DIY Vintage Travel Wedding Theme: Highlights of Our Styled Set

Who isn’t charmed by the ambiance of a vintage travel wedding theme? No wonder it has been a popular choice for couples who want that special mix of bygone-era romance and quaint decorative accents. But there’s the challenge: how to source the right elements for this look! In our own styled set, then, we show how you can simulate the vintage feel with a combination of heirloom pieces you may already have, some lucky thrift-store finds, plus DIY elements you can craft yourself.

Vintage Travel Themed Welcome Vignettes

As with any wedding theme, set the mood for arriving guests with a themed welcome display. For this, we created charming vignettes on 3 small tables.

Welcome Vignettes for a Vintage Travel Theme by Bellenza.

One is a guest book table featuring an antique-style sign made from a mirrored oval tray mounted on an easel with a miniature wooden chest holding ‘vintage’ postcards found at a stationery shop. A classic pen stand and an ornate key complete the look. See more photos for making a vintage-travel guest book table.

Vintage travel bridal bouquet and boutonniere.

The second is a display for the bridal bouquet and boutonniere, simply paired with old books and an antique globe bookend. See the DIY for this your own florals.

Welcome tea station serving hot tea in Delft blue vintage china

The third is a welcome tea station serving hot tea in Delft blue vintage china. For themed props, more old books and letters, plus pretty hot pink snapdragons.

Table Settings with Floating Hot Air Balloons

Here is where you can really use your imagination and creativity to bring together family treasures, antique store and thrift shop finds, and clever little items simply made to look old!

Table Settings with Floating Hot Air Balloons

Once guests approach the tables, they are greeted with this lovely vintage-inspired tablescape with floating centerpieces.

Vintage travel tablescape by Bellenza.

A tablescape in a muted palette of powder blues and dusty pinks, with Old World touches like a lace table cloth, embossed china ware, silver plate chargers, and menu cards simulating a packet of love notes (details below).

Soft candlelight with composite centerpieces.

Soft lighting provided by votive candles. Composite centerpieces (details above) featuring DIY hot air balloons with some resting atop vintage hatboxes, mini treasure chest boxes, groupings of vintage decor pieces like perfume bottles, and fresh flowers (e.g., snapdragons and alstroemerias) in shades of pink.

Menu cards with a vintage travel theme.

Each place setting is made pretty with menu cards packaged together with vintage post cards. To see the menu card packets’ DIY, go here.

Composite Centerpieces for a Vintage Travel Theme

The hot air balloons are the stars of the table, as they give a nod to the whole travel motif. Here, we had them serve as centerpiece elements and as a great spot for the table number (see photo below)! If you’re curious about how to make them, see our DIY hot air balloon centerpiece.

Travel-themed centerpieces with vintage elements.

More travel-related pieces are the brass telescope, miniature chests, and antique globe bookends.

travel-related pieces are the brass telescope, miniature chests, and antique globe bookends.

Vintage globe centerpiece decor elements.

And to pretty up the scene, we added romantic touches like a decoupage box holding a hand mirror and vintage maps, colored perfume bottles, and again all the pretty florals.

Vintage Hand Mirror

Vintage Travel-inspired Favors

Give vintage-travel themed favors that have an elegant feel from lovely trinket boxes to passport cases! See below for more details:

petite limoges-style porcelain keepsake boxes filled with chocolates

If you fancy edible favors, petite limoges-style porcelain keepsake boxes filled with chocolates would be a sweet choice especially when presented atop romantic, vintage-inspired postcards and napkins with a map print.

Whimsical pinwheels made out of ‘vintage’ maps

Whimsical pinwheels made out of ‘vintage’ maps (ours were just bought at a bookstore). They make great favors for the little ones in your reception. Note: These pinwheels can serve as table number holders, too!

Journals with travel-themed covers

Journals with travel-themed covers for the ladies and passport cases for the gents (above picture).

Purse with cards for bridesmaids.

For the bridesmaids, pretty travel-inspired stationery and cosmetic clutches. See more ideas for bridal attendant gifts and favors.

More tips for styling a vintage travel-themed wedding:

  • Look around your own home for items that will suit the look and feel of the occasion. You may be surprised at what you have stashed away!
  • Do the rounds of thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, and yard sales in your area. Vintage suitcases, keys, artwork, postcards, binoculars, telephones, phonographs, vanity cases, hatboxes, luggage tags, maps, globes, books, wine bottles, and the like might be waiting for you!
  • Tie all the elements together with a muted color scheme that will evoke that romantic era of travel.
  • Use soft candlelight elements with muted florals.
  • When ‘finds’ aren’t readily available, incorporate DIY elements as we’ve done here.
  • Give favors that will remind your guests of this charming themed celebration!

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