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British Couple Has 1940s-Themed Wedding and Takes Fabulous Photos

Ria Chambers and Jonathan Jefferies held a 1940s-themed wedding on March 12, 2016 in Bedfordshire, England.
John Hynes/Courtesy Ria Chambers
ByJOI-MARIE MCKENZIE
April 07, 2016, 5:26 PM

— -- How does a couple who loves history get married? With a 1940s-themed wedding, of course.

When British couple Ria Chambers and Jonathan Jefferies wed last month, the two stayed true to their theme -- down to their proposal.

Jefferies, 40, who met his future bride in a "living history group" that reenacts moments from the 1940s, proposed using Morse Code, which was used during World War II. Their engagement also only lasted for six months, which is similar to many war-time couples who had to marry quickly before the groom was sent off to war.

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Ria Chambers and Jonathan Jefferies held a 1940s-themed wedding on March 12, 2016 in Bedfordshire, England.

The couple even sent wedding invitations to their 120 guests that looked like General Post Office telegrams.

Picking a theme for their wedding was easy, Chambers, 35, told ABC News.

"Me and my husband, we both love history," she explained. "I think because we both have grandparents that had active roles in the war and we were both very close to our grandparents. It's about that stylized period of time. We both like that aesthetic."

Ria Chambers and Jonathan Jefferies held a 1940s-themed wedding on March 12, 2016 in Bedfordshire, England.
John Hynes/Courtesy Ria Chambers

Chambers said her ivory wedding dress was a replica of the dress worn by Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson when she wed King Edward VIII in 1937. Her husband's gray suit was a replica of one made in 1948. The couple's wedding car, which they own, was a 1939 Austin automobile. But the '40s fun didn't stop there.

The reception also featured an 18-piece band, which only played Big Band hits from the 1930s and '40s. Guests also ate what Chambers called "war-time foods," such as chocolate and beetroot cake along with parsnip cake.

As for their late March honeymoon, the couple took a trip that many in the 1940s would take. They reserved seats on the luxury train, Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

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