Hansley Beard

Happy Vintage brides?

People often point out to me, as an avid collector of old wedding photographs, that the older photos from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, show what look like unhappy and slightly dour brides. Here are a couple of examples (though the grooms on these do seem to be managing a bit of a smile!):


But, we know that this was to do with the photographic techniques of the times because the newly married couple had been told to stand completely still without moving throughout the long exposure time, so holding a smile wouldn’t have been easy!

I recently went to the launch of the Yorkshire Film Archive’s new online website yfaonline, where they have uploaded lots of amazing old film footage from all over Yorkshire. It was whilst browsing on the site one day that I came across a film from the 1920s entitled ‘Popular Wedding at Roundhay’.

What I love about this film is that it shows us a 1920s wedding where, as far as I can tell, everyone including the bride is smilling and laughing, which of course would have been the case on such a joyous day and something that was maybe harder to capture with still photography.

The film, made by Debenham & Co. York, shows the wedding of Fred Groves and Alice Rothwell on the 20th October 1920. The Bride, Alice, who was 32 at the time, was given away by her father, John Rothwell Esq., a furniture dealer. The groom, Fred Groves, who was 33 at the time, was a civil servant, and his father, Hebdon Groves, was a farmer.  The minister was the Revd Sutcliffe Thomas and the witnesses were Norman Groves and Olive Gott.

To watch the film, which lasts about five and a half minutes, go to the yfaonline website, select ‘1920s’ in the ‘browse by decade’ box and then when the search results come up, scroll down to ‘Popular Wedding at Roundhay’.

Thanks to the Yorkshire Film Archive for providing me with the stills from the film for this blog.

Posted Sun, 05 Sep, by Jennie Beard in Vintage Wedding Films, Vintage Weddings | 0 Comments

News on the Vintage Front!

As some of you who know me know, I have a bit of a split personality and find myself doing ‘Vintage’ things parallel to everything else I’m doing (non-Vintage!?), although nowadays a lot of it is starting to merge into a bit of modern and a bit of Vintage!

On my other (non-vintage!) blog I’ve been listing the various things I’ve been up to in June and July and a bit of August. So here are a selection of the things I’ve being doing in June and July and a bit of August whilst hanging out in the ‘Vintage world’ part of my head!:

Vintage Crockery Hire:
Enquiries for hiring my vintage crockery and other items has risen recently as more local brides opt for the Vintage look for their weddings. We also hired out all the crockery we had with roses on it for a naming ceremony celebration for baby Rebecca Rose. My vintage crockery collection is ever increasing and I’ve been busy sorting it all in my new studio so that it’s easier to see (and count!) what I have. More developments on this coming soon…

Emma from The Wedding Daze and Helen from Ph Weddings also used some our vintage crockery and glassware for their recent stunning Sex and the City photoshoot:






Food by Coco Catering
Cupcakes by Yummylicious
Menu Card and Place Name by Lucy Ledger Designs
Photographs by Ph Weddings

Chatsworth W.I: 
In June I was invited to give my talk on ‘Weddings through the Ages’ at Chatsworth Women’s Institute. Members brought their own wedding memorabilia and photos and told me details from their own weddings, spanning from the 1940s to the 1990s. We hope to post some of their stories on here soon but for now, here’s a photo of Mary’s wedding day in 1970:

She hired her dress of Nottingham Lace and her veil from Young’s and she still has the drawing of the design in her photograph album:

Last year we gave the talk at Bakewell W.I and next year we’ve been asked to give the talk at Balsow W.I. Thanks to Paul from CVC Event Services for hiring us the very reasonably priced powerpoint projector and screen.

Vintage Wedding Research:
We’ve been doing some research into the dying out concept of ‘keeping a bottom draw’ so do let us know if you have any ‘bottom draw’ stories to tell!

1930s Themed Wedding:
We recently met with a bride and groom who are wanting us to help them decorate their 1930s wedding next year. Very excited about this one! Will keep you posted!

And Finally…

Vintage Wedding Showcase event:
In the last couple of years, I’ve been wanting to organise some sort of Vintage wedding event showcasing what Sheffield has to offer for local Vintage brides. I’ve also been developing my idea to start organising evening bridal soirees, as an alterntative to traditional wedding fayres. So after chatting to fellow business colleagues, Laura from Little White Book Wedding and Event Management, Blanche from Coco Catering and Anna from Swallows and Damsons, we decided to take the plunge together and organise an exclusive vintage bridal soiree this September. We’ve chosen the beautiful Chimney House at Kelham Island for the venue and have lined up lots of great local suppliers. More news and ticket details on this shortly…

Posted Sat, 21 Aug, by Jennie Beard in Vintage Crockery Hire, Vintage Weddings | 0 Comments

Vintage Wedding and Anniversary Cards

We found these lovely vintage wedding and anniversary cards at an Antiques Fair in Robin Hoods Bay.

Use them as inspiration for all your vintage wedding stationery needs - invites, orders of service, table plans and place names.

Wedding Glossary:
‘Anniversary’ - from the Latin ‘Anniversarius’ meaning ‘Turn of the Year’.

Posted Wed, 28 Apr, by Jennie Beard in Stationery, Vintage Weddings, Wedding Glossary | 0 Comments

Vintage at Cox and Cox ~      Cake and Cones

At Hansley Beard we like to be up to date with new collections and beautiful products that can be used for your vintage wedding.

The wonderful online store, Cox and Cox, have recently launched their new Spring Collection which includes these delightful vintage style cake boxes. Available in pink, green or blue, they cost only £6 for 10.

We also like these vintage style favour cones, available in blue, pearl grey or lilac and also £6 for 10 (ribbon not included).

Posted Mon, 22 Mar, by Jennie Beard in Catering, Vintage Cake, Vintage Favours, Vintage Weddings | 0 Comments

Vintage Wedding Photo Collection (1)

With a passion for vintage weddings, I love spotting old photos of people’s weddings when trawling the antique shops and internet. I love looking at the details on the dresses and in their hair and the way they arranged their flower bouquets. But most of all I pause and reflect on who they might be, where did they marry, where had they met, what is their story?

This studio image from 1932 is one of my favourites.

Posted Sat, 16 Jan, by Jennie Beard in Dresses, Flowers, General, Photography, Vintage Clothing , Vintage Weddings | 1 Comments

Wedding Fashion online database at the V&A

In the world of weddings, finding the right inspiration is the key to homing in on the details that will make your wedding unique.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your vintage wedding, look no further than the V&A museum’s online database of wedding fashions.

You can search weddings from the Victorian period up to the 21st century. You can also see wedding dresses from the V&A’s own fashion collections.

If you have family wedding photos in your family but have no idea of the date, why not browse the dress database to look for similar period dresses or weddings?

To add to this historical record, you can upload your own wedding photos or your family’s wedding photos, from 1840 to the present. The site currently has no wedding images from 1987, 1988 or 1989, so photos and wedding details from these years are particularly welcome.

Both images used by kind permission of the V&A, London
Top image - 1935 Wedding of Mary Woodworth Bradley and Henry Harrison Blagden
Bottom image - 1920 Wedding of Hazel Mary Cox and Captain Ronald Streeter Lambert

Posted Sat, 31 Oct, by Jennie Beard in Dresses, Flowers, Vintage Accessories, Vintage Clothing , Vintage Styling, Vintage Weddings | 1 Comments

Ultimate Brides Wedding Show

Last Sunday, we had the pleasure of showcasing our stunning pink and black ‘Vintage Boudoir’ at the brilliantly organised Ultimate Brides Wedding Show at Magna in Rotherham. We coordinated and collaborated with fifteen other top quality local wedding suppliers to create our themed stall. The show was attended by hundreds of brides and their guests, from all over the region and beyond. Here’s a selection of the best photos from the day:

All Photos by CandM-Photography

The Vintage Boudoir Dessert Bar:

Vintage Crockery Hire:

Make-up Demonstrations:

Caricatures:

Suppliers:

Styling and Theming: Hansley Beard
Dessert Bar Design: Hansley Beard
Vintage Crockery Hire: Hansley Beard
Wedding Stationery and Display Signs: The Happily Ever After Project
Caricatures: Rich Smith Illustration
Cupcakes: Blush Cupcakes
Desserts: Coco Catering
Chocolates: Cocoa
Flowers: La Boutique Paeony
Make-up Artist: Simone Kania
Model: Sophie Mei
Vintage Hats: Tricia Cox Millinery
Bridal Lingerie: All She Needs
Circus Performer: Greentop Circus
Umbrellas: Valentine & Whicker
Vintage Dresses: Tasty Vintage, Sheffield Antiques Centre
Mirror: Mirror Mad

Ultimate Brides Wedding Show organised by Ultimate Brides

Posted Sun, 13 Sep, by Jennie Beard in Caricatures, Catering, Circus, Dessert and Candy Bars, Flowers, Lingerie, Photography, Shops, Stationery, Suppliers, Themes, Vintage Accessories, Vintage Clothing , Wedding Fayres and Shows, Vintage Weddings | 1 Comments

The Vintage Boudoir

Come and see our specially designed ‘Vintage Boudoir’ at the Ultimate Brides Wedding Show on Sunday 6th September, 10.00 a.m.-5.00 p.m. at Magna. It promises to be one of the best and biggest in the region!

Hansley Beard has joined forces with exclusive local wedding suppliers to create a pink and black themed display showcasing all things vintage! So if you want to add some authentic vintage details and finishing touches to your wedding that will be unique to you, come and see what’s on offer. We may just have the icing on the cake you’ve been looking for!

Posted Sat, 05 Sep, by Jennie Beard in General, Vintage Weddings | 1 Comments