Style and movie icons like Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor are the perfect inspiration for a 1950s wedding.

A ’50s wedding will always be elegant and stylish. Wedding dresses need to be full-skirted and for a true ’50s twist opt for a shorter length with a sash or buckle detail at the waist. It’s also the perfect excuse to show off amazing wedding shoes like Rachel Simpson’s aptly-named Marilyn heels, also available in ‘knock ‘em dead’ red!

Marilyn Ivory pair £160

Marilyn Mink pair £160

Marilyn Red Pair £160

Sparkles are definitely a girl’s best friend when it comes to choosing your bridal jewellery: either continue the Marilyn theme with sparkly jewels or go all Grace Kelly with something like a birdcage veil from Ivory & Co.

Pearl Birdcage Veil £70

Alternatively, you could even channel a bit of Liz Taylor with a Cleopatra-esque tiara like this ‘Emperor’ from Halo & Co!

Emperor Wedding Tiara £155

Here are a couple more ideas to carry on the ’50s theme…

Kelly Bracelet £199

Streisand Feather Bridal Stole £95

Kate x

Hello! Although I have been quiet on the blog lately, I have been busy pulling together other delights for you – in the form of new Inspiration pages for the Queens & Bowl website! I had some lovely feedback about my original Inspiration pages, which covered how to pull together a 1920s, 1930s, 1940s or 1950s vintage wedding – so I thought it was about time to add some more!

So here’s the first one that came to mind – of course – the vintage princess look! Yes, totally inspired by the Royal Wedding of William and Catherine and, in turn, the influence of Grace Kelly.

Catherine mixed classic Grace Kelly style with her own sleek look.

Kate’s intricate A-line, long-sleeved lace wedding dress drew heavy influence from Princess Grace’s own dress when she married Prince Ranier of Monaco in 1956. Kate also took influence from Princess Grace’s signature sleek, simple styling with her wedding accessories too.

To get the look, complement lace details in your wedding dress with an heirloom-style tiara like the Alexandra tiara by Ivory & Co.

Wedding jewellery really needs to be simple little accents that won’t fight with the intricate detail of the dress. If you’ve gone for a short sleeved dress, then a thin crystal bracelet, like the square crystal bracelet by Filippa Scott, is a great accessory. If the sleeves of your wedding dress are long like Kate’s, then choose simple drop earrings like the Madison earrings by Stephanie Browne that won’t upset the balance between your dress and accessories.

Mid-heeled wedding shoes are perfect for this kind of classic look – choose a simple style in a sleek fabric like duchess satin with some slight detail, like the beautiful Marcie Wedding shoes by Harriet Wilde.

If you’ve gone for short sleeves or a strapless wedding dress, then a little marabou feather shrug like the Minnelli shrug by Sasso is perfect for finishing off the look.

Kate. xx

I’m sorry to say that I’ve kind of neglected my blog a little of late. It’s not because I’ve had writers’ block; or nothing to say – quite the opposite really! It’s because there’ve been SO MANY new products arriving at Queens & Bowl HQ. We’ve had amazing 1920s-style headpieces from Stephanie Browne, exclusive to-die-for wedding jewellery from Justine M Couture – not to mention new bridal cuffs and feather combs…

But first, I just wanted to tell you about our new range of great value birdcage veils! These gorgeous little things are hand-made by a friend of mine who lives near Chicago – in fact, she made my own birdcage veil for my wedding. Crafted from the finest French netting, they are perfect for any bride looking for a birdcage veil with which to add the finishing touches to a 1950s or early 1960s themed wedding.

The bandeau birdcage veil with tiny pearls

At the moment there is a choice of 3 different styles, depending on the look you want to create. If you’re looking for a demure, Grace Kelly feel, then the bandeau birdcage veil (pictured above) is ideal. Designed to wrap around your entire face and fastened with secure metal grips on each end, it’s available with either flat round pearl accents or sparkling Swarovski crystal accents.

The Blusher birdcage veil is a classic style

If you’d like just a classic, birdcage veil, then go for the traditional Blusher birdcage veil, pictured above. This one comes with its own metal comb and is very flexible – it can be worn with the comb at the crown of your head and pulled forward over your eyes. Alternatively it can be worn at an angle to either side for more of a ‘fascinator’ effect.

The Petite birdcage veil adds a little touch of 1950s va-va-voom!

Finally, if your style suits the ‘less is more’ approach, then the Petite birdcage veil is for you (shown here, above). This little number comes without any comb attachment and is designed to add a little bit of 1950s flair without making too much of a statement. It looks great perched jauntily to one side of your down-do or also as a snood veil to cover a bun or small up-do.

All of our veils are available in ivory as standard, but can be made in white upon request. They also come with either ivory pearl accents (or white if a white veil is requested) or Swarovski crystal accents. Starting at just £35, they’re a stylish yet economical choice for any bride after a vintage feel.

I hope you like!

Kate. x

When it comes to making your wedding photographs look dated, apart from the dress, the hair ‘do’ is generally the chief culprit. How many of us have looked at wedding photos from the 1970s, 80s and 90s and thought ‘O.M.G! – The hair!’ – and not in a good way. The odds are, in 10 years time we’ll be looking back on today’s hairstyles – and that’s something to make you stop and think…

The thing that I love about vintage style is that, ironically, it never EVER dates. Key styles from the 1930s, 40s and 50s in particular are totally timeless and guaranteed to help you avoid the ‘OMG-Factor’ in years to come. Here are my top 3 wedding hairstyles to last the test of time – and vintage wedding accessory suggestions from Queens & Bowl to finish each look perfectly:

1. The Side Wave

The Side Wave - sexy & glam. L-R: Veronica Lake, Kate Bosworth, Boucheron Earrings, Hayworth Double Drop Earrings

A 1930s / 1940s hair classic – sleek, sexy and alluring.

• Made famous by: Veronica Lake
• Seen recently on: Kate Bosworth, Sienna Miller, Sandra Bullock
• Hair requirements: Must be smooth and sleek – frizz is a big no-no!
• Dress pick: Asymetric
• Perfect hair accessory: Statement earrings like the Boucheron by Stephanie Browne or Hayworth Double Drop Earrings by Stephanie Browne
  

2. The Roll

The Roll - elegant but fun. L-R: Betty Grable, Dita Von Teese, BonBon Comb, Anouska Comb. Credits: Martha Stewart Wedding, Cosmopolitan.co.uk

This is a classic from the 1940s and is unmistakably vintage. Manages to mix elegance and fun!

• Made famous by: Betty Grable
• Seen recently on: Dita Von Teese, Tyra Banks
• Hair requrements: Needs length in the fringe and works better with thicker hair
• Dress pick: Spaghetti strap
  
• Perfect hair accessory: A big sparkly comb like the BonBon by Stephanie Browne or Anouska by Halo & Halo
  

3. The Slick-Back Coif

The slick-back coif - feminine and bold. L-R: Grace Kelly, Kate Winslet, Hettie Hairpins

This 1950s look is instantly familiar as Grace Kelly’s signature style. Sophisticated and feminine, but a little bold too.

• Made famous by: Grace Kelly
• Seen recently on: Kate Winslet, January Jones
• Hair requrements: Looks best on blondes and redheads
• Dress pick: V-neck
  
• Perfect hair accessory: Hettie hair pins by Rachel Simpson

So what do you think? Tell me your suggestions or upload them to the Queens & Bowl Facebook page!

Kate. x

A little while ago, Louise at Bow Occasions wedding planners did a fantastic ‘Vintage Week’ on her blog. Being a HUGE lover of vintage AND weddings, I jumped at the chance to talk about my 2 favourite vintage eras and give some suggestions for how a vintage bride may pull off the look with shoes, jewellery and headpieces. Here’s the article in full:

Hi, I’m Kate Bowl and I run Queens & Bowl wedding accessories – an online boutique offering gorgeous wedding shoes, jewellery and headpieces. I love vintage style and all of my products are either inspired by vintage fashions and trends or are created from genuine vintage pieces. I stock amazing, award-winning designer names including Rachel Simpson, Halo & Co and Magpie Vintage.

One thing I’m really keen to do on my site is to provide inspiration for brides planning or thinking about having a vintage wedding. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from brides on my ‘Inspiration Pages’ so I thought I’d share a couple of my favourite eras here as part of Bow Occasions’ vintage week!

First up is the 1920s….

I love 1920s for the dramatic change in women’s fashion that took place during this period. Women were asserting the independence and liberty they’d tasted during WW1 and there was a real sense of rebellion in the air! It was also the decade that first brought us the Art Deco movement and screen legends like Greta Garbo and Clara Bow who are still mysterious, enigmatic figures even today.

Ideas for a 1920s wedding. Image credits: Rex, Rosa Clara, Photorazzi, Ritz Hotel London

The most iconic 1920s fashion was of course the Flapper style which became popular in the mid 1920s. This look is probably the most recreated ‘20s look for modern brides and needs these key touches to pull it off:

• A loose knee-length shift dress that shows off bare arms. They were often heavily beaded with a scalloped hemline. The alternative if your figure doesn’t suit this style is to choose a drop-waist dress of longer length. Drop-waists were popular throughout most of the 1920s.
• Mary-Janes with a single strap or T-Bar shoes like the Hettie or Mimi styles by Rachel Simpson
• Pearls – and lots of them. Long length pearl necklaces, made famous by a certain Coco Chanel, are ideal. Our Luxe Pearl Necklace by Stephanie Browne is made of Swarovski crystal pearls and features 2 Swarovski crystal Deco brooch pieces that are detachable.
• A close-fitting headpiece worn low down, towards the forehead. The Tiffany pearl and diamante headpiece by Ivory & Co is perfect.
• Feathers. Headpieces with feathers (try our Vienna headpiece by Ivory & Co) or a shrug like the Paris by Sasso add an authentic 20s vibe.

Finish the look with finger-wave hair and dark red lips, re-applied at regular intervals!

Next up, the 1950s….

….another period of fun mixed in with elegance and I love the pure glamour of the decade. Speaking of glamour, how much more glam can you get than Hollywood screen siren Grace Kelly marrying into royalty in the South of France!

Ideas for a 1950s wedding. Image credits: Rex, Shutterstock, Photorazzi, candyanthony.com

So many enduring icons came to fame in the 50s – Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and of course, Marilyn Monroe. The timeless fashion of the 1950s also became iconic and is very much growing in popularity amongst brides. Here’s what to focus on for a ‘50s wedding theme:

• A knee-length dress with plenty of under-netting to give the A-line shape. If you have a bigger bust, a strapless style top is ideal, if not, go for a higher neckline like a boat-neck or slash-neck. Lace or taffeta were the signature fabrics.
• Pearls – but keep it simple. Go for either small pearl stud earrings or a short, single strand pearl necklace. We have some beautiful freshwater pearl necklaces by Magpie Vintage featuring original vintage ornaments.
• Sparkle. As Marilyn Monroe could testify, the ladies loved their diamonds, so look for vintage-style jewellery featuring large crystals or diamante, such as our glamorous Boucheron earrings or detailed Astor bracelet.
• Bows and lace details. Both were popular in the ‘50s and contributed to the femininity of the look. The appropriately named Marilyn bridal shoes by Rachel Simpson fit the bill perfectly.

Whichever vintage era you choose, you’re sure to have a truly timeless and elegant wedding. For more vintage inspiration, visit the Queens & Bowl blog and feel free to leave your comments!

Kate. xx

Looking for some inspiration for a movie-siren bridal look? Follow Sandra Bullock’s example at the Academy Awards last Sunday you won’t go far wrong….

Gracing the red carpet , she was already channeling the 1940s / early 1950s vibe in a glorious Marchesa gown with lace detail – very Grace Kelly. But it was the sophisticated styling that really pulled off this look – the sleek side-parted wavy hair reminicent of Veronica Lake, the signature red lips…. and a pair of HUGE diamond drop earrings!

So stunning and yet so simple – we don’t think she’ll be looking back at these photos in years to come and cringing over a styling faux-pas. Brides-to-be take note! 

We can’t wait to open our’virtual doors’ in April so you can create the same effortlessly glam effect…

QB x