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A Thoroughly Vintage Wedding
VINTAGE WEDDING IDEAS
···3 min read·

A Thoroughly Vintage Wedding

We have a lovely real wedding to show you from Betty Be Vintage.  When Bobby-Lou Hulmes started planning her wedding to fiancé Adrian she knew she wanted everything from the hen party to her wedding dress to have a 1950’s flavour.

Having only become engaged on New Years Eve 2011 and with the big day set for April of the same year time wasn’t on her side but with a little ingenuity, a strong vision and creative flair she created the wedding of her dreams.

Vintage hair and makeup

A Thoroughly Vintage Wedding 1

Bobby-Lou began by planning her hen party. Keen to set the retro tone from the outset and avoid the pink cowboy hats and L plates so often favoured for bridal showers she booked her hen event with the Vintage pamper box, a Liverpool based company who offer 1950’s themed pamper days which include workshops in vintage inspired hair and makeup along with cheesecake style photo sessions.
She had first met Betty and Lilly from the Vintage Pamper Box at a burlesque themed event they had put on for Liverpool’s premier Burlesque show the martini Lounge and decided she wanted to recreate the mix of fun, glamour and practical hair and make up tuition for her pre-wedding celebrations.

Vintge wedding flowers

Vintage wedding hatsPicking up tips on easy victory rolls, Bettie Page fringes and Monroe’s lips as well as partaking in afternoon tea served on vintage china made for a wonderful get together for all her friends and also allowed Bobby-Lou to try out some hair and makeup styles for her wedding in advance. The photographs were taken by top vintage pin-up photographer Nick Beedles also offered a lovely memento of a day of pampering, circle skirts and laughter.

Vintage wedding photographersBobby-Lou has always had a fascination for the looks of bygone eras as she explains when I was a little girl my dad had a picture book of 1940s screen sirens and I loved them they were covered in cellophane and I would carefully unwrap them. I was particularly drawn to the film noir pictures and have been attracted to that element of old school glamour ever since.

Vintage Wedding Venues

Determined that she wasn’t going to fall into the trap of spending thousands on her wedding Bobby-Lou set herself a modest budget for the entire event, convinced that with a little research and imagination she could have a stylish unique wedding, which wouldn’t break the bank.

Searching online she found a perfect wedding dress at whirlingturban.com Exquisite in its simplicity and made of unbleached cotton with a pearl sheen when it arrived it fitted like a glove, nipping in her already tiny waist and emphasising her delicate collar bones and great legs. Ten denier Nude stockings with black seams and a pair of dainty ballet flats completed the look.

For her accessories, her fiancé Adrian brought her pearl earrings, which her mum complimented with a gift of a pearl necklace. A Birdcage veil sourced from eBay was the perfect finishing touch adding that all-important film noir element.

Having booked Lilly Von Pink from the Vintage Pamper Box to perform hair and makeup duties on the day. Bobby-Lou wore a classic Hollywood makeup with three shades of brown eye shadow accentuating the almond shape of her eyes, creamy white skin and of course those all-important pillar box red lips.
For the all important wedding day hair, she decided on a soft Veronica Lake inspired hairstyle. Lilly set Bobby-Lou’s hair using heated rollers with old fashioned setting lotion to create gentle cascades around her face.

A Thoroughly Vintage Wedding 3

Bobby-Lou’s stylish and beautiful approach continued with her choice of flowers. Classic Grand Prix roses for the bride, and a posy of pink and cream for the bridesmaid. The Groom wore a dark blue pinstripe suit and navy shirt and tie reflecting traditional union jack colours. The sun shone, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

And what did groom Adrian think of Bobby-Lou as she walked down the aisle to the stains of a ukulele playing somewhere over the rainbow “stunning” was his verdict and we couldn’t agree more.
Betty Bee 2011
  • The finer Details:
  • Bride & Groom-Bobby-Lou and Adrian Hulme
  • Hen Event-Thevintagepamperbox.com
  • Location-Bolton Town Hall
  • Wedding Dress-Whirling Turban
  • MUA-Lilly Von Pink from the Vintage Pamper Box
  • Photographer-Nick Beedles Betty Bee Photography
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