HOW TO STYLE A BOOK THEMED WEDDING
Book nerd alert! As a totally book-obsessed geek myself, today’s trendy Tuesday, inspired by Mary and Steve’s literary themed vintage wedding, is just up my – erm – library aisle? We take a look at how to recreate the romance and nostalgia brought to life on Mary and Steve’s special day by using a combination of old novels, paper florals and vintage glassware. Plus, we throw in loads of styling suggestions and supplier suggestions to boot. Yipee!
Images by Anne-Claire Brun Wedding Photography.
LITERARY WEDDING DIY BOOK CENTREPIECES
{Above} Okay, so we just freaking love these super cool displays placing succulents into book pot plants! Fill forgotten books with an assortment of succulent plants and foliage to create table decor that will start conversations. Consider using a mix of succulents and moss in various hues of green which will look gorgeous set against the pages of old sepia print. (If you adore and decide to purchase one of these beautiful items through our links, in some cases we’ll get a small percentage of the sale for sharing them with you. Thank you so much for supporting our content! ♥)
DIY BOOK CENTREPIECES – Recreate the look:
- Purchase vintage books of your choosing which you can find on Etsy here. (Tip: Old poetry books and romance novels work a charm!)
- Hollow out a rectangular area and fill with an assortment of flat succulents such as these Echeveria plants & bits of lovely moss like this.
- Display one or several per table, and add them to various guest stations such as your guest book table to add some extra pizazz to your decor.
DIY LIBRARY WEDDING ESCORT CARDS
{Above} Create a darling focal point and help your guests find their seats by creating a ‘catalogue’ of your guest’s tables. Begin by re-purposing old library check out cards to act as adorable vintage escort cards and finish the area off with sweet handwritten signage made from old trays or frames that have been finished with chalkboard paint.
DIY LIBRARY ESCORT CARDS – Recreate the look:
- We love these Manila library card pockets from Modern Tape.
- Try this lovely large wood and chalkboard frame with baroque detail from Mitzis Vintage
- Or, grab these adorable miniature vintage style frames from Designs By Embellish which can also be used for table numbers.
- For a pretty finishing touch, adorn the area with custom bunting made from Mills and Boon romance novels!
- If you have old trays or frames lying around, why not add a lick of this chalkboard paint to them yourself?
- (South African brides, you can get your chalkboard paint, vintage frames and bunting all from ThatLittleShop online!)
LITERARY WEDDING CARD STATION
{Above } An antique birdcage acts as the perfect holder for cards from your guests. Decorate with lace, ribbon or even a few sprigs of lavender, and place beside an assortment of mix and match vintage bottles containing a mix of fresh and paper flowers. Consider adding stacks of books wrapped in lace, or even create a “Lovers Library” made up of vintage editions several of your favourite novels and poetry anthologies.
WEDDING CARD STATION – Recreate the look:
- Find a fun assortment of mix and match vintage bottles at your local second hand store, the basement, or order them online . How about adding these cute vintage milk bottles which you can buy in bulk?
- Create your lovers library using piles of old books by raiding the bookshelf, the thrift store, or simply purchase colour coded stacks of books wrapped in ribbons and lace or take at look at what’s in stock at Rosy Random’s store.
- Fill bottles with fresh floral singlets, or add perfect paper blooms made from recycled book paper available from Green Cycle Designs.
- Create a visual attraction by including a full blown paper bouquet as a focal point which can be ordered in a range of sizes and colours from Ginger Bird Bouquets as seen in the image below.
LITERARY WEDDING DIY TYPEWRITER GUEST BOOK & PHOTO STATION
{Above} Go old school and create a truly vintage-inspired photobooth which doubles up as a guest book area by sourcing antique cameras and typewriters from your local second hand store, Amazon, Etsy or your grandparents attic! Have guests snap a polaroid pic, type a sweet message on piece of library card style paper, and instruct them to affix the pic and message into a specially prepared page in your guest book.
DIY VINTAGE PHOTO STATION – Recreate the look:
- Find loads of vintage typewriters in working condition at Anodyne and Ink here.
- Juniper Home Vintage stocks loads of cool antique cameras like these.
- Grab an old book with embossed trim and marble cover from and use it as your guest book
- Decorate the area with a mix of re purposed doilys, linens, bottles and vases in a matching colour palette
BOOK LOVERS WEDDING DIY PLACE CARDS
{Above} Use old tags to create these charming handwritten place cards for each guest which are both super easy to create, and cute!
DIY PLACE CARDS – Recreate the look:
- Sepia style vintage tags are great when punched and ready to be wrapped with ribbon around your guests serviettes.
- We adore these vintage typewriter wedding place cards from Post Scripts which are adorned with rustic lace doilies to complete the look.
- How about using old library cards like these from Inkkit instead?
- Looking for DIY tags that are already typed up and ready to download? Try these from the DIY Store which are available as instant PDF downloads.
LITERARY WEDDING DIY TABLE DECOR
{Above } Deck the tables with sprigs of greens, floral singlets and paper blooms placed inside the vintage bottles you collected earlier. Make sure to choose flowers that fall within your colour palette, and stick to a maximum of two colours of glass. Try an assortment of bottle heights to add visual interest, but remember to keep them low enough for guests to see over.
DIY TABLE DECOR – Recreate the look:
- Use the assortment of mix and match vintage bottles which you found at your local second hand store, or the basement.
- Mix up the look with a variety of bottles. Buy cute vintage milk bottles in bulk here. (South African brides, you can grab loads of bottles, vases and vintage glass from ThatLittleShop online!)
- Once again, fill bottles with fresh floral singlets, or add perfect paper blooms made from recycled book paper available from Green Cycle Designs.
- For an added touch of whimsy, include matching typewriter style menus printed on either library cards, or kraft paper. Top with a vintage lace doily if you so desire, or order them already made from Post Scripts here.
Finish the look and make it your own:
- Going for a look that is a little bit more rustic? Skip the white tablecloths and opt for this fabulous burlap fabric instead! Then wrap this matching burlap ribbon around your bottles and jars to perfect your tablescape.
- Get creative with the rustic texture of this ivory crochet lace which can be wrapped around menus, programs or glass bottles and jars, or try this delicate lace ribbon if you prefer something more elegant.
Are you having a book or literary themed wedding? Are there any special bookish projects that you’re working on at the moment? We’ve love to hear about your creative ideas in the comments below.
PS. Be sure to check out Mary and Steve’s superb literary wedding in full here for even more inspiration, which was captured so prettily by Anne-Claire Brun Wedding Photography.