Brides-to-be looking to the past for wedding inspiration will have the chance to re-visit all the eras under one roof next month as the Secret Vintage Wedding Fair returns to Manchester.
The cute and quirky event, which promises to be packed with ‘hidden gems’, will be swinging into town on Sunday March 8 – but the venue will remain under wraps until just before the big day.
Designers and suppliers will be on hand to offer expert advice to happy couples hoping to inject some retro style into their nuptials and exhibitors will be serving up tea and cake along with their top tips.
Organiser Rebecca Jenkinson, 38, told MM: “I think it’s quite nice for people to go back to the good old days and incorporate that feeling of nostalgia into their big day.
“There are lots of fantastic wedding fairs out there but they tend to be quite mainstream so I think it’s nice for people to come along to our event and find something a little bit different and unique.
“We have so many great designers here in the North West that are brimming with brilliant ideas and they can bring vintage up-to-date and incorporate modern inspirations. That’s why I wanted to bring them all together in one place.”
UNBRIDLED JOY: Discover ‘hidden gems’ at the vintage fair
The event is returning to Manchester for the second year running and will also play host to flower displays, a secret cinema, catwalks and vintage gramophone DJ’s.
Rebecca, a former University of Manchester student and self-confessed vintage lover, set up the fair after struggling to incorporate vintage into her own big day.
She said: “I just love old stuff and the universal rebrand of vintage has made it really popular so I think it’s great that everybody else loves it as well.
“I got married in 2006 and vintage was really hard to get hold off so we really struggled but I found a beautiful lace dress which was definitely vintage inspired but I’m not sure you could have labelled it that at the time.
“Now there are so many to choose from. I absolutely love 1920’s dresses but they tend to be more expensive as they’re harder to find.
“Fashion always comes back round and now we’re seeing styles from the 70s, 80s and 90s coming through in high street stores which is brilliant.
“We find that the 30s are very popular because they have that real Hollywood glamour feel to them and certainly the 40s and 50s t length style dresses are popular and they suit so many shapes and sizes and are so flattering.”
SECRET LOCATION: The venue remains a mystery
Having spent six years working in the wedding industry, Rebecca has seen her fair share of white dresses but she says the secret to finding ‘the one’ is to ‘go with your heart’.
She said: “Don’t be afraid to try on dresses that you think won’t fit you or suit your style because they all look so different off the peg and set yourself a budget and then don’t go beyond that.
“I know when I looked for mine I tried some on that were hideously expensive and actually the one I liked the most was the cheapest of the bunch.
“You can definitely still get vintage wedding dresses for less than £300 if you’re prepared to shop around and have a good route on Ebay.
“We have two bridal wear designers both based in the North West and their specialty is vintage styling so if a bride is looking for shoes or accessories to go with their dress we have them too.
“All of our suppliers are really passionate about working with couples to help them achieve their dream day so come along and see us and have a fantastic day.”
For ticket information, click here.
