Vintage weddings are the latest craze sweeping down the aisle, with brides taking their 'something old' to whole new levels.

There are a wide variety of options for a vintage wedding, from incorporating just a few touches from a favorite era, to making your entire wedding theme match a specific time period.

Wedding Fashion Files are running a series on vintage weddings from the Victorian era through to the early 20th century,  focusing on the trends and traditions of each era.  For example, did you know that Queen Victoria was the first lady to popularize a white wedding dress?  They offer some fun ideas for an Edwardian wedding too, including candy carts, tea parties andferris wheels.  Great fun!

Taking vintage weddings through to more modern times, Vintage Glam Blog has some superb inspirations for 40's and 50's style.   I love this super sexy pin up look adopted by a bride who wanted a true vintage wedding.  With a look like this you can be sure that your wedding photographs will never look dated,  at least not to the time when you actually got married!  The great photo above is by photographer Ben Blood.

Here is a super quick style fact file for ways to incorporate a bygone era into your wedding:

1. Dress the part. 
   Don't be timid here.  Whether you love the look of Guinevere, Jane Austen, Queen Elizabeth, Grace Kelly or a flower power hippy,  embrace the look and try to emulate it in every part of your wedding outfit.
   
   
2. Hair and makeup. 
   Don't clash time periods by opting for a modern hairdo with a period vintage gown.  Your look will work best when you keep your hair and make-up consistent.  Experiment with a few options before your wedding to see what suits you.  Theau-natural look isn't for everyone,  neither is black eyeliner with nude lips.  A skilled beauty expert will be able to make recommendations based on your hair and skin type.
   
   
3. Accessories.
   Go truly vintage here.  How about asking your grandmother or mother for the jewelry they wore to their wedding?  Or scout antique stores and flea markets for genuine accessories.  You can have fun here, as items such as chokers, tiaras, parasols and gloves may have been worn in your chosen era.  Browse a few fashion books to find out what brides wore in the past, and if that doesn't inspire you, look to the general fashion of celebrities and high society to find some great ideas.
   
   
4. Reception.
   Incorporate some traditional touches into your reception, whether it is in decor, music or food.  Use iconic fonts for your place settings and seating plan.  You can either add a few touches, such as the most popular songs from the period, and some traditional nibbles at the buffet, or make the time period the whole theme for your post-wedding bash.  If you are opting for the later, be sure to let your guests know so that they can get into the spirit of things.  If you can encourage them to dress the part too,  the event can be even more special.