Proof that a Neutral Palette is Anything but Basic

Erin Lepperd
October 30, 2017
Categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style

Even if you are a die hard color lover, this inspiration is sure to make your heart skip a beat or two. It’s THAT pretty. Layered in neutrals designed by Haute Fetes with a stunning tabletop crafted by Casa de Perrin, and equally gorgeous florals by Plenty of Petals, this inspiration is out to prove that beige is anything but boring. Get inspired to ditch color for all out romance with images captured by Whiskers and Willow.

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From HauteFetes Fine Weddings and Event… Hidden Castle is Rancho Santa Fe’s newest private wedding estate, a French castle that conjures the magic and European romanticism of 18th-Century Paris. Between the natural light and beautiful architecture, this was a dream editorial to create and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to design it with Whiskers and Willow, the perfect photographer, to capture it all.

Our editorial tells the story of a beautiful affair between young lovers; a bride getting ready on her wedding day; a groom with boyishly good looks; an intimate ceremony followed by a sunset reception on a terrace high above the clouds. It is at once elegant and understated with lush, textured florals and finely crafted details.

From a design perspective, our primary goal was to ensure a cohesive feel between venue and décor. Instead of the usual blues associated with French settings, for our color story we opted for neutrals: Milky whites, tea-stained ivories, and tawny taupes that mirrored the creaminess of the stucco, stone floors and walls, leaving the slate blue roof and lush ivy as counterpoints to our color palette. We love how combining these understated hues can set just about any scene, from romantic and rustic to minimalist and sleek.

The amazingly talented Plenty of Petals brought the floral vision to life, eliminating greenery entirely, with layers of natural texture and clusters of garden roses, peonies, astilbe, snowberry and dried oak leaf branches. Hey, There Cupcake mimicked this same floral abandon beautifully, with the palest sugar flowers speckled with edible gold leaf on an elegant three-tiered, ivory wedding cake. We were deliberately subtle in our use of gold, reserving it for accents, such as the exquisite Acute Designs hair combs we used in our bride’s chignon.

For our tabletop, the ever-sophisticated pairing of La Tavola linens and Casa de Perrin tableware provided an overall antique sensibility. And no-where was this Old-World quality more evident than in the invitation suite: Shastabell’s romantic script telling a timeless love story with each flourish of ink, finished with a gold wax seal.

A European-inspired, vintage-looking lace Sachin and Babi gown, jewelry from The Diamond Boutique and a fresh dewy look for our bride by Beauty by Stacey, along with a contemporary take on the classic tuxedo with a navy blue and black-collared Canali, completed our couple’s looks.