Welcome to the 70’s: A Vibrant Vintage Wedding in Virginia

College sweethearts Kirsten + Gifford’s Norfolk, Virginia wedding was a warm + colorful vintage-inspired affair, and we are so obsessed.

“Giff and I have always shared a strong love for music, specifically older music,” says bride Kirsten. “We love collecting vinyls, and together, we have hundreds of vinyls in our collection. While we love so many different eras and genres of music, we love the vibe of 70s music so much that we decided to have a 70s-themed wedding!”

With this retro approach in mind, Kirsten + Gifford chose funky warehouse-style venue The Neon House for their celebration and filled the space with dazzling disco balls, lots of handcrafted details, and a playful, joyful energy that Deline Photography captured so beautifully. 

“I really wanted to do something fun and memorable,” Kirsten says, “and I think we hit the nail on the head!”

“Before I even got engaged,” Kirsten says, “I fell in love with Madison Chamberlain’s custom wedding pieces, specifically the veil.”

“I knew I needed a simple dress that I could really play up with fun accessories,” says Kirsten of the search that led her to this gorgeous bishop sleeve gown. “The dress was Eddy K from Brooke’s Bridal and Ball, paired with hot pink wedding shoes from Target. And switched into high-top Vans for the reception.”

Head over heels for this vibrant + shimmery wedding veil? Yeah, us too. Big time. We’re already huge Madison Chamberlain fans—you can check out some more of her creations in this colorful New Orleans wedding and this unique Pacific Northwest wedding, this non-traditional NYE wedding, and this maximalist 90’s wedding photo shoot.

Explore our collections of all the best rose gold bridesmaid dresses and terracotta bridesmaid dresses to start building a mismatched warm-tone bridal party palette like Kirsten’s.

“Giff had a super fun time playing with vintage vibes with his suit,” remembers Kirsten.
“The pants and shoes were originally given to him by his grandfather, who wore them when he was a teenager!”

“The jacket, shirt, and cummerbund from Hugo Boss added some additional vintage flair.”

The Ceremony

Loving the subtle tropical flair of these explosively lush floral towers from Studio Posy.

Not going with a flower girl? Grab some of your groomsmen and give them some petals, cause “Flower Fellas” are always an option!

Pastor James Davis, aka 757 Wedding Pastor, was on hand at the ceremony to make things official for Kirsten + Gifford.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Lovely Day" by Bill Withers + "You’re Still the One" by Shania Twain (Lake Street Dive cover)
Recessional
"Still the One" by The Orleans
First Dance
"Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac

Post-Ceremony Portraits

Our Favorite Memory
From the bride: "Our favorite memories were connecting with all our friends and family. We felt like the most special people in the world, with everyone we loved around us. One of the absolute best parts of that day, though, was my bridesmaid and best friend and our awesome DJ convincing me to sing karaoke to Bennie and the Jets during our reception!"

We’re very into these funky wedding day sunnies. Grab some white heart frame sunglasses and some orange-tinted black frame aviators to recreate this retro look!

Kirsten’s wedding day hairstyle was created by Rose + Peach Beauty, and Makeup By Kett took care of her low-key, glam wedding makeup look.

The Reception

If you’re loving the look of Kirsten’s bridal silhouette, check out our list of the best long sleeve wedding dresses!

Of course these two music lovers went for a wedding reception seating chart made of records!

Take a peek at this Fall disco wedding and this funky Joshua Tree wedding for even more vinyl seating chart inspo.

The reception’s many dreamy disco balls glittered in a lighting setup by Stage Right.

And guests enjoyed a delicious dinner menu from Chef By Design.

“The table numbers, entryway signs, bar signs, and photo wall (just to name a few) were all handmade by my dad and mom,” says Kirsten. “I love that our wedding was the perfect mix of vintage and repurposed items, as well as new handmade items that my parents and I worked on together. All the little details made our wedding so unique and personalized.”

“I had two main goals when planning our wedding:be mindful of purchases that would only have a one-time value and, of course, have fun.” says Kirsten of her joyful, consumption-conscious, and eco-friendly approach to the planning process.

“I wanted to make sure things I purchased for our wedding could be reused or repurposed, which is why much of our wedding decor is still decorating our home today! We utilized thrift and vintage shops and rental services like Waterford Event Rentals. I resold items that were still in good condition for other people to use in their weddings, and we purchased shoes and clothes we would definitely wear again.”

When it comes to couples handling the work load of wedding prep, balance is key. Kirsten + Gifford came up with an excellent plan for them: “Giff’s paternal grandparents moved to Virginia from Bermuda before starting a family and living together. Giff grew up going to Bermuda with his grandmother, who has since passed. Since I did a majority of the wedding planning and DIYs, Giff took on the task of planning our honeymoon to Bermuda!”

“We left only 8 hours after our wedding ended and had an amazing trip exploring the island, eating lots of local cuisine, and learning all about what Bermuda is known best for,” says Kirsten of their sunny island honeymoon. “Bermuda is an awesome place to vacation because it is extremely easy to get around, locals are incredibly friendly, and it’s small enough that you could explore the entire island within a week. We enjoyed boat cruises, snorkeling, the aquarium with local sea life, and the pink sand beaches!”

Some wisdom from a brave bride who accomplished this whole thing without a planner: “I highly recommend planning without an end goal in mind. Rather than trying to visualize the final product, I just picked individual things I liked and let my vendors take the reins on most of my services. Your vendors know what they are doing; that’s why you pay them!!! Getting some of those aspects of planning off my chest by letting vendors or your friends in your wedding party take control can immensely help your sanity.”

Our Advice
From the bride: "I’m forever trying to dispel the notion that things have to be done a certain way. Your wedding is just that- YOUR wedding! I love to get away from the norm and branch out. Don’t let antiquated traditions keep you from having the perfect day. I’m no professional and I don’t have event planning experience. I just picked things I liked and hoped they came together. Let your personality and interests shine. And if you’re daring enough, have a theme!!!! I am so happy we chose to have a theme, and our guests loved the opportunity to participate and dress according to the theme. We still hear people say how much they loved it!"

Congratulations, Kirsten + Gifford, on your dazzling disco wedding day! GWS wishes you all the best!