vintage carnival weddings

Millennial couples are looking for nostalgia. Plain and simple. The more outside-the-box and undone an idea is, the better. An increasing amount of couples request something different from all of the other weddings they attend. Something extremely memorable.

I thought of the vintage carnival idea back in July when we were planning a company party at the venue I work at. We have such expansive property beyond the vineyards, I thought "how cool would it be to have a ferris wheel in the open field?". My mind started wandering further into the idea of a fun, truly vintage wedding featuring a carnival menu for cocktail hour with fried pickles, mini hamburger sliders, corn dogs, a decked-out popcorn bar, and a french fry station, followed by a proper, formal sit down dinner, of course, and finish off the night with a funnel cake truck, cotton candy, s'mores bar, and Mr. Softee for dessert. Every guest could go home with a sweet North Fork caramel apple for a favor. I imagined all of the amazing rustic games that would be scattered on the lawn, with a ferris wheel, and maybe even a carousel, in the backdrop.

After googling what I thought was a super original idea, it seems as if others have picked up on the fun, nostalgia that goes along with the old world fair theme. After all, Allie and Noah do meet at a fair on the movie, The Notebook (swoon, Ryan Gosling...).

What's so great, is that I found some photos that bring almost exactly what I imagined the event to be to life! Of course, I would add in some chalkboard signs to add some more whimsy, but the color palette and theme of these inspiration photos are on-point. You can go as bright or as muted in color as you would like. It all depends on you as a couple, the time of year, and the venue setting. For additional prop rentals outside of your venue, google vintage carnival games, decor, etc. or if you have a planner, they can certainly bring the theme altogether for you. *If you are here on Long Island, Early Bird Vintage has AMAZING vintage furniture props, plates, tiered stands, trunks, and more.

Scroll down to see some vintage carnival perfection!