A Very Gatsby Wedding

There wasn’t a more fabulous time than the roaring twenties. And there wasn’t a better book to capture what it would be like to be a 20’s socialite than The Great Gatsby. Take away the homicide, tragedy, prohibition, and you get a series of evenings filled with grandeur, lavishness, culinary splendor, lively guests, dancing, music, and libations in abundance. Hmm, doesn’t that sound a lot like a wedding reception? The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a favorite among us Y-Gens, and many are choosing to use the style of the 20's for their weddings. You could really get into it and do a theme wedding (complete with flapper dresses, character roles, and the works), but if not, just keep things light, fresh, fun, and fabulous and you're well on your way to a 20's event. Here are some ways to have a Gatsby inspired wedding reception:

• Keep your overall style light, avoiding formality and stuffiness.
  


• Use flowers popular in the 20’s: Gladiolus, mums, lilies, and gardenias







Keep things colorful and fresh: Use fruit such as oranges and limes as decorations and centerpieces at buffet tables.

Adopt the style of the 20’s with a modern twist: Bride, wear something sleek, like a slipdress, to accentuate a simple silhouette characteristic of the 20’s, but embrace details such as lace, embroidery, anything to add a bit of flare. Wear period jewelry, as well. Groom: Wear an ivory suit, with a colored tie (peach was a trendy color in the twenties).



Have jazz music playing, and swing for dancing (You can also buy the soundtrack to The Great Gatsby and listen to it for inspiration)



Use a black and white checkered dance floor

• Rent these movies for inspiration:
  Oscar (with sly stallone)
  Bullets over Broadway
  The Great Gatsby (Obviously)
  
  

I love the idea of a Gatsby inspired wedding. There are scads of resources on the internet, too. I think the romance of the 20’s comes from the knowledge that, even though things appeared to be fabulous, fun and fancy free, it was about to take a turn for the worst (think October 1929). At first thought, the roaring twenties doesn’t seem like a good metaphor for a wedding. But life having its ups and downs, its triumphs and trenches, is inevitable, and when you are at a party, in the company of family, good friend, and marvelous people, well that, like love, is timeless.

Most resources found from:

http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Guides-Resources/The-Wedding-Planner-Spring-2007/Creating-a-Great-Gatsby-Wedding/