A Victoria's Theme Wedding

Wedding themes are increasingly popular, and having a Victorian-themed wedding may be of interest to some couples. This article offers ideas for a Victorian wedding.

Some brides and grooms prefer to have a themed wedding. One option that is popular is the Victorian theme wedding. Brides and grooms can send out nineteenth century style wedding invitations to guests, wear Victorian wedding dresses and morning suits, carry a Victorian style bouquet, give themed favors, choose a suitable venue and eat a Victorian style meal.

Victorian Wedding Invitations

When informing guests of their wedding, the engaged couple may wish to send out Victorian style invitations to give guests an idea of how the event will be. To add a personal touch, the engaged couple could pen calligraphy onto the invitations, or search out antique, authentic Victorian cards to send to desired guests. Engravings will also give the invitations a sense of authenticity and age.

Victorian Wedding Gowns and Suits

Queen Victoria wore a white gown for her wedding to Prince Albert, and ever since, it has been popular for brides to wear white gowns for their own weddings. However, before and even after that some brides chose to wear different colors, especially if they could not afford a new dress. Brides today have myriad colors to choose from, and so some may wish to follow Queen Victoria while others may follow other Victorian women.


Some brides may choose to wear an antique dress that is genuinely Victorian, or have an antique dress reproduced with modern materials. Others may wish to go for a more subtle and understated look to their attire. But Victorian women often wore huge skirts, with layers of petticoats underneath them, along with corsets, which lacks subtlety.

The corset and petticoat style resulted in a look of a tiny waist with a large, filled-out skirt. The bodice would often be made from whalebone. Long veils were also common for the time, so a bride wishing to have a Victorian wedding gown should consider adding one to her outfit.

Grooms are advised to wear a top hat, and for a morning wedding, a morning suit, along with a cravat rather than a bowtie or necktie. Otherwise they may wear a tailcoat. Dark colors like black, brown or blue for suits are usually best, as men would not have worn lavender or salmon in the Victorian age.