A Dark & Moody Style Shoot

There are many things that could serve as the inspiration behind a style shoot and, in this case, the shoot was born out of a desire to show brides that their wedding can embody their personal style and aesthetics. Another oh-so-important catalyst? A very special dress that caught the planner’s eye.

 

Robin Wilson of Curtsy and Bow Events says, “I have always felt a little out of place in the wedding world...mostly because while I love a gorgeous, blush-toned palette, my personal aesthetic is much darker and more bold. I wanted to feature a shoot that would encourage brides to not be afraid to stick to what they love when planning their wedding. Your favorite color is black? Wear a black dress! You hate wearing a suit? Then don’t! There’s no reason to feel like you have to fit into a certain mold when it comes to celebrating the love of your life, and I really wanted to highlight what one example of that could look like...I wanted the bride’s look to be edgy, sexy and romantic...something I find a lot of women don’t feel like they have the option of being at their own wedding. The whole shoot was born out of a dress that I randomly purchased one day because I just fell in love with it...It was one of those shopping moments where it felt like the dress was magically placed in that store just for me! I loved the drama of the dress—the lace inserts, the deep peekaboo neckline, the Victorian sleeves...it just seemed like it was waiting to have a story crafted around it.”

The team found that the location of the photographer’s parents’ house was the perfect setting for the intimate and romantic elopement-style wedding. Robin says, “We wanted a really natural, wild location to match the bold and sexy feel of the dress. I loved the lush greens as a contrast to the black dress. Plus, they have a swing hanging from a tree! Couldn’t be more perfect. The street their house is located on is dirt, so we were able to utilize that as well during twilight for some really cool smoke bomb photography to add to the drama.”

The dress was the inspiration for everything. Robin says, “I often will plan my wedding designs around the dress the bride has chosen because I feel like that should be the center point that directs all other style choices. I absolutely knew I wanted to use this non-conventional black dress as a bridal option because it is bold and sexy. I am loving all of the newer color options we’re seeing in the industry lately, and the risks brides are able to take when it comes to their style. Personal style is naturally an extension of who you are, and your wedding dress should be no different, so I loved showcasing an edgier, sexier vibe than what is typically considered ‘bridal.’”  
 

Robin says, “I chose to go with a heavy greens centered design for the bouquets and decor to work with the outdoor location of the shoot.  I used a lot of ferns and jasmine vine to give it a really organic, loosely constructed feel. I also went with Dahlia and Chocolate Dara Ammi as the main floral component because they’re grown locally in Michigan, and we have such stunning product here during the summer months. It’s important to me to source as much floral as I can locally to support our farming community and to give my designs a homegrown feel.”
 

Desiring to showcase a darker palette than typical, the team focused on black, oxblood and greens as their only colors. “It made the shoot look really dimensional and the pops of color added such a luxurious note,” says Robin. “Oxblood has been making a resurgence in wedding palettes lately, and it was the perfect addition to our design plan to complement the overall bold and sexy feel.” To showcase the bride’s long locks, a low, loose braided ponytail with real gold foil became the stunningly understated style of choice. A strong, dark lip color and a deep, oxblood, smokey eye completed the look.

Robin says, “I really liked the idea of an uncut geode as a design element, and the stationery company really took that direction and ran with it! What she produced was just absolutely perfect for the shoot. She used gold foil and water color to create the design of the stationery, and we had an insanely talented hand-letterer address the envelopes and do some portions of the stationery, too.”

Whisk and Crumb created a stunning abstract watercolor design on the cake and also supplied macarons and mini tartlettes.

Robin says, “I used Aimee’s expertise with Modernly Events to help us build a setting that was complementary to the wildness of the nature around. We definitely wanted a sweetheart table to further build an intimate environment, and she did not disappoint! We used these gorgeous, clear acrylic chairs that were both modern and edgy and a natural wood table with hairpin legs that was actually hand-crafted by Aimee’s husband. She specializes in mid-century furniture, and we scored this gorgeous vintage rattan shelving piece to stage the cake and desserts on that was the perfect addition, and we also used a copper pipe arch to stage a ceremony location with. We set the sweetheart table on a vintage, Persian rug in oxblood tones to set the table apart from the greenery around it.”
 

As for linens, we didn’t want to cover the beautiful wood table, so we chose to swag a luxe velvet in charcoal down the table and complemented that with matte black cutlery, chargers and clear glass plates for our place settings,” says Robin. “The dining ware was all rented from Event Source, as were the linens. For table decorations, we used lots of different types and heights of tapers that burned black and melted green! We set a fern leaf under each plate to bring some nature to the table, and used a lot of fruits like figs and pears on the table setting to give it added dimension.”

 

What We Love

Robin says, “One of the most exciting parts for me was to play with smoke bombs! It’s been an increasing trend in the industry, and it sure doesn’t disappoint!...Our photographer did such an awesome job at capturing it, and we got some really great video, too!  We went with a videographer who is really modern and tells beautiful stories through film.”

 

Styled Shoot "Dark Romance" from 3rd Street Films on Vimeo.

 

 

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