1960s Mad Men Theme Wedding
Susie here -- also known as The Wedding Chicks programmer. You might remember my Mad Men Save the Date from earlier this year (click here to get your own customized version). I can't believe it, but the wedding came and went on Friday, October 1! I'm here to share the details with you! Please enjoy our Mad Men Theme Wedding.
All of the amazing photos were taken by the super sweet and oh-so-talented Seattle wedding photographer, Julie Harmsen.
When we got engaged we knew our wedding wouldn't be traditional. We wanted something fun, comfortable, and focused on our love. To come up with the theme, I brainstormed with Jocey (one half of The Wedding Chicks!). Our original venue, which actually went out of operation before our wedding, was decked out in mid-century modern furniture. We loved this look, so we chose to match it with an early-to-mid 60s Mad Men theme. I started collecting ideas by going through vintage magazines from the 1960s, like Vogue, and photo galleries from the show.
To capture the Mad Men look, I had my dress custom designed by Andrea Pitter of Pantora. Working with Andrea was so easy! I explained my vision and she took my ideas and came up with her own creative spin. I finished the look with vintage-inspired jewelry by Mercury Jane Designs on Etsy. The birdcage veil and mini hat was custom designed by Eugenia of Petit Plume, who stepped in for me very last minute and designed something 100% original! Of course the look would not have been complete without the help of Renee and Emily of Two Fishes Artistry, who gave me a high, retro updo and beautiful makeup to match.
We had planned for our wedding to be held at a rooftop venue overlooking the Las Vegas strip. We wanted the reception to feel more like a cocktail party with dancing under the stars. Six weeks before the wedding, we discovered that our venue had gone "out of operation". Our absolutely incredible wedding coordinator, Juliet Douglas of Green Orchid Events, really came through for us in hunting down a replacement venue on such short notice. She executed and coordinated the entire wedding flawlessly. Juliet and her team were our wedding heroes! Thanks to their hard work, we landed a perfect backup venue in The Platinum Hotel a few miles off the strip. The Misora Terrace at the hotel has a breathtaking view of the Strip as well as the mountains beyond, making it a beautiful spot for the ceremony as well as the perfect spot for a party-vibe reception after sunset.
We kept the ceremony simple, and sweet, and it was such a beautiful event for us! We only invited our immediate family members to the ceremony to keep it intimate. We placed benches for the guests around our four post altar with hanging orange and white blooms and crystals. Everyone had a great seat, and we were surrounded by a warm, loving energy. Our officiant Reverend Judy Irving wrote such a touching ceremony that all of our guests loved.
At the reception, we opted for an interactive dessert station rather than a traditional wedding cake. Our floral designer, Fleuretica, along with Picture Perfect Events, came up with the clever concept of a station divided in half, with one side representing feminine, and the other masculine, joined together by a common object: a window in the middle of a shared wall. This symbolism was so perfect for marriage, but also for the Mad Men theme in creating a retro kitchen for one side, and a sleek mid-century modern bar or office for the other. They filled each space with vintage furniture and props from the 1960s. I felt like we were on the Mad Men set! Sweet and Saucy Shop provided the delicious and lovely little desserts for each side, which included mini lattice top pies and delicate french macaroons in the kitchen, and rich chocolate mousse dessert shots and chocolate dipped pecan shortbread squares in the office.
Guests were encouraged to channel Mad Men in their attire. Fleuretica put together an amazing accessory bar for us, again using vintage pieces and tons of props throughout the display. The ladies could finish off their retro look with gloves, handbags, pearls, and scarves, while the men could grab a fedora, vintage tie, and vest, amongst other items. The station also had other great details, like an old shoe shine kit and perfume bottles. This was a huge hit with our guests! We let them capture their look in photos by setting up a photo booth area with a long couch right next to the accessory bar. Our amazing photographer, Julie Harmsen, created the setup for us and provided a remote control so guests could snap their own shots. We now have hundreds of hilarious, super fun photos that we will absolutely treasure forever.
In lieu of a traditional guestbook, an aqua, vintage typewriter (do any weddings *not* have a vintage typewriter these days?) directed guests to write a note and tack it to our "office bulletin board", as Mad Men is set mostly in the office. I also purchased an orange suitcase from the 1960s on Etsy, and used it to hold the cookie favors. The favors were made by my uber talented sister-in-law, Brigi, who matched them to the invitations I designed (look for a customizable version of my invitation coming your way soon!). We also included four popular 1960s cocktails for guests to try at the bar.
DJ Smiles Davis of the infamously awesome The Flashdance kept the party going all night long. Smiles was our dream DJ! She played a great eclectic mix of songs and kept the party vibe right where we wanted it without ever treading anywhere near "traditional reception music". Everything you have heard about The Flashdance is true -- they are the best, there is no way around it.
Lighten Films was on hand to capture the event in live action on film. We'll share a trailer from them in a few weeks so you can see what it was like, up close and personal!
I will be sharing more details and personal stories over in Brides in the coming weeks!
Photographer: Julie Harmsen Photography Coordinator: Green Orchid Events Flowers: Fleuretica Desserts: My Sweet and Saucy Officiant: Reverend Judy Irving Filmmaker: Lighten Films
Cookie Favors: Brigi Schindler, sister-in-law of the bride Dessert Station Design: Fleuretica and Picture Perfect Events DJ: Smiles Davis from The Flashdance Dress: Pantora by Andrea Pitter Furniture rental: Somers Furniture Hair & Makeup: Two Fishes Artistry Headpiece: Petit Plume Invitation & Printed Materials: Zee Studio (the bride)
Jewelry: Mercury Jane Designs Lighting: All Events DJ Printer: Papeterie Venue & Catering: The Platinum Hotel
