Dreaming of a wedding that’s both timeless and chic? Look no further than the captivating world of mid-century modern designs. This iconic era, spanning roughly the 1940s to 1960s, blended sleek lines with organic forms. This creates a unique aesthetic that continues to enchant today.

Couples might choose to incorporate mid-century modern style into their wedding for several reasons. Firstly, the aesthetic itself is incredibly stylish and timeless. Offering a unique and sophisticated look that stands out from traditional wedding themes. The clean lines, organic shapes, and emphasis on natural materials create an elegant and inviting atmosphere. Secondly, mid-century modern design reflects a sense of individuality and a love for good design. This allows couples to express their personal style and create a truly unique celebration. Finally, the focus on functionality and simplicity inherent in mid-century modern design. This can translate to a more relaxed and enjoyable wedding experience for both the couple and their guests.

Our Favorite Mid-Century Modern Wedding Mood Boards

These moodboards work perfectly for a mid-century modern wedding at Juniper Gardens: Hillside. 

What is Mid-Century Modern Style?

Mid-century modern is a design style that emerged in the mid-20th century, roughly from the 1940s to the 1960s. It’s characterized by a blend of sleek, minimalist lines with organic shapes and natural materials. While the key features include clean lines, functionalism, a focus on craftsmanship, and the use of natural materials like wood, leather, and glass. Think iconic furniture pieces like Eames chairs, sleek sofas, and sculptural lighting. The color palette often incorporates earthy tones like browns, greens, and yellows. Along with pops of vibrant colors like mustard, teal, and coral. When people think of this style, they are often thinking about Mad Men, Palm Springs, or Frank Lloyd Wright.

Mid-century modern design emerged from a confluence of influential movements. The Bauhaus school’s emphasis on functionality and clean lines, the International Style’s focus on modern materials and simplicity, and the organic forms and integration with nature championed by architects like Frank Lloyd Wright all contributed to its unique aesthetic. Scandinavian design, with its emphasis on natural materials, minimalism, and craftsmanship, further enriched the mid-century modern style. This blend of influences resulted in a design philosophy that celebrated both functionality and artistry, reflecting the social and cultural shifts of the post-war era.

Types of Mid-Century Modern Style:

Your personal taste for mid-century design may vary as much as the expressions of mid century itself. Some of our favorite sub-types of Mid-Century Modern are:

• Scandinavian Modern: Emphasizes natural materials like wood, leather, and wool. Features clean lines, functionality, and a focus on craftsmanship. Often incorporates lighter color palettes.   
• Japanese Modern: Known for its refined elegance and attention to detail. Features high-quality materials, intricate joinery, and a focus on organic shapes.   
• Atomic Age: Characterized by bolder colors, geometric patterns, and a more playful aesthetic. Often incorporates elements of space age design and futuristic imagery. This is a fun style to incorporate into the other mid-century modern vibes for a pop of funkiness. One of our favorite artists to look to for inspiration is Ricky Saetta – check his instagram here. 
• California Modern: A more relaxed and informal style, often incorporating elements of indoor-outdoor living. Features natural materials, a focus on comfort, and a brighter color palette.
  • Palm Springs:  a vibrant and playful touch to mid-century modern weddings. It infuses the core aesthetic with a more relaxed and colorful vibe. Think jewel tones like fuchsia, turquoise, and emerald green, often seen in upholstery, accessories, and florals. Palm Springs style also embraces a more playful side of mid-century modern. Incorporating elements like vintage bar carts, desert style and plants, playful patterns like chevron and polka dots, and a focus on creating a festive and lively atmosphere. 
• Retro Tiki: This is a fun and relaxed style common to see in the 1950s that drew inspiration from Hawaiian and beach cultures. This can be seen as a blend of other sub-types, but common features are tiki statues, tropical plants, playful Polynesian patterns, and an earthy color palette with pops of teal. 

Here’s how to infuse your wedding with mid-century modern magic

Mid-century modern style can be seamlessly woven into various aspects of a wedding day. The venue itself can set the stage, with options like a mid-century modern home, a sleek loft space, or a garden setting adorned with minimalist structures. Décor can reflect the era with a curated selection of furniture, such as Eames chairs and low-slung sofas, paired with geometric terrariums and sculptural centerpieces.

The color palette can embrace earthy tones like rust, olive green, and mustard yellow, complemented by crisp whites and charcoal grays. Fashion choices can also reflect the style, with the bride opting for a sheath or A-line gown with clean lines and minimal embellishments. While the groom chooses a slim-fit suit in a classic color. Even the entertainment can evoke the era with live jazz music or a DJ spinning 1950s and 1960s tunes. By thoughtfully incorporating these elements, couples can create a wedding that authentically reflects the timeless elegance of mid-century modern design.

Start with the venue

When we built our mid-century modern venue, Juniper Gardens: Hillside, we drew a lot of inspiration from prairie architecture style and from Mid-century modern architect Eliot Noyes. For this reason, we wanted to make an ideal oasis for couples looking for that perfect mid-century backdrop. Juniper Gardens is located in southwest Missouri just 2.5 hours from Kansas City. Where the outdoors are embraced with minimalist design to help make your personality shine on the wedding day. 

If Juniper Gardens is too far away for your big day, you may want to focus your search on either garden locations, mid-century homes, art museums, or industrial spaces. Palm Springs is always a popular choice, and a great area to draw inspiration from for a brighter colored, more California take on mid-century design. 

Mid-Century Modern Decor

The fun and stressful part of weddings is that you are trying to immerse yourselves into a theme. It can be easy to get overwhelmed, but these are the key focus areas for your decor to add to your wedding for a mid-century flair. Don’t feel like you need to include every single element into your wedding day. Most budgets don’t allow people to do absolutely EVERYTHING, but focus on the elements that are most important to you. 

Color Palette: Mid-century modern weddings largely stick to a natural, muted color palette. Some weddings will include pops of colors in bright oranges, reds, or teals. 

Stationary: This is a perfect place to set the tone and get your guests ready for the theme. This Breezeblock Stationary Set found on Etsy was one of our favorites! Many people are now opting for virtual Save the Dates and still mailing their main invitations to truly make their guests feel invited. 

Wedding Day Attire: Select wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and suits with a vintage flair. An easy way to incorporate this is with tea-length bridesmaid dresses. 

• Wedding dresses: For a wedding dress focus on clean lines and simple silhouettes with fabric like satin, silk, or crepe. Additionally it may include geometric shapes in the details, unique necklines like a keyhole detail or boat neckline. Finished with minimalist jewelry. This vintage veil or pleated veil from Etsy would be a good way to complete the look.
  • Certainly don’t forget about your shoes! On your wedding day you’ll be on your feet a lot and may not have your shoes be super visible. Prioritize comfort over any particular style – wedges, flats, or tennis shoes can all be made to look bridal and offer you maximum comfort. More traditional mid-mod style may call for t-strap heels. 
• Suit: Consider a single-breasted jacket with a clean, tailored look. High-quality fabrics like wool, silk, or linen are often used and occasionally include subtle pin stripping or herringbone detailing. Traditional black colored suits are often skipped in this wedding theme. You’re more likely to see suits in brown, tan, green, navy, or gray. Add more personality and flair with a tie including geometric designs, or pocket squares with mid-century modern patterns.
  • A great groom’s gift would be quirky socks to go with the theme. 
• Bridesmaid dresses: Much like the wedding dresses, the focus for bridesmaid is simple, clean lines with minimal embellishment. Additionally this may be a fun area to play with silhouettes like a 1950s tea length dress, or A-line or sheath dresses. Bridesmaid dresses are great in neutral colors and to enhance the wedding’s color palette. 

     Note: You may want to consider telling your guests to dress on a theme or specific color palette to elevate your wedding day style. This is often communicated on the invitation or wedding website. 

Ceremony Decor:

• Bridal bouquet and floral design: Embrace organic shapes and textures. Think oversized leaves, proteas, and succulents.
• Altar: This is where your unique style can truly shine with what parts of mid-century style resonate with you the most. 
• Focus on an outdoor space that does most of the decorating for you – such as a garden.

Reception Decor:

• Welcome Table/Seating Chart:
• Head table:
• Guest Tables: Include table numbers that match the theme, but otherwise keep it simple with centerpieces and decor that have a real vintage feel. At least consider the use sculptural branches, geometric terrariums, or clusters of tapered candles in brass holders.
• Wedding Cake: While the cake itself can definitely take on different expressions of mid-century modern style, you may also consider a simpler cake design and pair with an iconic piece of mid-century modern furniture like a record player stand as a cake table. 
• Signature Cocktails: This can be especially fun for a mid-century flair that leans towards a tiki style. Because you can really elevate a classic cocktail with a fun name or just a themed menu or napkin. We love these custom napkin designs from artist Alison Cote. 
• Lounge and other furniture: Our favorite way to play up the mid-century style is to incorporate true vintage pieces into a lounge or accessory furniture pieces like low-slung sofas, Eames chairs, and tulip tables. 

Entertainment:

• Live Music: Jazz music, especially from the 1950s and 1960s, will set the perfect mood. Consider hiring a live band or a DJ who specializes in this genre. You may also want to include a dance floor with parquet flooring that is so well known in this era. 
• Polaroid Guest Book: We love recommending this style no matter the wedding theme, it’s a fun idea and we see time and time again that guests LOVE using Instax cameras or similar to add to a guest book. It’s great that it’s interactive but also evokes immediate nostalgia feelings. 
• Favors: Personalized coasters, stylish planters, custom matchbooks, or small prints of mid-century art make unique and memorable keepsakes.

Real Weddings for Inspo

Additionally we’ve had some incredible weddings at Juniper Gardens that have a real vintage feel, some of these may be the inspiration you’ve been looking for. 

For this reason, maybe your wedding should be here next. Set up a tour by contacting us.

Mid-century modern weddings are all about effortless elegance and a touch of retro charm. By incorporating these ideas, you can create a celebration that is both stylish and unforgettable.