The Concept

The idea for this shoot was sparked by my desire to showcase how different dress choices set the tone for a wedding’s aesthetic. Using three different gowns with varying shapes and styles, you can see how much of an impact the dress makes on the shoot's overall design.

Elegant draping & shaping with Luce-Sposa Bridal

This dress I chose for its elegant simplicity and dramatic drape, which happens to be my personal favorite because it doesn’t rely on sequins, lace, or anything else to make a statement. Its divinity is derived solely from its cut and silhouette – in short, the bride wears the dress, not the other way around. This was a Luce-Sposa gown that I rented from Raw Golden Rentals and paired with a chapel length veil from The Bridal Studio. This set easily became my favorite ensemble from the series, especially taking a moment for some high-fashion style flash photography. A dress like this is a fit for any season or color palette.

Whimsy meets royalty in this lace ballgown from Berta

This full-lace ballgown was thrown in at the last minute from Raw Golden Rentals, but it completed the session’s arc perfectly. Just letting the model’s hair down with this fairytale-esque piece from Berta Bridal made a completely different statement than the previous gowns, channeling whimsy, romance, and warmer seasons.

Add some sparkle from AW Bridal

The sequined dress is from AW Bridal, an online shop that typically serves a lower-budget clientele. But, just as predicted, when styled through a fine art approach the dress really came to life and looked more elegant than its modest price tag would suggest. Its cool-toned sparkle felt made this dress feel like a winter or spring style, while it could feel out of place for a fall wedding. My favorite detail is the gauzy, removable sleeves that add that signature bridal elegance to the look.

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The Details

My favorite color palettes are always the ones pulled right out of nature itself. The goal for this floral design was contrast: the reticulated tulips for nuance and warmth, hellebores for texture and tone, and lime green Bells of Ireland to offset the burgundies and mauves in the ranunculuses and carnations, which creates dimension and makes the palette more visually interesting.

The palette was always meant to come solely from the florals, which meant that the other details needed to be flora-inspired as well. Cue Reverie Press, whose paper suite brought dusty blue and cool sage to the palette, making it ideal for the spring portion of our inspiration. A couple’s invitations are the first impression their guests receive about their wedding, both in style and season, and this suite affirms that illustration.

I also chose simple, chunky gold earrings from Nordstrom and a timeless tennis bracelet to complete the bridal look.