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Couples are taking their passion for timeless, period-specific finds and styles to new heights.
In fact, 78% of couples are turning to vintage cues to create one-of-a-kind weddings, according to the 2026 Wedding Style Report, produced by Zola, a wedding planning and registry platform, and Poshmark, an online marketplace for vintage products.
You may not get ‘80’s prom, but Princess Diana’s wedding look from that decade and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s in the 90’s is possible, according to Emily Forrest Skurnik, head of communications at Zola. “The ‘50s and ‘60s were gorgeous eras too — romantic and historic.”
What’s stirring the trend? Firstly, “There’s a movement away from social media influence,” Skurnik said. “People understand wedding design from Pinterest and TikTok, but want to get away from the algorithms. Going vintage provides a way to have a ‘one-of-one’ wedding — something no one else has.”
And, for Gen Z, “Vintage is a way they shop in their everyday life. With the rise of online platforms — for renting clothes from other people’s closets and re-sale items — it’s very commonplace,” Skurnik.
Vintage bridal is having a defining moment, Elizabeth von der Goltz, chief revenue officer at Poshmark, said.
Searches for “white vintage gowns” has surged, which von der Goltz said is “a shift toward one-of-a-kind, archival-inspired wedding looks. Brides are increasingly choosing pieces with history — driving triple-digit growth across vintage gowns, veils, and shoes,” as per the style report.
Some brides are upcycling vintage wedding dresses that are heirlooms, said Christine Carlson, owner of Maybelle Atelier in Maplewood, NJ.
“A lot of people come in with their mother or grandmother’s wedding dress wanting it as their dance dress for their ‘second look’ on their wedding day,” said Carlson, a former bridal and couture designer. “I charge for an heirloom reimagining session (90 minutes for $300) and produce three hand-drawn sketches. It takes four to six months in advance to go from drawing to finished product.”
On one occasion, a woman contacted Carlson to donate her mother’s Priscilla of Boston wedding dress from 1967.
“She wanted to see it have another life,” said Carlson. “I cleaned it and modernized the silhouette by cutting off the sleeves, lowering the back, adding straps and fun pockets.”
It was spotted on Instagram by Lauren Pishna, who “was obsessed and made an appointment to see it,” said Carlson. “She tried it on, started crying, bought it, and wore it to her own wedding this past August.”
Sara Kaplan is the owner of Aidel Vintage in Lawrence, NY, a second-hand and vintage boutique that focuses on unique, mint-condition, designer-quality clothing.
She primarily serves an Orthodox Jewish clientele, for which modest fashion is the norm, and where a wedding isn’t a single moment but a sequence of halachic and celebratory events.
“We’re outfitting 17 to 75 year-olds looking for gowns and attire for these and surrounding events,” said Kaplan. “While custom clothing is time-consuming and expensive, our gowns start at $250 and cost up to $500.”
Besides a better price point, “the thrill of the hunt is real. People want to dress beautifully and don’t want to wear the same thing as others. We put new merchandise out every 20 minutes,” said Kaplan.
Vintage elements and details also make the wedding day feel personal, said Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert for Etsy. Searches for vintage jewelry are up 75 percent over the last three months compared to the previous year. “Finding that one-of-kind piece is also a sustainable way of giving a product new life.”
Michelle Elaine, owner of Michelle Elaine Weddings, a Northeast wedding planner, is also noticing an increase in the use of family treasures such as rings, pocket squares and cufflinks, teacups, vases, tiered cake stands and silver trays that have been passed down through generations.
Choice of venue is key when creating old-world-charm and atmosphere, said Elaine.
“I used the purse my mother used on her wedding day.”
Abigail Lama
Some of her recommended area examples include the Salmagundi Club, the Morgan Library and Museum and Lotte New York Palace in Manhattan, which she said feels like someone’s rich grandmother’s house. In Brooklyn, the Weylin steps you back into the 1920’s and the Foundry in Long Island City gives Bridgerton vibes, she added.
Abigail Lama and Kyle Johnstone, 32 and 33 respectively, now residing in Brooklyn, went for a classic New York-themed wedding last November.
The couple had their ceremony in Central Park, with a jazz trio playing classic tunes as they walked down a makeshift aisle at the Glade Arch historic stone bridge.
“I used the purse my mother used on her wedding day,” said Lama, whose rehearsal dinner outfit was made from her mother’s wedding dress.
While the couple had both film and digital photographers, a Super 8 style video was used to shoot the celebration for an old school home-video aspect.
“We wanted to capture the day with an unstaged, back-in-the-day feeling,” said Lama.
