There are lots of places you can find pre-loved records. I would highly recommend charity shops and bootfairs. As you’re not looking for anything rare, you’re likely to pay less than 50p per record- please don’t pay any more than £1! So anyway, here’s what you can do with them…

1: Vinyl butterflies- how beautiful! These would be fabulous dotted around your wedding venue, on the walls, on the tables- go mad! You may need to get these laser cut as they are quite intricate- google ‘laser cutting services’ in your area and get a few quotes. You could find a graphic butterfly image online and use that as a template, but do get advice from the cutters as they may have specific requirements. (Source: Blue Caravan Blog)

2: A wall of records- what a fabulous altar backdrop this would make! Apparently perfect for details shots too! (Source: Rock n’ Roll Bride)

3: What gorgeous table markers! Pop a table number/name, and even a design onto a sticker and cover the original centre label. Love the way they have used a stripy colour co-ordinated post to display it here, but there are so many possibilities… get creative! (Source: Lucky & Lovely)

4. Wouldn’t these be stunning hanging from every inch of the ceiling?! They could be sprayed in multi-colours if you are the bold, adventurous type or a single shade if you’d prefer something more subtle. (Source: Unusual Adult Party Items)

5. Upcycle an old record into a quirky wedding invitation! Love the use of an oversized label here to display all the details. Incidentally smaller 45s might be more practical in size… and cost! (Source: Lucky & Lovely)

6: More laser cutting required, but I think it would be well worth it! You could cut out a design like this or… drum roll please…. cut your names, wedding date, time and venue out of the vinyl and use the centre label to print the final details! Love it?! One of my favourite ideas- very proud! (Source: Pinterest)

7: Vinyl wedding dress… perhaps paint it white… or maybe for your bridesmaids… no… fair enough! (Source: Verity Vian on deviantART)

8: LP placemats- genius! You could print your guests’ names on the labels too! (Source: Hostess Blog)

9: A chandelier made of records and a bicycle wheel… clever recycling! (Source: Ken Kienow)

10: Melt a record** to form this gorgeous escort card holder, by moulding it around a block of wood or something similar in shape, so that you have a base and two sides, then quickly before it cools, use scissors to cut the slots for the cards (perhaps a pair of scissors that you don’t intend on using again mind)!  It may not be perfect but that’s part of the charm! (Source:  Green Bang)

11. LOVE this cake stand! Another fabulous record melting project**! You will of course need to find yourself some cake stand centre handle fittings-  Google shopping results are rather handy for this sort of thing! Of course there is always Ebay too! (Source: Once again)

12. Record sleeves are perfect for creating colourful butterflies to accompany your vinyl ones from suggestion 1! Again, find yourself a graphic butterfly image online, print it out at the size you require and use it as a template. (Source: D Sharp Journal)

13. Love this invitation- use the sleeve to display a beautiful image, such as an engagement photograph or a gorgeous graphic design or illustration. You could pop your wedding details on the centre label on the record. There seems to be loads of Google results for ‘blank record sleeve’, although you may need to check with a few local printers as to whether they are able to do them for you, unless of course you have a super-duper printer of your own! (Source: All About Wedding)

14. Dance floor?! LOVE IT! Glue them down SECURELY to the largest sheet of ply you can find and perhaps use grout, carefully, in all the gaps, so stilettos won’t get caught! (Source: Without Fins on Flickr)

15. These darling little LP style gift tags actually come with a fabulous tutorial on Dudecraft! Wouldn’t they be perfect for your attendants and parents gifts?!

16. Record cupcakes… Just to add a little sugar to your theme! ; ) (Source: Retro Bakery in Las Vegas on Flickr)

17. Guestbook! Again, you could personalise the centre label with your names and wedding date and have your guests sign the vinyl with permanent marker- to be displayed on your wall for a lifetime! (Source: Minnesota Bride)

18. Of course no record themed wedding is complete without the warm nostalgic sound of vinyl produced by a genuine Gramophone DJ!

Title image ©Jen Campbell Photography

**How to melt a record: Preheat your oven to around 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit (100-120 Celsius), Place your record your mould, e.g. an upside down bowl or block of wood covered in greaseproof paper. Put it onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Keep a close eye on your creation as some records start to “flop” quicker than others, although it usually takes around 4-8 minutes. Take the whole thing out of the oven (wearing oven mitts, of course) once you notice some real “flopping” going on and tweak the shape by hand if necessary. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes. Stand back and admire with pride. Please be aware of the toxic fumes that may be emitted by melting vinyl. DO NOT reuse your moulds for serving/cooking food, and perhaps leave you oven open to air for a while as well as a window for ventilation.

Do hope you’ve gathered plenty of inspiration and know how… please send in your photographs if you decide to have a go! Equally if you have any further ideas, I’d love to hear them! xXx