From 40s Fantasy to Designer Deco: the New Black and White Wedding
The black and white wedding theme hummed along for years, occasionally dipping just below the radar. But as every wedding planner knows, it never really left us — and it's coming back up in a big way.
Still, we're not talking yesterday's black and white wedding. We're talking one that reflects today's greater sophistication in combining shades, textures, prints. And at its best, it leaves guests with the sense that your event was a full-fledged experience.
That's why we asked two prominent wedding planners you've seen on Style Network's Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, Baltimore's Linnyette Richardson-Hall (Premiere Event Management) and Philadelphia's Mark Kingsdorf (The Queen of Hearts), to give us the scoop on "Black and White Weddings 2.0."
"Ten years ago," says Richardson-Hall, "there was no concept of textural interest, and no depth. Today, everything's about depth and texture: looking beyond the obvious, digging down, thinking outside the box.
"With a black and white wedding done right, you can knock it right out of the park. But done wrong, the look can be stark and boring. White tablecloths and chair covers, black chair sashes and table runners, red roses on the table — there's nothing fascinating about that. You want to turn that around: for example, zoot suits and pinstripes instead of the usual tuxes."
A Star is Born: How Black & White Hit the Big Time
if you've paid attention to wedding palettes, the question probably crossed your mind: why black and white? How did this retro palette ever manage to muscle in on an endless sea of chocolate brown?
"It's fun, clean and contemporary," says Mark Kingsdorf, chief planner at Queen of Hearts Weddings. "Brides are drifting away from that very frilly look, and if you're looking for another direction and want something almost Deco, this is it."
It's all about a stylized blast to the past, confirms Richardson-Hall. "The 40s craze, the return to high glamour, that retro look — you've seen it on runways, and it's definitely driving event planning."
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Sultry Sirens and Classic Cars: Richardson-Hall's Fantasy 40s Wedding
Both Kingsdorf and Richardson-Hall agree: the black and white trend leans heavily toward old Hollywood, 40's Harlem, smoky jazz clubs and sultry stars. They also suggest that when going for this look, keep it pure. Skip the accents, except for shimmer — and maybe the most classic of reds.
"When I'm designing around a retro, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie type of thing, I'd never suggest color," says Richardson-Hall. "This is all about the absence and presence of light. I'd blend in metallics, though. And if the client really felt a color, I'd bring in red roses, for a very, very classic look.
"My ultimate black and white wedding re-creates the 40s, and not just the look, but the feel. I'd be thinking timeless elegance: elegant women in hats, gloves, jewels, classic pumps, cocktail dresses with the crinolines. And the men in white dinner jackets and black bow ties, like Casablanca — or in pinstripes. Even the transportation is part of it: you can show up and leave in vintage cars.
"As far as the bride, you probably want a classic, sleek gown cut on the bias. You want to get away from pooffy, and lean toward the sleek chignon with a gardenia in the hair — and sultry red lips."
But picking the right venue is critical, reminds Richardson-Hall. "Your average hotel ballroom won't cut it." Instead, she suggests ornate, traditional nightclubs or restaurants. "Lots of heavy molding, starched white table linens, even jeweled table lamps."
Of course, you can hold a big wedding in the traditional ballroom, she says — but skip the chair covers, which disrupt the feel. "Stick with the black Chiavari chairs, or gorgeous velour-back chairs." Then, bring in a 10 piece (big) band or a jazz band, a hefty dance floor, and you're well on your way.
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All Deco'd Up and Someplace to Go: Kingsdorf's Hot-Mod Wedding
While Richardson-Hall envisions a glammed-up fantasy straight from the jazz age, Mark sees an event fusing strong classic roots with fresh flourishes.
"Black and white offer a huge advantage when dealing with a typical ballroom," he says, since ballrooms tend to be both colorful and patterned. "If you do black accents and white flowers, you're not fighting your surroundings."
But don't run too rampant with black, he warns. "You can use black chair covers and tablecloths, and set them off with red sashes and flowers. But you need to pick the right room, and you need to watch your light levels."
In other words, if you turn the lights down to low or the walls are too dark, the black "just sucks all the light out of the room." So turn up the lights, he advises, use plenty of red or white, and load up the tables with candles.
"Red works really well with black and white. Red roses are classic, and bring a lot of depth to the room, in addition to having a great velvety texture. I've also seen black and white done well with silver and gold.
"The other thing that works beautifully — and it's just a little twist, but still a very clean line — is black and ivory instead of white. The bride goes with an ivory or champagne gown, and ivory china, and avoids stark white." In that case, he suggests, good choices for the flowers include creamy hydrangeas, lisianthus, and stock, which in this case transcends its "always a bridesmaid" status as a filler flower.
A bonus to the black and white scheme, says Mark — plenty of bridesmaids are using it to raise the fashionista quotient of their bridesmaids' gowns.
"Brides are telling bridesmaids, 'It's a black tie, nighttime affair. Go find a little black dress that flatters you.' Then they give them the little restrictions involved: it needs to be floor-length, or the chapel wants the shoulders covered. The bridesmaids go to any boutique they like and buy a dress that works for them. They can wear it anywhere, and have it shortened afterward.
"Most of these kinds of dresses have an interesting cut, a bit of glittery ornamentation on the straps, and very clean lines. The final look is completely tailored and elegant."
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My, How Times Have Changed
We decided to really press Kingsdorf on what sets today's black and white wedding apart from the ones we saw ten years ago. (Of course, he was up to the challenge.)For one, he says, he's seeing a lot more patterns — toile, for example. "In a room that's a blank canvas, a toile overlay on a white cloth adds a lot of character." He's also seeing black and white checkerboard prints and stripes.
"We have a popular venue here that's an old warehouse with huge windows and huge white walls. It's perfect for bold solids and polka dot accents."
The wedding cake is an especially fun place to mod it up, he says. "The round white cakes with round black dots: they're sleek, modern, and Deco-y. So are the black satin bands on a bright white cake — it doesn't look like everyone else's. And it matches the type of sleek silhouettes you see in couture gowns — I'm thinking of an A-line gown by Vera Wang with a black satin sash."
(A more traditional but still current look, he points out, is the bridal bodice embellished in black, and the white cake piped all over in a matching black, lacy design.)
Another plus for this theme: trendy touches like the candy buffet are a perfect match. "Monochromatic candies are gorgeous, and there are so many retro kinds of licorice." And let's not forget the appeal of a crisp white or black favor box paired with a dotted grosgrain ribbon.
But what about the flowers for this hipster spin on black and white?
"Actually," he laughs, "carnations. I used to be a carnations snob, but now I'm finding there are so many cool, hybrid colors of carnations. Naturally-occurring purples and greens," he says, emphasizing the natural. "And when you bunch them up tight — pavéed — you can't even tell what kind of flower they are — it's just a great, super-saturated punch of color."
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Black and White Brides: Talk Back!
Now tell us about your black and white wedding: the venue, the flowers, the everything.
Pages: [11] 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 » Show All
I’m having a black and white wedding in October with touches of lime green. It’s in a garden courtyard in the French Quarter in New Orleans, and we added the green to make it just a bit less formal. My dress is from J.Crew, my bridesmaids are wearing black dresses with green shoes - SO cute. I’m doing all white flowers with black fabric flower accents.
Ok, so centerpiece advice….I love big square vases grouped together, but the vases can be really expensive….but I found a whole bunch of them at Goodwill for $2.99 each! I just took them home and washed them, and they are good as new.
UGH!! I am getting married in 4 MONTHS!!! and haveing a black and white wedding havent even got brides made dresses yet and have NO IDEA what to do for center peices
sheena,
are you having a theme?
* feather centerpieces
*candles
*black and white centerpieces
*black and white wedding centerpiece
i gave pages of google images so you could flip thru them!!
Hi ladies! I am having a B/W wedding in September with Red roses and my bridesmaid dresses can be found at Alfred Angelo.
Whoa, so weird.. I’m also having a B/W wedding in Sept. (2010 though!) with red flowers and my dress is Alfred Angelo! Do you have any suggestions for centerpieces? I’m having a hard time finding something classic & elegant.
Thanks & good luck, I’m sure it will be beautiful!
Im himming and hawing about that at the moment actually LOL! I am going to use more candles then flowers… I found really pretty small glasses at Ikea that are $1.99 each and putting black sand at the bottom with a white 3 inch candle. There will be several to a table and then I am surrounding those with red rose petals and small diamonds I think. Once the reception is over I have a brand new set of glasses to use LOL.
i understand about the centre peices, im having a B&W wedding in oct 2010 it’s just the hardest thing.
Hello,
First of all congrats!! My wedding is this Aug and my colors are white, black and red. What I’m doing for my centerpieces is an arrangement of white callas surrounded by tea light candles and some red rose pedals. It’s simple but elegant. And Ikea does have great things.
MY WEDDING IS ON NOV 14.09.IM HAVING THE BLACK AND WHITE THEME AS ABOVE THE TOP PAGE.MY DRESS IS SIMILAR TO THE SABRINA DRESS ABOVE.NOW MY QUESTION IS …HOW CAN I FIND THE RIGHT MAID OF HONOR AND BRIDESMAID DRESSES TO MATCH THAT PATTERN??? PLEASE HELP CONFUSED IN YUBA CITY CALIF.
joanna,
as far as cut, i would choose a sheath, full circle ( skirt) dress, or a simple 1950’s inspired style. if you mean intricate pattern, i would keep the bm dresses in solid color.
* dress styles ( second dress)
* you could use any one of these
each body shape will be different, you could let them each choose their own style in black. i would go with a black sheath or a black ( slightly full skirt) strapless or straps are ideal. make up for it with 50’s style lack heels or traditional “audrey” style slingback flats. depending on bm, she may not like heels, etc. and depending on formality. if more formal. have these dress styles simply longer. check out jcrew.com bridesmaids.
joanna,
* lil’ black dresses
my picks are:
in the long all except cecilia.
inthe short no halter, it wont work well or the cecilia. choose sydney as the best choice.
Hello!! My favorite colors are black & white, so I would love to use them in my wedding. I am getting married in Hawaii, does anyone have any pictures with these colors on the beach? i’m having a really hard time picturing it!!! thanks so much!
betsy, google image black and white beach wedding. i love it!!
betsy, check this out!
* real wedding
I’m getting married in Aug ‘09 and my colors are red, black, and white/Ivory. I really need help in ideas in how to decorate the reception!! It’s really hard to find ideas online so if anyone can help I would really appreciate i
cynthia,
google image red black white wedding for many amazing pics also google image red black and white wedding board also try red black ivory wedding i also tried red and black wedding board for xtra pics. i wasnt sure where you wanted to use the white. i do love the subtle contrast of white and ivory rose bouquets. they are gorgeous! i hope you find some great ideas!!
I had a black white and red wedding last August and loved it!
Black table cloths, white china and napkins, silver chivari chairs with white cushions. The girls wore whatever black dress they wanted, I bough them red satin sandals (payless believe it or not!) We used red orchids calla lillies and roses for lapels, bouquets and centerpieces, but really any red flower would do.
Let me know if you want any more details and congrats!
my pics are at pictage.com
nicole graham and jason bichsel
Nicole,
Thank you!!
And yes I would love to see pictures.
Are those pics of your wedding, the one with the Feather table arrangements? I absolutely love it. I really want to use this idea for my wedding coming up on 1/30/10. I was thinking of using some white roses in the middle of the feathers. I also love the brides bouquet. Can you tell me where you got the feathers??? thanks!
hi Corina,
no it is not my wedding but it is beautiful! i agree!
i just try to help brides on the forums. white roses would be sensational! instead of putting the roses in the middle just arrance the roses and stick feathers in here and there. plume feathers are another beauty. try your local craft store. or go here: saveoncrafts.com
have a beautiful wedding!!
hi i’m thinking of black & white and dashes of gold. will it work? has anybody seen it done? help!!
dalie,
absolutely!!
* A modern twist to a classic look
beautiful huh?!?!
I am getting married 4/17/09. I am doing strictly black and white. My fiance and I are wearing all white, the groomsmen and bridesmaids are in black. the groomsmen’s tuxes are black tuxes with black shirts, white satin ties and pocket squares. My bridesmaid’s dresses are black satin with chiffon and they are carrying a single white calla lily and wearing white pearl necklaces and earrings. Another twist on our wedding is the flower children. I have 3 boys, don’t know any of my friends with girls, so my two oldes boys are my flower boys. They along with the ringbearer are wearing black on black tuxes with white ties and pocketsquares. All of the groomsmen’s and boys shoes are also black and white. I am really excited and I do believe that this will be a beautiful wedding.
We are getting married at a lodge on the lake, so the ceremony will be outside. I, wow! am really excited
I am getting married in August and I have been looking for some jeweled table lamps. Anyone seen any?
taelor h.
browsing the web; i didnt come up with anything. you will probably need battery operated table lamps. the best advice i can give is check out wedding rental or party rental companies or if you have a wedding planner they will find them for you. that is generally where these ideas spark from and they know the right vendors. where i live we have them at hobby lobby with a cord though. so thats no good. i would rent them because they are expensive if purchased. google search party or wedding rentals in your area and i know something will surface!! i typed in wedding rentals then party rentals on google and found tons of results. instead of jeweled type in beaded. you will find more. another idea: if all you can find is plain table lamps, go for it and use beaded votive candle holders, beaded napkin rings etc. anything to bring glam to the table.
*tabledecor
hey there
id love some more ideas with the red black theme
do you know of any great websites?
thanks carla
carla,
google image and google search black and red wedding board. also check out theknot.com…..wedding photos then it will take you to color galleries. you can also check out weddingchannel.com (they also have color coded weddings) also google image red and black wedding theme. sometimes when you swap the way you list the colors it will pull up different results. and a really good results came up when i google searched black and red real wedding. loads of stuff from mags.
hi! I am getting married in Nobember 2009. I am still undecided on my wedding theme and color. I am considering black and white but I don’t want it to be plain white and black, I want to add a light color like yellow or pink to it. My problem is that my wedding reception is being held in a garden. Is it inappropriate to use black and white as theme? and what light color should go with it? my favorite color is purple but i look good in pink. i am also considering yellow. I don’t want red because it is so usual and I want my wedding to be fairy tale-like but modern at the same time. help please…
attached is a picture of my garden venue. thanks!
wella, yes it can be used beautifully!! do you want just one color or go against the usual black and white red or pink theme and choose pink yellow and purple for your flowers? you could pick 1 flower type: roses and use in assorted colors. gogol;e image black white pink wedding baord then black white yellow wedding board.
*The first fall wedding of the season! ( this is beautiful with close to your colors, fall yet garden)
this wedding has pink but actually is a magenta in the mix ( gosh its pretty)
*Wedding in Lavender, Black & White
remember inthe fall keep your lighter colors a little deeper.
wella, here is more.
I think a black and white wedding should be black and white only, with only the flowers in color. I plan on having black and white themed wedding……when he gets around to asking.
hi , im abit stuck on wat to do my coloures for my wedding is black white and pink and im not sure how to dec my wedding reception im havin in a village hall !!!! i would love ur help and it would b evern better if u can send me some potos to get a better idea
thanks lookin forword to ur help
tanya,
google image black white pink wedding then google image black white pink wedding board. also google seach these there may be different results. here are some faves of mine…
*Reception
*Black, White and Pink Wedding Colours
*What colour with balck and white….by sherrie
*Black, White and Pink All Over
* Board #275: Budget Friendly #7, Champagne Friday
( you may like this one, i love the tips they give with thes budget boards, for more go to snippetandink.com and type budget friendly wedding board in search box( they have many more).
i love simple white linens, shades of pink centerpieces, a black and white pattern napkin(stripes, dots etc) even white napkins with black embroidered names and date( we have a place that does this on sweatshirts etc, it pretty cheap) white plates on black chargers, or white plates and rent black and glass stemware( i have read this is a pretty reasonable way to add drama to a table without breaking your budget, as are napkins.)thats how alot of luxe for less weddings are. they pull in those items, that add pizzazz without alot of fancy items. it makes a difference.
I am getting married in 10/09 and our colors are black and white, anyone have any idea’s for centerpieces?
tiffany,
just google image black andwhite wedding,also black and white wedding board, and then black and white wedding centerpieces.
check out all the pics, i hope you find something you love!!
Thanks so much!! I will definately check it out!!
My Fiancee and I are getting married on March 28th 2009.. its getting so close and im so excited…i cant wait…i have been planning our wedding for over a year now. and have been on a somewhat tight budget our parents have givin us all they could to help so i have done everything for just under 10,000.with a guest list hitting 250 people its been tough Our colors are black and white with lite pink. We are not a very traditional couple so we are not getting married in a church we are having our cermony and reception in the same room the guest will be at their tables for the cermony. for center pieces we are doing a bow of white tuling on a black table cloth with lights under neath(battery powered) and black tuling on the white table cloths. at each seat there will be a wedding program and a fluet with our mongram and our wedding date as favors. white chairs with black tuling sash.( i have found that tuling looks good and doesnt cost much. My Fiancee has never worn a tie in his life he is somewhat of a hilliy! llol we are big harley people and instead of the guys wearing tux they will b wearing black dress pants a BLACK BUTTON UP and a leather vest!with my fiancee in a white button up.My grandmother is a retiered florest so i opted for silk flowers and had her doe all the flowers..my boquet is pink roses and white calla lilys with the Maid of honors being a smaller version of mine and the other brides maids is all pink roses. we are doin a candy bar of all white and pink candies. i was able to find shear black fabric on sale and am brapping it in 2 foot sections every 4 foot on the walls…i was able to rent lights to shot pink light on the walls between the sections of fabric…
When i started to plan this wedding i knew exactally what i wanted but with the money i was able to spend and my Fiancees totally different taste and what he was and wasnt willing to compermise i am hopping iwas able to keep the classic elgance of the black and white i was going for in the begging.
i have been doing this for over a year now and have plunty of ideas if ne one has ne questions or needs help
Hi ladies, i am having a black/white and little bit of pink in the evening. Got most planned but have you got any extra ideas i can add…eg cake ideas, favours or anything extra to a wedding??Xxx
mandy,
*Wedding Colours ( check the board out!! love the wedding cake)
just google search black white pink wedding ( it will pull up lots of eye candy)
Thanks x
Hello~
I am having an outdoor wedding october 9th at 4pm. Our color scheme is red, white, and black. Not that bright red, more of a deep red.. im keeping from that christmas red color. I am having a terrible time trying to figure out ways to decorate the hall… What theme do you go with? What type of gifts should go on the tables? We are doing kinda a zoot wedding.. he is wearing a white with black pinstripe suit, with a red rose, and red tie, the guys are in black and red, and so are the girls… i had thought about a fall theme, but thats tacky when your using red, blacks, and whites. I chose an evening wedding because of the elegance… romantic with candles and such… but im not into hanging fake bells and such either. How can i decorate the hall with out looking EMO?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! im driving myself nuts!
I have attached a picture of my dress…. my dress isnt so much 40’s, but i fell in love with it!
catherine,
your right i wouldnt go with the fall theme. the only theme i would go with here is a 40ish romance theme. not so much 40’s but more todays touches. i think feathers on your tables would be out of this world! add candles around the room, red roses are you gonna wear a birdcage veil? i would definitely consider it. you could incorporate 3 small roses at the back of it. as far as the favors, black and white (small striped) boxes all the way. a neat lil’ idea also would be i am thinking 40ish supperclub, which would be superb tables, glam. i wouldnt worry so much about anything hanging etc. i wish i had a pic of your venue. have white table linens. if you dont like the feathers, think calla lilies. also google image old hollywood wedding.
another option other than feathers though the feathers are my fave,
something like this…
*Glam Up Your Table for a Party
*More Of Scott and Stacey’s Wedding
*Hollywood Glamour - An Inspiration Board
Catherine,
Hi, my name is Laura. I’m getting married and absolutely fell in love with your dress. I was wondering who the designer is so that I can look into it further. Any information you can give me would be very helpful … good luck with your wedding
I am getting married in 9-6-09 and I finally picked out Bridesmaid dresses. They are black with Charcoal grey band and maid of honor is opposite them. My dress is white. We want the guys to wear grey so you can see contrast between dress and tux when walking together…but any ideas on flowers? We were trying to stay colorless for our wedding but didnt know if just white flowers would look okay with what we are doing
kelli,
if you are going for the colorless look then white flowers would be my choice . the key here is like youi said, contrast. i would especially use different patterns and textures that blend well. its like planning an all white wedding, if there is no depth it can look cold and too stark, even boring. so make sure there is enough to work with to make it stand out. otherwise it can look drab, when you want it to look elegant. make sure the ribbons on your bouquets make a statement. think patterns or stripes, damask.
wow thank you for the links they are great now one more thing…how can i pull of a blk&wht wedding in the afternoon. i thought it would be nice to make it an all black and white party but i dunno now… still looking my wedding date is for 10-10-10 and the venue i want only has a 1 to 6 time frame open now also this date falls on a sunday what do you guy’s think i dont want to go broke for my wedding and nobody shows up on a sunday
deanna,
it will be perfect a black and white theme will fit anytime. they should show up on sunday but if your feeling a little uneasy,actually i love the idea of a sunday wedding. do a lil’ test. ask family and friends what they think about a sunday wedding(just a few of them) and see. this might help ease your feelings.
can you move your date up to get a a different venue date? if not, you may find something else that is completely wonderful. i would search different places before deciding on one. you have plenty of time to plan, but i know with venues they book quickly. plus if you do choose something else, keep your color options open, cause another color scheme may be needed. just giving ya a heads up!
heh brides! i was thinking last night about the black/brown combo for weddings it seems it is getting popular. I see a trend forming!! i think it may be bigger than anticipated, it is a striking combination. so i decided to make a mood board and post it. it is a elegant combo of colors and i chose the bouquet colors (palest pink for bride and i pulled the orchid green and white from centerpieces for the bm) to make each member stand out from the black/brown combo and for a timeless look that wouldn’t be “dated” in a few years. oh yes! i also included a larger pic of the reception so you could see the beautiful detail in that pic. i hope you like it.