Sylvie Gil‘s annual workshop is something dreams are made of. Set against the backdrop of the French countryside, Sylvie brings together the best in the wedding industry to build out a shoot meant to teach her students the nuances and art behind photographing a wedding. And this year, Sylvie & Shannon Leahy built their inspiration shoot into a stunning look at how Fine Art can influence everything from the gown she chooses to the modest boudoir photographs that she will always look back on with love. Click here to see even more.
From Shannon Leahy, Event Stylist…For Sylvie Gil’s 2018 workshop, we were really inspired by the idea of bringing fine art into a wedding, specifically French fine art from the Renaissance period. In our research, we became very interested in the work of Primavera by Botteceili. Primavera means Spring, and being that the workshop is in April, we thought this was very fitting. There is something about Primavera that also feels bridal, which we loved. For the color palette, we chose to work with a lot of variety – from lavender to deep burgundy, mustard, sage green and golden tones. We knew we could spread this palette through out days of the workshop for different looks.
For the welcome dinner, we chose a tonal look of reds and yellows, we affectionally called it the “ketchup and mustard” palette. We wanted to bring in spring bulbs and trays of pears and fresh fruits, along with flowing arrangements by Moon Canyon, to echo the bounty of an outdoor seasonal dinner at the chateau. We found a beautiful setting behind a classically-inspired statue that we thought was very fitting to our theme; and even adorned the statue with florals to tie it into the story.
The boudoir look was one of my favorites. Inspired by Renaissance nude portraiture, we simply chose to drape fabrics in a dark corner of the chateaux that was lit only by natural light, Our beautiful bride in a simple robe from Girl And a Serious Dream was adorned with an epic floral crown by Moon Canyon. I love the nod to the Roman god, Bacchus, with the grapes in her hand.
Alexandra from Aerialist Press really took all our inspiration and tied it into a beautiful invitation suite that I think perfectly tells our story and gave our attendees, as Sylvie put it, “flat lays for days!”
The ceremony was a stroke of genius by Kristen of Moon Canyon. I loved her idea of placing the ceremony in the center of the church to create a ceremony in the round with flowers and greenery adorning the space. The vibe of this church felt very medieval to us, leading into the Renaissance. The inspiration came from the color of the writing that was etched into the stone walls of the church and the stunning Naeem Khan dress. The bridal look was completed by a modern interpretation of Botteceili’s Primavera in the hair and makeup style from Ava Belle.
Finally, the reception dinner we set in the foyer of the chateaux. We incorporated a Classic bust that we found on-site at Chateau Varennes. The table was lined with long candlesticks and another beautiful arrangement that incorporated our entire palette. We wanted this on a backdrop of tone on tone sage with nude chair covers to create a draped classical look that tied in the rest of the wedding . Overall, we wanted this workshop to feel moody, a little dark and different from the light and bright weddings we are used to seeing in California; we wanted this to stand out.
Working in France with such a wonderful team of creatives was truly inspiring; it was so much fun to be pushed creatively in a new direction. I particularly loved working with Kristen of Moon Canyon, her stylist prowess is unmatched.
A BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAIT SESSION
For Sylvie’s workshop we were lucky enough to have not just one but two couples for the attendees to practice shooting with. Ivandra was the second model and we wanted to give her a completely different look. I love how the top of the Naeem Khan dress has the look of chain mail that reminds me of the renaissance but still feels very modern and fresh.
We decided to shoot the portrait session in my bedroom at the chateau because of the gorgeous natural light and the stunning red velvet couch that matched our palette. That couch is an antique and one of two in the world ( the second is on display at the louvre! ). I love the strong contrast in these portraits between Ivandra in the dress and the sofa in the room. This was the last thing we styled at the workshop and it felt like the grand finale!
Photography: Sylvie Gil Workshops | Film: Kodak Alaris | Videography: BKTFILMS | Floral Design: Moon Canyon | Shoes: Bella Belle | Hair & Makeup: Ava Belle | Tuxedos: The Black Tux | Venue: Chateau de Varennes | Accessories: Bekah Anne | Albums: DreambooksPRO | Boudoir & Veils: Lauren Leshansky | Business Class: Sam Jacobson | Cake & Macarons: Muriel Arcos | Candles: Ester & Erik | Ceremony & Reception: Chateau de Varennes | Champagne: Champagne Tsarine | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Gowns: Naeem Khan | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Media: Style Me Pretty | Men's Accessories: The Black Tux | Paper Goods: Aerialist Press | Planning & Design: Shannon Leahy Events | Production Manager: NKT Events | Ribbons & Textiles: Tono Co | Ring Boxes: Secret Keeper Box | Styling Boards: The Romanticist Studios | Tabletop Rentals: Options | Tabletop Rentals: Vaisselle Vintage | Wax Seals: WaxSeals.com