This weather has me wanting to crawl right back into bed and never leave. Pile on the nonsense that’s happening in Congress with no paid parental leave in sight, and it really makes me want to crawl into a hole. I feel fortunate that I can be a stay at home mom, and that Justin received 8 weeks of leave when Charlie was born. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without him at home. But I know so many other moms, and dads for that matter, that work outside the home and deserve this paid time off to be with their child. It is not a vacation – you are keeping a new human alive, while also healing (for birthing parents), and adjusting to a new home life. It is all-consuming, and I just can’t fathom how our ‘leadership’ (a term I use loosely) can’t come to an agreement. As I step off my soapbox, I hope you are all contacting your Congresspeople about this.
We wanted to lean into all the fall/winter vibes with this shoot to bring together a wedding that feels luxurious, but that a bride could accomplish on a budget. Our setup was influenced by the writings of Poe, so we leaned into the burgundies, and elevated the style with gold and black. We were also mindful of creating a luxe vibe on a budget. We wanted to create that feeling of excess, so we made sure there was enough fabric to pool on the ground.
Our mismatched candelabras all came from Goodwills and yard sales. They were excellent places to look for statement pieces. We also found our beautiful macaroon plate on these adventures. Our tables also featured swags and loose florals. We used the extra vines to tie our theme into our altar space and our dessert table. We also created the bouquet using burgundy and blush artificial flowers.
We were adamant that we didn’t want a traditional cake for our fete, so we opted for a variety of deserts instead. Royal icing cookies perfectly captured the Victorian style, along with the most beautiful gold-dusted macaroons and petit fours.
The bridal gown was purchased secondhand. We chose a simple ivory veil, and then painstakingly lined the edges of with small paper flowers from the craft score to create that feeling of Victorian excess.
Vendors:
Photographer: Be Still Photography | Venue: Private Residence | Flowers: Lings Moment & Michael’s | Linens: Lings Moment | Desserts: Wholly Sweets Bake Shop | Cookies: The Icing Baking Co. | Invitations: Zola | Dress Store: ReWed Bridal | Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero | Ring Designer: Triton | Jewelry: Ulman’s Jewelry |
