GANGSTER WEDDING THEME

"Miss's" request was an email to PartyPOP---I'm posting so we can get some help. I can tell you right off the bat, Miss, that you are looking for the styles of the 20's through the 30's. Al Capone operated at the height of the Gangster era and he took over the Chicago Torrio mob in 1925--he ran Chicago until the early 30's when the Feds got him on income tax evasion charges. So, your wedding styles should be from the middle to early 30's. This is also right in the middle of the jazz age--your music can have everything from Duke Ellington to Bessie Smith to George and Ira Gershwin showtunes--"Someone to watch over me" would be a great wedding number.

Go to this site: http://www.retroactive.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000023.html ---fantastic resource for people wanting to research what was worn. You will notice that are some catalogs that have every period of fashion. Check out Fashion Sourcebooks (by John Peacock) for every decade. They are sold on Amazon.com and they are very affordable, only $9.95 or close to that.
I quote: "The sourcebooks are split into decades from the 1920s through the 1970s. They are paperback and consist of approx. 60 pages. Each year is broken down into Day Wear, Evening Wear, Sports Wear and accessories. It is all illustrated with notes on each item in the back of the book."

Then you can probably find Retro Clothing outlets via the Internet. This is all I know at the moment from a few minutes research.

Here's a great site for Vintage clothing
http://www.retroactive.com/june98/wedding.html

They assist people planning vintage weddings, but the assumption is that people didn't wear gangster outfits at a wedding. You might submit to their bulleting board with your request because these people are experts in American vintage clothing and probably know people who can tailor these outfits for your wedding.

This is a website that will show you what the women might have worn in the 20's to 30s http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/index.html
They don't have the men's gangster clothes pictured.

But, at some point you will need a DESIGNER to get involved because you will probably need to have custom fitted garments. It will be extremely hard to find this stuff in off-the-rack rental. This theme you have in mind is going to be VERY expensive just to costume everybody authentically. You MAY be able to locate a Theater or Film costumes supplier who has outfits previously made for a movie or stage production in sufficient quantity and size ranges that they can rent out.
Check out this site for the names and phone numbers of professional costume designers who may be able to help you. http://www.rasource.com/costumedesigners.htm

Sunny Nelson Design tells me she has actually already designed a whole wedding party in vintage gangster dress! Check out her page at PartyPop under Bridal Gowns, San Diego, California. Give her a call!

My fiance and i are doing the same thing. We found "zoot tuxs" at micheals. Also we are thinking about renting a pt cruiser for transportation instead of a limo. We found gangster hats for about $45 online at http://www.hats-online.com/19falcol1.html and we are getting pocket watches as gifts for the groomsmen to go with their zoot suits. My email is amorrow57@yahoo.com. Let me know if you have any good ideas as well.

Great idea.....it sounds like fun....although we can not take any more new clients this year, if you give us a call I will be glad to let you know some tricks of the trade for a killer 20's party....we design custom events....it's what we do....

Www.distinctiveoccasions.net

Hi,

I am also planning a 1920's wedding themed on Gangsters and Molls. I am based in the UK and am desparately trying to find suppliers in my country for costumes and props (hats, tommyguns, spats etc).
Can anyone help or is anyone trying to sell there themed wedding stuff?

Also, how did your day go?

Thanks

Deanna

Classic Gangster era would be 20's and 30's.


Mandy

Rent "Guys & Dolls" at your video store. Shot in the 50's to look 30's. If you're in California, we do a "Gangsters on Broadway show" at www.atasteofbroadway.com

I too am planning a gangster wedding. Need to know of any great sites to get props!
Does anyone know where I can find some pictures of the attire for that time?? Not sure what zoot suits look like!
Also what are some suggestions to give to guests on what they could wear (so they don't have to go too far out of there way)!

ALSO, Here is what I have came up with:
Best man will bring groom out at gun point
Ushers will have machine guns
I want to come up with some kind of skit, ie: 1st priest is capped, then real one comes out; some one coughs during ceremony and groom in strong Italian voice "I invite you to my wedding, how come you disrespect me?"
Poppers and cap guns instead of rice or birdseed.

I just completed a Roaring 20's party for a large corporate group. I have been doing events for 15 years. I have about 120 gangster hats and flapperbeads left that I will sell CHEAP just to get them out of the way. For my party, I had special cigars made up with the president of our companys picture on the cigar band. You could do this with the grooms picture. Cigars were about $1.80 each. I have the resource. We had a casino, crouquet coruse and a big band. We served martini's for the first 30 minutes as people entered the room. Please let me know if you are interested in the hats and beads. LC

I am interested in the hats and such. Also would like to know about the cigars! Please email me and let me know how much you want for the hats!

Thanks for the advice!
Aseay@e-medsoft.com

MonsterVintage.com is an online vintage store with a HUGE selection in vintage clothes and accessories. We have rare finds and collectables. Fashion from the past for authentic retro apparel. http://www.monstervintage.com

Why are you such an idiot. I admire the fact that you want to have a gangster themed wedding but please, what era was that. How did you come up with this theme when the only thing that you seem to know about it is the possibility of pin stripe suits. You are bringing ever person who has ever had the ldea of a gangster themed wedding down. Please stop and have a wedding that might mean something to you. May i suggest a profesional wrestling themed wedding.

Benny-
This site is for people who want to help each other. Keep you criticism to yourself.

I think this is a great idea. I wanted to have a swing-era type wedding, but i have no ideas????help!

December
For approx 200
Ideas for a Christmas Party something different a young company with new ideas eg not murder mystery

I am also going to have he gangster style wedding like you mentioned, please e-mail me with what useful resources you find, and I will do the same.Thanks, Tara
TaraCarey82@hotmail.com

Search the internet for fasion in the year 1920`s that was the gangster year of the famous al capone also do searches under those name they have picters of mobsters that will give u an idea to what they wore.
P.s good luckwith the wedding if i am not late. Askjeevs is a good search field to use.

I am planning a late 30`s early 40`s wedding and have a lot of ideas, except one...where to have it?? I`d love to have it at a vintage ballroom or speakeasy-type place. I recently moved to southern Cali and need help!!!! Thanks!!

Depends....If you`re looking for something like Al Capone, its the 20`s and 30`s...But there are gangsters today and hasve been throught the ages...you more so need to look up the year you want first.

We had zoot suits for our wedding. My Groom wore a white one and the groomsmen wore black ones. They have a version at Gary`s tux places, but a more real, authentic one is at www.suavecito.com or do a search for zoot suits. If you live in another county, they can ship I`m sure. It was cool because my husband gave the groomsmen pocketwatches that we got a great deal on, on ebay, and that is what goes perfect for the theme anyway, and then they get to keep them and they look real nice. You can find hats at lots of places.
The girls can wear a fingerwave. I used to wear them all the time. It looks great. That would be of that era, and would look sooo special maybe if only the bride wore a fingerwave, or if the bride wears another style, have the bridesmaids wear a fingerwave, and maybe a flower tucked behind the ear on one side.
My bridesmaids carried white marabou feather fans instead of a bouquet, that I got at a costume shop. They looked fabulous!

Don`t listen to that ridiculously,non-sensically negative Benny Hill person that posted...that was totally not cool.
Sounds like a great, fun and special theme.

I guess a 30`s type wedding would be great. Its stylish and exibits a very decadent pre-war era that I love. Glamour meshed with street. It was a cool time and I want a place to have my wedding that represents that.

We are having a gangster theme wedding. I got my tuxes at Bud Gowan Formal Wear. They have a great pic on their web site of a Zoot suit as well as a plain coloured formal tux in the same style which my father will wear. We also had a stag and doe which we called a Bonnie and Clyde instead. It was a lot of fun.

There are so many great ideas and a good zoot suit place is in Orange County CA at El Pachuco`s. They have very reasonably priced suits and accessoiries. But no one has given me ideas of a cool place to get married yet!! :( Please help!!