Patriotic 1940s Styled Bridal Shoot

As a wonderful tribute to Love, Laughter & Elegance’s Grandparents and friends who have served in the military, this styled bridal photo shoot captured the classic feel of the many whirlwind marriages of WWII and took place in the historical MAPS Air Museum in North, Canton Ohio. With photography by Imagine It Photography, it is easy to be transported back to 1940 where romantic stories and crisp fashion were ever present.

From Love, Laughter & Elegance: “I have always been fascinated with the fashions and hairstyles of the 1940s, as well as the wartime romances and whirlwind marriages. My father’s parents served during that time. I knew that my grandmother was a WAAC. I have a black and white picture of my grandmother in her uniform, working at one of the local military service clubs. I wanted to capture the feelings of that era, and pay homage to all that served. I wanted to use multiple models, with one more casual wedding look, and one more glamorous. Since many young men of the day had only their uniforms to wear for weddings, I kept the same look for our male model throughout the photo shoot. Our decor choices were styled in classic red, white and blue. Those worked really well with our venue, a military museum filled with vintage airplanes, and other historic items.

I did a lot of research into the clothing of the era. I wanted two distinct looks for our female models, one more casual, and one more glamorous. Our first model wore a pretty blue day dress with red Mary Janes,red-trimmed gloves, a fetching red hat and matching jewelry. Her wedding ring set was my grandmother’s. Our second model, Lauren, we turned into an Old Hollywood siren. The dress had lavishly embellished cuffs and a dramatic open back that was edged in thick sparkling braid trim. There was a detachable train, and we added a cathedral length veil for more drama. Lauren’s jewelry was all sparkle. Our male model wore a vintage Army Air Force uniform, which fit well with our venue. The Air Force did not become its own distinct military division until 1947.”

Modern Victorian Inspiration

As for the extras, decor, flowers, and accessories needed to reflect a simpler time. All flowers used in the styled shoot were very reminiscent of those from the 1940’s – large, lush arrangements, that often were full of garden flowers like anemones, carnations, and lots of greenery. The baker created a simple 3 tier cake, covered in fondant, and adorned with small white flowers and patriotic ribbon with a cutout cake toper themed with a very popular song of the era. The tablescape was topped in classic red, white and blue and personalized with some very symbolic items of the time like Classic Coca-Colas with vintage striped paper straws, Cracker Jacks, simple class jars, coconut macaroons and WWII propaganda posters.