‘Retro Love’ a Bright Vintage Styled Shoot
If you’ve been dreaming of a wedding that bursts with personality, color, and a hint of nostalgic charm, you’re not alone. More and more couples are ditching the neutrals and embracing bold hues, playful patterns, and vintage-inspired details to create celebrations that feel uniquely them. A brightly colored wedding with a retro twist isn’t just a visual treat—it’s a joyful, energetic vibe that your guests will remember long after the last dance. From funky florals to disco balls and pops of neon, this trend is all about fun, freedom, and unapologetic self-expression.
Photo By: Sailor Breeze
White linens, blush florals, and muted palettes will always have their place—but if you’re the kind of couple who lights up a room, why not let your wedding do the same? Brightly colored weddings are vibrant, joyful, and full of personality. They’re the kind of celebrations that instantly put guests in a good mood and leave a lasting impression. Whether it’s punchy florals, colorful glassware, retro-inspired signage, or bold fashion moments, a colorful wedding gives you the freedom to break the mold and tell your love story in full technicolor. If you want your day to feel as fun and unforgettable as your relationship, this is the way to do it, and we’ve created a blog post with step by step instructions on how to create a one of a kind retro wedding!
Getting Ready at Walnut Ridge
The bridal suite at Walnut Ridge Wedding Venue is perfect for larger parties needing a space to get ready. With a private second floor suite complete with a private bathroom, mini kitchenette, and personal vanities, this bridal suite is what the girlies truly need the morning of the wedding! This bridal suite has multiple vanities, great lighting, AND windows to let in natural light! There’s even a lounge area in the suite, so whoever’s not getting their hair and makeup done can relax on the couch!
A white bridal suite might seem like a simple choice, but that’s exactly what makes it so magical. Its clean, neutral palette acts as a blank canvas, allowing every pop of color—from vibrant florals to bold robes, accessories, and decor—to truly shine. When the room itself is understated, it gives you the freedom to be playful and intentional with your wedding morning aesthetic, creating a visually stunning space that’s perfect for both memories and photos. A white bridal suite might seem like a simple choice, but that’s exactly what makes it so magical. Its clean, neutral palette acts as a blank canvas, allowing every pop of color—from vibrant florals to bold robes, accessories, and decor—to truly shine. When the room itself is understated, it gives you the freedom to be playful and intentional with your wedding morning aesthetic, creating a visually stunning space that’s perfect for both memories and photos.
With such a stunning bridal suite, I knew early on I wanted to do some fun bridal portraits in the space! We had our bride getting ready in the suite with her white silk nightgown and bright pink robe, which we had a lot of fun taking picture with! To fit the retro vibe, we also brought in a vintage phone, perfume bottle, and the couples ceremony programs which happened to be newspapers! All fun things to pose with and give us that retro aesthetic we were wanting!
The Stationery, Signage + Details at Walnut Ridge
Signage is trending in the wedding world right now, we like seeing pieces that stand out and make a bold statement, which is exactly what this welcome signage did! Not only did the bright colors really make the signage pop, but it made the bride and groom stand out when they posed for pictures in front of it all.
The stationery shots were some of my favorite pics from the entire shoot. I spent hours the night before the shoot trying to figure out how to dry fruits because I thought they’d look cool for detail photos, and of course, I was right ;)
With all the bright colors being thrown together, including fruits were a great touch that just made everything pop that much more. Within these detail shots we used:
The Invitation Suite
Jewelry from Siebke Hoyt
The Bridal Bouquet designed by Ella Floral Design
Dried Fruits
Vintage Ring Trays & Dishes
The Tablescapes at Walnut Ridge
Designing decor with this many bright colors was a challenge at first, because you don’t want to overwhelm guests by throwing in too much color, but at the same time I wanted to be expirimental and see how much color I could mix together while still having everything look cohesive.
While the main color scheme included pinks, oranges, and yellows, I did want to try stepping out of my comfort zone and try another color scheme that I thought could fit the retro vibe, featured in tablescape #2.
Long Table #1
Featured on this table are:
Multi Heighted Gold Taper Candlesticks
Taper Candles (Yellow, Orange, Hot Pink, Blush Pink)
2x Floral Arrangements
Hand Dyed Orange Table Runner
Orange Votive Candles
Boho Wicker Votive Candles
Record Table Number
Multi Sized Disco Balls
Rattan Wicker Placemats
White & Gold Silverware
Orange Vintage Goblets
White & Gold Decal Plates
Gold Rimmed Salad Plates
Multi Colored Pink Napkins
Multi Colored Dinner Menus
Long Table #2
Featured on this table are:
Multi Heighted Skinny Monet Glass Cylinders with Floating Candles
Orange Votive Candles
2x Colorful Floral Arrangements
Multi Sized Disco Balls
A Record Table Number
Rattan Floral Placemats
Gold Decal Dinner Plates
Clear Gold Rimmed Salad Plates
Dinner Menus and Placecards
Gold Silverware Set
Plum Vintage Goblets
Terracotta and Mustard Colored Linen Napkins
The Sweetheart Table at Walnut Ridge
I originally wasn’t going to do a sweetheart table for this shoot, because Walnut Ridge normally places it infront of their black fireplace, and I didn’t have any black in my color scheme. I was worried that with all the bright colors the black would clash, but at the last second I was talked into just trying it out, and I’m so glad I went for it!
For the sweethear table we used:
2x Vintage Armchairs
Hand Dyed Orange Table Runner
Multi Sized Disco Balls
Multi Heighted Gold Taper Candlesticks
Taper Candles (Yellow, Orange, Hot Pink, Blush Pink)
A Floral Arrangement
Vintage Rattan Placemats
Pink Silverware Sets
Vintage Orange Goblets
Floral Decal Napkins
Floral Dinner Plates
Pink Salad Plates
Orange Dinner Menu
2x Floral Stands Behind the Table
Pink and Orange Tapestry Swag
Multi Heighted Gold Athena Candles
The ‘You + Me’ sign is from the venue, which is a pretty cool feature they offer. The sign is magnetic and they have a few different options you can choose from, or you can take the sign off and leave the wall blank.
The Cake Design
Your wedding cake isn’t just dessert—it’s a centerpiece, a photo moment, and a sweet reflection of your style as a couple. So why play it safe? Bold and brightly colored wedding cakes are having a serious moment, and for good reason. They bring personality, artistry, and a sense of fun to your celebration, turning something traditional into something totally unforgettable. Whether it’s color-blocked tiers, hand-painted florals, or retro-inspired patterns, a vibrant cake adds that “wow” factor guests will be talking about long after the last bite. If you’re looking to make a statement (without saying a word), let your cake do the talking.
Let me start off by saying the cake completely exceeded my expectations! I reached out to Sugar Flower Cake Design and told Jen the general idea I was going for: Bright, fun, and funky. I let her take the reigns on cake design, because I’m no cake decorator and I trust Jen to know what she’s doing, but the cake she delivered was out standing! She didn’t even know I incororated dried fruits literally less than 24 hours before the shoot, yet she had them on the cake! And a square cake? Now that’s funky!
Since the signage area was so beautiful, we wanted to keep incorporating it into as many photos as possible, which is why when it came time to cut the cake, we moved the welcome sign out, and placed the cake infront of the backdrop for the couple to cut. It made for the best couple portraits and really spruced up the venue space.
For the backdrop of the cake cutting, we used:
Hot Pink and Orange Arch Backdrops
2x Floral Stands
Vintage Side Tables
The Champagne Tower
Much like the cake cutting, we wanted to repurpose this backdrop and use it in as many portraits as we could, so once the cake cutting was done, we moved it out of the way and set up a champagne tower.
Champagne towers have been HUGE this past year in the wedding world, and for good reason. They’re a cute photo op, and really get guests pumped up for the reception! We decided to do something a little different though with this champagne tower, and ended up throwing some disco balls in!
The Pond at Walnut Ridge
The perfect ending to an already beautiful day? Canoe photos at sunset, of course. There’s just something so romantic and peaceful about those golden hour shots on the water—it’s like a fairytale wrapped up in real life. But don’t let the final photos fool you—getting everything set up for these pictures was definitely a team effort behind the scenes! The canoe isn’t the most stable, so we had a few extra hands on deck to help. Someone had to hold the boat steady while it balanced halfway on land and halfway in the water to make sure everything (and everyone!) stayed dry and safe. Once we got the couple settled in and comfortable, they couldn’t move around much—but it didn’t matter. All it took was a few still moments, the right light, and a little creativity to capture some of our absolute favorite images of the day.
What’s even more surprising is that the canoe at Walnut Ridge is always available for couples to use, but it’s rarely taken advantage of. Honestly, that surprises us every time, because just look at how adorable and unique these photos turned out! If you're getting married at Walnut Ridge and want something a little different—something with charm, whimsy, and a sense of calm at the end of the celebration—this sweet little canoe might just be the perfect final touch to your wedding story. It’s the kind of moment that feels both quiet and cinematic, and we’re so glad our couple trusted us to make it happen.
Vendors
PLANNER: Elizabeth Bliss Events @elizabeth_bliss_events
VENUE: Walnut Ridge @walnutridgevenue
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER: Sailor Breeze Photography @sailorbreez.photo.and.film
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS: Arrowhead Photography @arrowheadphotography319 , Shyanne Rusher Photography @shyannerusherphoto
DECOR: 11:11 Event Co. @1111eventco
ARCH BACKDROP: Decor On Tap @decorontap_
VINTAGE RENTALS: Annta Vintage Rental Co. @annatavintageco
FLORAL: Ella Floral Design @ellafloraldesign_
STATIONERY AND SIGNAGE: Invited DSM @invited.dsm
DESSERTS: Sugar Flower @sugarflowercake101
DRESS: Jocelyn Taylor Bridal @jocelyntaylorbridalandprom
SUIT: Skeffington’s Formalwear @skeffingtonsformalwear
HAIR STYLING: Bespoke Beauty @bespoke_beauty_llc
MAKEUP ARTIST: Kelsey Olive @_olivebeauty
JEWELRY: Siebke Hoyt Jewelers @siebkehoytjewelers
MODELS: Elyssa and Hayden @elyssavasser
Walnut Ridge Wedding Venue
Address: 6051 32nd Ave, Shellsburg, IA, United States, Iowa
Phone: 319-558-9512
Email: walnutridgevenue@gmail.com
Capacity of 250 guests
Cost starts at $4,500 to $9,000
Amenities included: Tables & chairs, table linens, bar setup and staffing, 2 large bridal suites, indoor and outdoor ceremony options, ceremony seating setup.