1920 Theme Reception: Black And White Rainbow Room Reception for Christina and Sam

The black and white theme party ideas for the wedding reception of Christina and Sam were inspired by the Art Deco-era supper club scene in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator that reflected a world of sleek young men and women at ease in their ultra-stylish surroundings.

For the young New York City couple, it represented a way to combine a truly sophisticated New York wedding with a bit of yesteryear high-octane Hollywood glamour to deliver a bit of a late-1920s theme wedding reception. Based on that thematic framework, the pair held a lavish black and white wedding affair in Rockefeller Center’s famous Rainbow Room.

Christina also delivered a sensational Hollywood look with her bridal attire. It started with body-conscience Angel Sanchez wedding dress tailored from white satin with a narrow fit-and-flare skirt producing artful lines in true Art Deco stylization. Variegated off-the–shoulder sleeves reflected Art Deco ornamental syntax with zigzag serrated cuts, splashed with beading for added classy looks. Over her shoulders, the bride wore a “something borrowed” white fur stole, secured by wide white ribbons tied into a big bow. Up top, she wore an adorably vintage style birdcage veil.

After departing St. Bartholomew’s Church where the wedding ceremony was held, the newlyweds headed to the legendary Rainbow Room, joined by 205 guests dressed to the nines in gowns and tuxedos, to bring to life the dream of an elegant wedding reception. Decorations for this black and white theme wedding reception didn’t require much extra effort on the part of the couple. The luxurious supper-club atmosphere of the site that had played host to socialites and swing bands for nearly a century delivered a ready-made focus on the desired look.

That the Rainbow Room offered a decadent setting goes without saying. Mahogany covered walls provided a sense of richness united with the Art Deco idiom of reasserting the importance of the role of the artist-craftsman in design and production. Mirrors on the walls played to the luxury and modernistic appreciation that fashion-conscious guests of the late-1920s and 1930s would have embraced. Crystal chandeliers added to the rich and sumptuous vibe.

With the room awash in glowing pink lighting, guests were seated at mirror-topped tables with black tablecloths that further enforced the exuberance and fantasy of the late-1920s theme reception. Place settings included white round chargers atop which were white dinner napkins wrapped in black napkin holders. Tall thin glass vases of varying heights containing white orchards that towered dramatically over each table combined with black dinner candles atop stylish clear glass candlestick holders to provide elegant wedding reception decorations.

Those black and white theme party ideas for the wedding reception were supplemented by a bar created from giant blocks of ice, up against which guests put their cheeks to cool off as the festivities picked up. The sumptuous fare of which they availed themselves included filet mignon, lobster ravioli, and fresh oysters. One other elegant wedding decoration was the wedding cake, a highly decorated culinary masterpiece in true Art Deco form, featuring four octagonal tiers accented with Art Deco motifs.