5 Ideas for a Gatsby Themed Wedding & Tips for the Officiant

Plan a Great Gatsby Speakeasy Style Wedding for a Roaring Good Time

 

 

For a lavish wedding day you’ll never forget, plan a Great Gatsby themed wedding ceremony or reception! 

 

Jay Gatsby, the protagonist in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel might have spent money like it grew on trees, but you don’t have to spend a lot for a day that feels full-glam and dazzles guests with art deco flair and flapper-style fun.

 

A Gatsby themed wedding brings together the look and feel of the Roaring Twenties, with jazz, booze, decadence, and desire. 

 

Here are 5 ideas for a Gatsby themed wedding that will keep your guests lindy-hopping and foxtrotting long into the night. 

 

• Finding a wedding officiant: Ask a friend or relative to get ordained to officiate your wedding! Here are 5 Great Reasons to Ask a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding

 

 

5 Ideas for a Great Gatsby Wedding Theme

 

1. Choose a Art Deco wedding venue

 

Choose a cute deco venue that conjures up the theme and thrill of the 1920s! Glass chandeliers, geometric shapes and wall accents, and mosaic tiles are some of our favorite deco features. You might elope with the Empire State Building or the Bryant Park Hotel in the background, or get married in an art-deco dining room at Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Or add your own vintage decor to a space you love! 

 

 

2. Sequins, beads, boas, and chains

 

Choose dresses, suits, and pantsuits adorned in sequins and beads! The perfect Great Gatsby wedding dress is either 1920s vintage, or a sleek modern style embellished in glittering gems or rhinestones, with a lot of structural details. Then add strings of pearls and long beaded necklaces, beaded headbands, watch chains with pearl accents, beaded sandals or sequined flats, tasteful feather boas and fur wraps, tie pins, jeweled hair pins, and glamorous 1920s costume jewelry for a look that sings with opulent vintage charm. 

 

 

Great Gatsby wedding ideas: Small details set the mood. Add accessories to classic looks for a speakeasy style wedding feel. (Photo: tomertu / iStock)

 

 

3. Champagne cocktails and backroom booze

 

Stir up excitement with a drink list inspired by late night speakeasies and jazz clubs! Try your hand at a Gin Rickey, Sidecar, Last Word, or French 75, or stick with classic champagne served in flutes or coupe glasses. (Many of these can be made using nonalcoholic spirits and substitutes as well, for your nondrinking guests.) Want to kick things up a notch, Charleston kick style? Build a champagne tower!

 

 

Speakeasy style wedding: Go retro with your wedding cocktail list. Speakeasy era drinks like gin rickies and fizzes, sidecars, French 75s, and old fashions are always in style, and always a hit with guests. (Photo: Marko Jan / iStock)

 

 

4. Great Gatsby inspired wedding cake

 

If you can’t book an art deco venue, design an art deco wedding cake! Buy an art-deco Gatsby wedding cake topper, or add geometric accents and egg-and-dart designs to a tiered cake (or cupcakes). Decorate with candy pearls and sugar gems or jewels for a dessert table that’s dreamy, delicious, decadent, and oh-so-Gatsby.

 

 

5. Give your wedding officiant some flapper flare! 

 

Ask your wedding officiant to get in on the theme by wearing a flapper dress, beaded shawl, or 3-piece suit. Add a few feathery plumes to the binder or folio that holds the wedding ceremony script, or sign the marriage license with a vintage 1920s fountain pen! Work with your wedding officiant to add other fun details like these to give your wedding a fun and festive feel. 

 

 

Ask your wedding officiant to get in on the fun: Officiants can dress to match the tone and 'vibe' your Gatsby wedding!  (Photo: Lorado / iStock)

 

Tips for the Wedding Officiant: 

 

Ask your wedding couple if they want you to get all dolled up for the wedding (glam, 1920s themed, etc) and if there are any colors you should avoid or include in your attire. In general, a dark or neutral-toned suit or dress is always appropriate for a wedding officiant to wear. 

 

Get ordained online to officiate your first wedding! 

 

If this is your first time officiating a wedding, you can click the link below to become an ordained minister with American Marriage Ministries (AMM). 

 

This free online ordination qualifies you to officiate a wedding in any state except Virginia – but you might need to register your new minister credentials locally before the ceremony, depending on where the wedding takes place: 

 

• Get ordained online free with AMM 
• Weddings by State: Minister Registration Requirements

For more inspiration, check out our free wedding ceremony scripts library: 

 

• Wedding Ceremony Scripts

 

 

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