridal gowns collection and are both of the 40s decade, therefore more inclined towards simple lines and focused detail than overblown luxury. The 40s wedding dresses (for the English masses, at least) were more likely to feature embroidered skirts and waist details than beading or crystal detailing, which is beautifully demonstrated by the dress on the left. Nylon lace sleeves and overlays were more of a decadent offering to the bridal outfit, a sign of wealth during a time of intense rationing.
Kate Middleton’s wedding dress has in recent years caused a surge of 40’s and early 50’s inspired gowns
If you want to indulge in a more personalized bridal gown service Very Vintage Bridal offer invitations to their private country house for an experience to suit all bride styles and budgets. Their gowns are incredibly affordable and range in price from £150 to £1000 depending on garment rarity.
The key to vintage inspired fashion is to ensure it remains elegant, sophisticated and as true to the desired era as possible. Vogue heavyweight Elizabeth Avey seems to have grasped this concept and her vintage wedding dresses cater for celebrities, fashion stylists and fashionista brides.
We LOVE the elegance and sophistication which Avey brings to the table!
All gowns are made in Avey’s private London studio and are understandably pricey, given the high quality and prestige of her work. Her website features a gallery with her current collection of dresses as well as an extensive bridal gallery of previous gowns and garments in action on the big day, worn by overjoyed brides in vintage finery.
London’s Belle and Bunty have a delightful array of gorgeous bridal gowns. Timeless and classic, their bridal gown collection has received constant press coverage in the world’s biggest and most famous fashion publications – from Elle and Vogue to Grazia and Marie Claire. Their celebrity clientele list includes the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Roberts and the highly fashion conscious Victoria Beckham.
Designers Alice Shreeve and Hannah Coniam-Thompson started their vintage clothing label in 2003 but their Bridal Collection was established later on in 2010. All collections are available to buy online and also in their London Boutique, featuring exclusive limited edition pieces not found on their website. Online stockists include The Wedding Company, Ivory & Pearl, and Lola Bridal.
It’s not always about the lace!
They specialize in a variety of bridal gown types, but have a fantastic vintage clothing collection that is worth a good look too. To finish off your vintage bridal gown, B&B have a small array of jewellery and headpieces starting at £77.
Due to their justifiably high stature, Belle and Bunty’s wedding dresses are relatively pricey (if you can put a price on the perfect dress of course). Prices typically start from around £1500.
———————————————————–
So there we have it folks, we do hope that has inspired you to look further and perhaps to even get in touch with these gorgeous suppliers. However, do keep an eye out on our wedding fair pages to see where we’ll be next and what’s going on! If you’d like further inspiration why not pop over to our ‘‘ Pinterest board!
We’ll be back soon with more pre-loved inspiration and humbling stories! Alex and Sam x
Pingback: Vintage dating tips