We’re feasting on the From Inspiration to Reality Shoot that Montreal based vendors, Unity Weddings and Davina+Daniel (full vendor list below), put together for all of you super glam brides out there. When you write a wedding blog for a living, your wedding obsessions tend to vary by day and right now, I’m on a total modern glam kick. Which means that this RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous shoot completely satisfies all of my wedding dreams…from the OH-so-chic black chandelier to the shoes that are going to haunt my dreams until I break down and buy a pair. So if you’re anything like me, you are definitely going to love this gem of a shoot built totally and completely to inspire your own wedding ambitions. Click here to see the full wedding gallery.
click here to see the full, totally gorgeous, wedding gallery!
From Unity Weddings…When I first saw the Emerald City inspiration board, I knew that it was absolutely perfect for me. I love all things clean, crisp black and white and art deco, so it really was a no-brainer. What really caught my attention was the photo of Keira Knightley in the infamous emerald gown from the movie “Atonement”. I literally spent days and nights watching it over and over while creating the stationery. Then my florist, Alain Simon, asked to see it, so we watched it again! The mood in that movie is so peculiar, dark and moody yet still very romantic.
The idea behind the shoot was to mix pretty severe graphics with romantic vintage softness. We shot at the newly-built Loft Hotel; its dark floors, oversize Chandeliers, and Art Deco furniture were the perfect setting for a dressy yet fun atmosphere. I am usually a huge fan of mixing and matching, so I decided to incorporate the black and white theme through mismatched plates. Emerald Green became the accent color through napkins, glasses, stationery, and jewelry. Along with my florist, we also decided to bring in some pinks in the flowers to soften up the tables. The Flowers were roses, cymbidium orchids, hypericum berries, and succulents.
In the end, I wanted to create an event with a hard-to-describe mood. Dressy yes not stuffy, modern yet with a vintage twist, colorful yet soothing to the eye. Something that would leave the viewer with a light shiver! By the way, my inspiration song was “Fever”, which is really funny since it’s the song that Ioan Films selected for the video, without even consulting me!
Here are some tips for brides wanting to re-create the look:
I think that this look is actually fairly easy to create on any kind of budget. The starting point was the black and white graphic. If attempting to DIY this, I would suggest sticking to only 1 or 2 bold colors (too many and it’ll become hallucinogenic!). If the colors all match, then you can go ahead and play with patterns as much as you like (I chose dots and lines, but it could be anything). Graphic plates are available everywhere, from expensive rental vendors to Ikea.
If you’re going to be playing with heavy and bright patterns and colors, stick to simplicity everywhere else. You’ll want the bold visuals to really stick out without the entire design being overwhelming.
With a place setting this bold, nothing else on the table needs to be extravagant, so there’s yet another way of cutting costs! We used very small flower arrangements, just enough to give small colorful pops.
Finally, and most importantly, I say trust your instincts! A lot of people weren’t sold when I told them about my plans for this design, but it seems to have worked out after all!
Photography: Davina+Daniel / Cinema: Ioan Films / Flowers: Alain Simon Fleurs / Venue: Loft Hotel / Stationery, Design and Styling: Unity Weddings / Cake: Jessica Berard Cakes (she’s also the model with her fiance) / Dress: Melissa Gentile Couture / Furniture: Loft Hotel’s private collection / Black Chandeliers: Showdesign / China: Celebrations / Glass Vases for Succulents and Candle holders from designer’s home, purchased at Home Sense / Shoes: Nine West