A style made famous by The Great Gatsby, art deco is an amazing choice for a sophisticated and modern wedding.

Think interlocking geometric shapes, sharp angles and futuristic alloys, but overlaid with a sepia tone that somehow makes it look aged or steampunk. If you don’t know what art deco style looks like off the top of your head, you would probably be able to identify it once you saw it. Art deco is a visual arts style that first appeared in France so you already know that it’s something very chic and sophisticated. Art deco began to appear in the 1920s and worked very well with the ideas of social excess and decadence that gave the decade the catchy moniker of, “The Roaring 20s”. Although it didn’t really make a big splash internationally until the 1930s or the 1940s, the people who could afford to travel abroad were the people you wanted to look to anyways and they were getting art deco prints and paintings straight from the source. Art deco became a less popular style as World War II began and there was less of a reason for such excess and decadence but remember the joys of this pre-war era and indulge in some art deco refinery for your wedding.

One of the great things about art deco influence is how well it pairs with white. The etched metal reminiscent of burnished steel or shiny titanium alloy is a wonderful touch to a white wedding. It can also be interpreted in other colors but stay away from gaudy or bright colors because although this movement is about excess, it is not about garishness. It’s definitively about a kind of refinement and understanding that only a few people had access to. Good colors to work into an art deco wedding are probably purple, maroon or navy. Rich, dark colors associated with royalty. For the best results though it is safer to stick to the colors of metals: silver, platinum, gold, even bronze. The best venues for an art deco wedding are the same places where people who indulged in this movement would have spent their time. Think country clubs, private spaces or maybe art galleries. A country club that is not too preppy is a good place for an art deco wedding. Gardens are also okay but only if they are finely pruned, kept and vast. A club with dancing and drinking is probably the most perfect venue for an art deco wedding. Art deco goes hand in hand with the jazz age so try to find a way to work that opulence into the theme for the most complete art deco wedding.