When & Where

Sunday, October 16th, 2016
Ceremony at 4pm

The Palm Pavilion
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566

 Ceremony and Reception at the same location. Please do not arrive prior to 3:30pm.

We would LOVE for you to come in Victorian dress or your evening best.

No children please.

A Victorian Themed Wedding

The wedding party and guests are all encouraged to embrace the wedding theme and dress in period garb. It isn’t required, but it would certainly be more fun! Below you’ll find a style guide to help put together your own look. Whether you’re planning to add a subtle Victorian flair to your outfit or go full period-accurate, the images and details below will assist you in that endeavor.

The Victorian Era is from roughly 1830-1905.

For our wedding, we’re primarily focusing on the look and fashions from 1860 to the turn of the century.  Men’s evening coats from the 1860s will be the primary jacket choice for gentlemen. Ladies evening wear will be based off turn of the century fashions, when the silhouette began to change shape to the Edwardian “S”. Though these are some decades apart, the evening cuts for gentlemen did not change as drastically as those of women’s dresses toward the turn of the century. Men’s evening wear from 1860-1900 will all suit.

Although it’s a little out of the period, La Belle Epoque and Edwardian fashions are welcome, too. Older ladies and gentleman will likely find them more comfortable as the silhouettes are very relaxed compared to those prior to 1900.

Ladies

When deciding what to wear, it’s important to remember minor details that help bring the overall Victorian look together. These things primarily relate to the silhouette and cuts of sleeves, collars, blouses and skirts. While there is a great deal of etiquette involved in Victorian ladies’ wear, it is less important to us that such notions are adhered to than that those who wish to, look the part.

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Silhouette Guidelines:

• Small Bustle
  • An iconic part of the Victorian look is high and extended bums. However, bustles are unwieldy and modern furniture was obviously not designed to accommodate such undergarments. A small bustle that gives a slight rise to the back of the dress, accomplished with a pillow-type bustle will be sufficient. Or no bustle if comfort dictates.
• S-Silhouette (turn of the century) or Upright-Hourglass
  • Popularized by the Gibson Girl, the S-Silhouette is in reference to the forward-bust, narrow waist, and curved extended backside of dresses and corsets. This silhouette can be achieved without a corset by having a lacy or loose blouse that is pulled toward the front. Ruffles also help add this effect. And, of course, a bustle or gathered fabric at the back of a skirt help add to this illusion.
  • This look became popular closer to the turn of the century as Edwardian fashion began to take over, rather than the upright silhouette of the earlier time period. The evening wear for the wedding party will more closely resemble the turn of the century silhouette (wider skirts, rather than narrow from the waist down).
  • Either silhouette is acceptable for turn of the century wear! Comparison (Old Ad from Wikipedia :D)
• Corsets (hourglass torso)
  • Corsets for the victorian era were full busted, fully boned, and flared over the hip. Edwardian corsets, which followed the period, extended down to the thighs to reposition the hips and waist for the S-silhouette. However, Victorian corsets are easier to find and wear, so they are recommended over Edwardian versions.

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Colors, Patterns & Cut Guidelines:

• DO:
  • Laces, trims, elaborate embroidery, layers, scalloped edges, decorative flowers, birds, bows. Dresses were very ornate for evening wear.
  • Floor length skirt, or just above the shoe (below the ankle).
  • Pastels, neutrals, golds, silvers, lighter colors.
  • Up=swept hair.
  • High necks with long sleeves, low necks with short sleeves.
  • Gowns were typically made of blouse and skirt – they were rarely one piece.
  • Waistline is at the natural waist only.
  • Skirts should be full in the back and relatively straight to the ground in front.
  • Wear gloves (wrist-length for long sleeves, arm-length for short sleeves)
• DON’T:
  • Extremely bright or neon colors as the primary color – accent is okay.
  • Wear all black or all white.
  • Wear long sleeves with a low cut collar
  • Sleeves are a must. (This is an example of the smallest allowable sleeve). Absolutely nothing strapless.
  • Show gratuitous cleavage
  • Wear extremely high heels or a narrow heel
  • Wear drop-waist or empire dresses.
  • Wear circle skirts (equal fullness all the way around)
  • Wear gloves that expose the fingers. No gloves is preferable to fingerless gloves of any kind.

Gentlemen

Much of Victorian fashion emphasis was on women, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t iconic looks for men to emulate. Men’s evening wear was significantly less ornate, but it continues to represent a timeless look that still inspires men’s suits today.

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Silhouette Guidelines:

• Wide shoulders, narrow waist and hip
  • Men’s evening wear from 1860-1900s was very similar with little change, though turn of the century evening wear for formal occasions leaned towards tuxedos. Typically, this comprised of a open-tailed jacket, a waist coat (low-vest), and a winged-collared shirt.
  • Typically, cravats and other types of neckties had given way to a bow-tie, but any type of necktie is acceptable. The only caveat for longer neck ties is that it must be possible to tuck into the waist coat. Otherwise, a white bow-tie is the safest bet.
• Short hair, well-manicured facial hair or clean-shaven
  • Hair was often pomaded and arranged back from the face. It was unusual during this time period for long hair to be considered fashionable.
  • Facial hair can vary to include mustaches, mutton chops, and even full beards. Toward the turn of the century, men favored clean-shaven. Any choice suits, so long as it looks neat and well-managed.
• Trousers
  • Trousers were form fitting at the waist, loose at the leg, and tapered toward the shoe. Unless military dress was involved, the pants were black or tuxedo pants (contrasting black strip down the side).
• Tailored
  • Above all, men during this error looked well put together. Their clothing was tailored and form fitting, and if loose, it could not be considered “baggy”.

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Colors, Patterns & Cut Guidelines:

• DO:
  • Open front, tailed coat.
  • Tailor all garments.
  • Wear black.
  • Comb hair back.
  • Waist coats were usually white, but for our purposes, any color, pattern or design that is not too modern, or a color that is neon will suit.
  • Pants are worn at the proper waist.
  • Trousers fit well.
  • Any dress shoe that is black.
  • Groom facial hair.
  • Neck-ties of any variety should be either white, cream or black.
  • Shirts are collared. White or cream only.
• DON’T:
  • Wear extremely bright or neon colors at all.
  • Look unkempt.
  • Wear short sleeves.
  • Wear baggy clothes of any kind.
  • Wear a shirt with no vest/waist-coat.
  • Wear any type of shoe that has color.

Where Can I Find All This?!

Don’t be alarmed – a lot of this stuff is possible to buy outright from a lot of places, for the same amount of money one might spend on a dress or suit for a wedding.

• Gentleman’s Emporium – An excellent source, mostly for men, though. Affordable suit options for guys. Ladies will find a good selection of blouses, but a complete lack of appropriate evening wear.
• gbacg.org – A resource for those considering renting a costume. A website that lists rental locations in the Bay Area.
• Ebay.com – Tuxedo Jackets – Believe it or not, Ebay has many period-appropriate tuxedo jackets for around $40 a piece. This is a great deal, just make sure it’s the right size and correct cut.
• Etsy – Probably more expensive than other options, Etsy has some available items for Victorian evening wear, including women.
• Recollections – A fantastic resource for ladies who would like to buy a ball gown. Not all of these dresses are Victorian, so be sure to get the correct silhouette. Avoid black unless it is paired with a lighter color. Many of these dresses are NOT turn of the century but will be totally acceptable for guests to wear.
• Premier Clothing – This site has very period accurate garments, and their dresses, while more appropriate for day wear, are absolutely gorgeous and would be perfect for attendees.