It’s safe to say that there’s a new favorite television show in town and it goes by the name of Downton Abbey. Are you as obsessed as we are?!? We’ll go with a big, fat YES. But even if you’ve never watched a single second, the beauty of this Downton Abbey inspired shoot will reel you in. Arielle Doneson Photography teamed up with Firefly Events to showcase all those gorgeous Edwardian details we can’t seem to get enough of and how easily they translate into an ultra romantic wedding style. Click here for the full gallery.
We get a little extra excited whenever we get to see a photo shoot come to life and this time it’s at the hands of Tree of Life Films. Such an appropriate name don’t you think? Poor that second cup of joe and grab a front row seat to all the behind the scenes action right here…
Click here for the FULL photo shoot!
From Teissia of Firefly Events… When Arielle Doneson approached Firefly Events with the idea of a Downton Abbey-inspired photo shoot, we couldn’t have been more excited. Shooting both digitally and on film, Arielle has a wonderful eye for capturing the small moments that make your big day so special, so we were thrilled to work with her. As diehard Downton Abbey fans, the three of us started compiling ideas on our Pinterest boards and reaching out to some of our favorite vendors. What we love most about the Edwardian style featured on Downton Abbey are the beautiful, rich colors and the romantic details seen in everything from jewelry and hats to dishes and flatware. We really wanted to highlight these aspects while giving them a modern update. To do this, we started by setting our shoot in a minimalist, white-washed loft overlooking the New York City streets. We loved how this backdrop made every detail pop.
We knew immediately that we wanted to work with Rebecca Shepherd for the floral design. She has an amazing eye, and her unique point of view was exactly what we were looking for. We chose a color palette of pinks and plums accented with plenty of greenery. One of our favorite Brit traditions is the garden party, and we wanted to bring a touch of that indoors. To do this, Rebecca created a structure of birch poles wrapped in seasonal greens to stand over the table. We hung a candlestick chandelier draped in flowers from the top beam — it was one of our favorite romantic details! For the tabletop, we combined sets of antique silver, vintage china from The Vintage Rental Company and an assortment of brass stemware, vases and candlesticks from Rebecca Shepherd. These were all set on an ivory linen tablecloth with layers of antique doilies running the length of the table and under each place setting to add texture and depth. Clusters of feathers placed inside miniature brass goblets created a simple, romantic presentation for each name card. These delicate touches perfectly offset the bold colors of the florals.
A wonderful baker and owner of Pickles and Pies, Erin Crosby, our beautiful bride, baked herself into a frenzy and provided us with an amazing array of desserts. We put together a delicious dessert bar with beautiful bold vintage pieces while allowing the florals to be soft and feminine. We really hit the jackpot with this gorgeous dress from Claire Pettibone, as well as the amazing headpiece by Sara Gabriel and beautiful vintage necklace, all borrowed from Gabriella New York! These pieces really brought our vision to life. Tying it all together with hair and makeup was Alexandra Brock! We love the red lips and romantic updo she chose for the bride. I believe that we’re not alone when we say that the hats on Downton Abbey are one of the best parts of the show! We loved the idea of combining these incredibly chic hats from Preston and Olivia with an ultra feminine wedding dress. It’s the perfect example of how a bride can transition from ceremony to reception just by changing up her accessories. These hats also brought a unique pop of color and romantic detail. For the groom, we took a cue from cousin Mathew and dressed him in a modern day Army uniform and kept his look classic and clean. As if all of this was not amazing enough, our friends at Tree Of Life Films joined us for the entire day and created this beautiful short film capturing all the magic both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Enjoy!
Photography: Arielle Doneson Photography / Venue: Studio Luminoso in New York, New York / Event Design + Styling: Teissia Treynet + Alia Wilson of Firefly Events / Flowers: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design / Cinematography: Tree of Life Films / Bakery: Pickles and Pies / Invitations: Firefly Events / Vintage Rentals: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design + The Vintage Rental Co. / Rental Company: Party Rental Ltd. / Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone via Gabriella New York / Necklace: Gabriella New York / Hair Comb Headpiece: Sara Gabriel via Gabriella New York / Hats + Headband: Preston and Olivia / Hair + Makeup: Alexandra Brock / Military Uniform: Kaufman’s Army & Navy