Neutral + Elegant Outdoor Wedding Inspiration

Stephanie Weers
March 15, 2016
Categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style
Tags: real weddings, Southern Wedding

I love a pop of color as much as the next girl, but a wedding designed solely around a sea of neutrals? Oh, be still my heart. That’s exactly the approach Elyse Jennings took as she put together this inspiration shoot, along with a team of talented including Melissa’s Fine Pastries and Bella Blooms Floral. Just one look at the gallery from Greer Gattuso or clip below by BRIDE FILM and you’ll be convinced that neutrals-on-neutrals is the only way to go.

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From Elyse Jennings Weddings… I wanted to design something elegant and gorgeous that resonates with the bride who wants a truly timeless wedding day, a design with traditional roots that pushes the boundaries a bit, a neutral and classic color scheme, and incorporating elements that were a little organic and full of movement and emotion. My inherent designs feature all of those characteristics, so I brought this shoot to life with my photographer and friend, Greer Gattuso.

I design from the grandest scale of the venue, to the smallest detail on the tabletop, and the goal is always creativity and cohesiveness. The venue Il Mercato offered great architectural aspects for my design to play off of: rounded arches, a grand outdoor fireplace, gorgeous wrought iron gates, and modern landscaping.

The fireplace would be our ceremony location and I knew I wanted to deck it out with layers and layers of exposed candles, lush florals, and natural greenery cascading from one level of the structure to the next. My incredible florist, Dee with Bella Blooms Floral, and my candle team, Lisa and Jason with Luminous Events, turned my vision into my favorite ceremony backdrop to date.

I wanted our tablescape to sit perfectly between the arch of the venue’s arcade. Our dining table would remain bare and our chairs were round to mimic the arch. Each chair decor was different, but greens and florals accented each to tie the look together! The centerpiece featured asymmetrical florals that created a lush runner of neutral, fluffy flowers! Bare candles nestled between to keep the look natural yet luxurious! I featured beautiful silver rimmed Vera Wang china for the place settings and each plate was adorned by a different floral bloom with the place card. To finish off the setting, we layered exposed candles in the windowsill and added foliage and florals to each gas lantern.

The cake from Melissa’s Fine Pastries was a textural, slate colored fondant cake with the most intricate white sugar flowers. I love the way the pattern created interest in an understated way. Our invitation suite by Jaynie of Ebb and Flow Ink showcased her gorgeous calligraphy on fine art paper which was torn on the bottom edges. It created a polished, yet natural look for all of our paper products. Our bridesmaids in taupe dresses offered the ability for Bella Blooms to show how different style bouquets with varying focal flowers could still have a cohesive look. And they gave me the opportunity to style them for some great Vanity Fair-inspired photos.

With movement in mind, everything from the dress skirt, her hair style, to the raw silk ribbons that adorned her bouquet would be able to flow in the breeze and exude emotion. An elegant, neutral affair that could make our ideal brides want to get married in New Orleans and bring a similar design to life with us!