Romantic Modern Gatsby Wedding Inspiration

Of all of the eras that seem to inspire weddings, the Roaring Twenties never seems to lose its appeal. Typified by famous novel The Great Gatsby, this was a time of huge social upheaval and massive changes in the lifestyles of the young not to mention the beauty of the Jazz and Art Deco ages. Today, we’re taking a look at a modern Gatsby themed wedding with some lighter touches and a more romantic feel. So, if you love the Twenties but feel that full-on flapper isn’t for you, then read on…

Images: Top Row Left via Style Me Pretty | Top Row Right via Country House Wedding Venues | Second Row Left via Love My Dress | Second Row Right - Deco Dream Earrings by Glitzy Secrets | Third Row Left via Tulle & Chantilly | Third Row Right - Pearls of Deco Earrings (Sold Out) by Glitzy Secrets | Bottom Row Left via Ruffled | Bottom Row Right via The Wedding Community

In terms of colours, for this modern take, let’s keep things light. A lot of Gatsby inspired weddings go heavy on the black and gold and whilst a bit of gold is certainly important for that touch of decadence, avoid using too much. Instead, opt for creams, pinks and pale greens and soften the lines of those Art Deco shapes with rounder, gentler motifs in the form of flowers and fabrics.

Your gown is quite obviously central to your wedding theme and my goodness, you’ve got a fabulous choice. One of my favourite designers is Vicky Rowe and her beautifully embellished gowns wouldn’t look out of place at all in the 1920s. Choose a gown with flowing lines, a deep V-neck and plenty of decoration that keeps true to period styles. T-bar or round-toed shoes, again with embellishments are brilliant for this theme and I’d urge you to take a look at Emmy London or Rachel Simpson for inspiration.

Your maids can certainly bring the glitz to your Gatsby day with shorter length sequin gowns and light coloured bouquets. Don’t feel for this theme that you need to coax your hair into period-appropriate styles but simply accessorise your look with some vintage inspired jewellery – the Heirloom Vine Headpiece from Glitzy Secrets is a showstopping piece and necklaces and earrings that combine pearls and sparkles with Art Deco lines are ideal. The Pearls of Deco and Deco Dream earrings are some of my favourites and you’ll find more Art Deco and 1920s inspired wedding accessories in the Glitzy Secrets collection.

To set the scene for your day, invitations inspired by the period are truly perfect. You’ll have lots of designs and designers to choose from and, if you like the thought of some wedding DIY, you’ll also find lots of templates, 1920s fonts and patterns available to download online.

Top Row Left - Heirloom Vine Headpiece by Glitzy Secrets | Top Row Right via The Wedding Notebook | Second Row via Country House Wedding Venues (as before) | Third Row Left via Hey Wedding Lady | Third Row Right via Artfully Wed | Bottom Row Left via Deer Pearl Flowers | Bottom Row Right via Style Me Pretty (as before)

Moving onto the wedding itself and when it comes to styling now, you can certainly have a lot of fun! Frankly, any Gatsby wedding has to include signature cocktails and I love whisky or gin based drinks, served with lots of iced in short glasses for a little bit of speakeasy style! Another great touch (and a nod to the piece of writing that inspired your wedding theme) would be a vintage typewriter set up to be your guestbook. Who knows what literary genius your wedding might inspire?!

Guest tables are another brilliant place to go to town on your theme. Be bold with tall tablecentres that cascade towards the table, perhaps with a few feathery finishing touches. Alternatively, create a long, low tablecentre in pale cream and accessorise with candles and pretty glassware that will catch the light. If you’d like to inject a little gold here, go ahead. The golden cutlery available to hire from Duchess & Butler is ideal.

A cake with just a couple of Art Deco details will be both subtle and true to your theme and as for wedding favours, well, a copy of The Great Gatsby would be great but why not put your own stamp on the day with something that’s meaningful to you both? As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in the book “there are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice” so make sure your wedding is the day you love.