Great Gatsby Themed Vintage Automobile Wedding In Downtown Dayton Ohio

The Wedding

My first wedding of 2024 and my 235th overall took place in January at America’s Packard Museum in downtown Dayton, Ohio.  This wedding couple chose to have a Great Gatsby themed wedding surrounded by vintage Packard automobiles in an intimate setting.  The groom was dressed in his Army formals and the bride was in a beautiful champagne-colored dress which sparkled all over.  Traditionally, most of my couples are 22-35 years old, but this couple was much older.  It is always fun to photograph different types of people and to capture their love no matter what their age.

The wedding took place in the large showroom just to the east of the historic dealership.  Both the original dealership and the showroom annex are heated, but the walkway between the two is definitely not.  It was quite cold in there and happened to be where the bride waited for the wedding to start.  She had been hidden away upstairs in the museum’s office.  She asked for no getting-ready photos, so I went up there just to let her know I had arrived. Usually, I spend several hours with the bride, so today was quite different.

The Reception At A Vintage Automobile Wedding

Following the wedding, the guests were ushered into the old dealership while I photographed the family photos.  Elite Catering provided a mobile bar at the back to facilitate a fun cocktail hour.  After the families were photographed, the bride and groom had their wedding portraits taken with several of the vehicles around the museum.  My favorite car, a bright red 1953 Caribbean looked amazing with the bride’s dress next to it.  I am absolutely in love with that car!

All in all, it was a pretty traditional wedding day with special dances, cake cutting, and speeches.  One thing I really like about photographing older couples is the maturity that comes with age.  The speeches are usually more succinct and well thought out with fewer shenanigans throughout the day.  I recommend this Dayton wedding venue for automobile and history enthusiasts.