If you know me the teeniest little bit, you know one thing – I am an old soul. A soul that believes in tradition, in occasions and in the glamorous details of everyday life. More than one person in my life has said I belong in another decade, and if I were to choose one – it would be the decade that inspired Mark Padgett Wedding Design and PANACEA Event Floral Design to dream up this gorgeous Gatsby shoot. Because this is a shoot meant for the old soul in all of us, and thanks to talented work of Mike Larson, Private Estate & Vineyard Wedding Photographer, you can devour every last bit of old school elegance right here.
From Mark Padgett Wedding Design… When my beloved pal and Bloom Diva, Corinne, suggested a Great Gatsby-styled photo shoot, I saw huge swoon potential for swoon! The lines, fashion, fabrics, and emerging opulence of that era were a gorgeous design palette to play with indeed. Our photography guru, Mike Larson, suggested the gorgeous estate of Hammer Sky Vineyard as the backdrop. It reminded all of us of the house in many photos of the original movie with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Kim Hauck, the owner of the property, graciously allowed me to use pieces from the expertly-appointed home that you can see in the picnic scene, as well as the chairs at the head table. For the color palette, I remembered a photo from Kate Moss’s wedding that I loved and pulled colors from the photo. I wanted the colors to be rich but have the innocence of the 1920’s.
Once the location was set, we had to find the crowing jewel for all our wedding: the bride and groom! Married not too long ago themselves, Trea and Danny were perfect in every way. The vintage gowns by Jennifer of Something Blue looked as though they were made for Trea. The stunning headpiece is from Lauren of Lo Boheme. The jewelry from Something Blue. For Danny, we tried many vintage suits but they looked old-fashioned. I wanted the look to be fresh and decided on a gray/brown two button by Tommy Hilfiger. For the tie, I found the perfect fabric and had it made by Jane Johnson of Tux and Tulle. The awesome stylists of The Queens Bees provided hair and makeup. Although red lipstick was huge back then, I wanted the makeup to be natural and modern and asked them to use peach tones instead. Corinne and I had just attended a new linen release party at La Tavola Linen in Santa Barbara, and I spotted the perfect choice for our head table. Necia with Umbrella Tree designed the menus, escort cards and table number. Our friend Judi Powers has operated a beautiful wedding property for years and started collecting gorgeous vintage items for her site. We were all very excited when she decided to offer vintage rentals as well. Embellish Vintage Rentals was born! For the head table, I spotted some vintage trophies and knew they had to serve as vases.
If the bride and groom are the crowning jewels of the wedding, the flowers are the ladies-in-waiting. Corinne with Panacea designed a floral palette that was lush, sophisticated and completely current for the savvy, modern bride. I wanted to try something different for a photo shoot by including food as well. It is often overlooked in stylized photo shoots. Our company includes the menu in our designs. Yes, you want your wedding to look gorgeous but we make sure the menu reflects who you are as well. Local cuisine mavens Two Cooks Catering stepped up and offered a gorgeous menu. You can’t have food without drink, of course. Hammersky provided delicious wines from their vineyard, and I made peach bellinis for the picnic scene. I chose a picnic scene for this shoot for a number of reasons. First, it’s my favorite movie still from the Great Gatsby. Second, because it is a gorgeous way to show many elements at the same time, such as the lovely cake from The Cakery. Finally, I am currently promoting unique ideas for my clients and their rehearsal dinners, such as a picnic at the beach! Fully-catered with vintage baskets and umbrellas to match the wedding, of course. This stylized shoot was truly a labor of love. Love for wedding design, love for the design collaboration, love for all things wedding. Finally, of course, our love for The Great Gatsby itself.
Photography: Mike Larson, Private Estate & Vineyard Wedding Photographer / Photo Shoot Venue, Ceremony Chairs + Wine: Hammer Sky Vineyards in Paso Robles, California / Wedding Design, Event Styling + Groom’s Styling: Mark Padgett Wedding Design / Floral Design: Corinne of Panacea Event Floral Design / Catering: Two Cooks Catering / Wedding Cake: The Cakery / Paper Goods: Necia of Umbrella Tree Design / Rentals: Judi Powers of Embellish Vintage Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Wedding Dresses + Bride’s Jewelry: Jennifer Blue of Something Blue / Bride’s Hair Accessory: Lo Boheme / Hair + Makeup: Asha of The Queens Bees / Groom’s Suit: Tommy Hilfiger / Groom’s Tie: Jane Johnson of Tux and Tulle on Etsy