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Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

Colorful Inspiration for the Rustic Sophisticate

photography by Melissa Oholendt

Rustic surely isn’t a new wedding aesthetic, in fact quite the opposite, however Melissa Oholendt and her team wanted to show a rustic in a new light – with a sophisticated twist. Taking the old standard and turning it into something fresh and altogether elegant; showing that you can have the barn wedding without the mason jars & hay bales bringing style and whimsy to any location, but especially a rustic one. Shot on location at Gathered Oaks with colorful florals by Thistle & Blooms and acrylic invitations and menus by Printerette Press, the result is cheery and fresh and captured beautifully by Melissa herself.

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from the photographer: We started with a palette of neutral grey and french blue which allowed the colorful blooms of the various garlands to play off the stark white of the barn. We also brought a modern playfulness to the decor with beeswax candlesticks and geometric & brass holders, while making subtle nods to the rustic heritage with touches of reclaimed wood tones. To add a bit of whimsy, we brought in acrylic invitations and menus, accented with escort cards made from leaves graced with white calligraphy to coordinate with the greenery of the florals. To add to the sophisticated take on rustic, we capped the decor off with a vignette of a simple stacked cheese wheel cake, floral infused ice cubes and a greenery & floral garland.

For the girl who sees rustic a bit differently, we thought she might also see traditional wedding attire a bit differently as well. We sourced a colorful dress that is a bit out of the ordinary but toned it down with a simple ponytail, classic nude shoes and neutral earrings. With a bridal look so vibrant, we kept the groom’s attire classic and a touch preppy, using his tie to bring in the deep burgundy colors of her dress and the florals.

Shoot Location: Gathered Oaks // Photography & Styling: Melissa Oholendt // Florals: Thistle & Blooms // Invitations, Menus & Escort Cards: Printerette Press // Rentals: Apres Party & Tent // Makeup: Skin Mpls // Hair: 139 Hair by Heidi

 

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Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

Fall romance ELopement shoot

It’s a rainbow of fall foliage in this gorgeous shoot from Schon Photography. Filled with amazing earthy tones with pops of color, Fresh Designs Florist gives us some incredible inspiration with a cascading bouquet and bold centerpieces setting the foundations of the gemtones in the tablescape. We’re loving the classic bridal styling and the timeless calligraphy by The Lovely Scribe. The result is a beautiful elopement that doesn’t forget there’s a chill in the air, but is filled with a warm palette that evoking hot apple cider and pumpkin pie and it’s all captured beautifully by Schon Photography.

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Photographer: Schon Photography // Floral Design: Fresh Designs Florist // Calligraphy: The Lovely Scribe // Paper: Hudson Paperie // Venue: The Lake House Inn // Models: Taylor McKelvie + Joe Krajewski // Wedding Dress: Sweet Caroline Styles // Table: Holmespun Tables // Cake: Love Bites by Erika // Rentals: Modern Relics // Rings: Lauren Priori Jewelry // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Hairpiece: Stephanie Browne Australia // Veil: Erica Koesler // Hair and Makeup: Trina Sullivan // Ribbon: Silk & Willow // Candles: Creative Candles // Linens: Ashley Wren, hello, bird. // Menswear: Commonwealth Proper // Dress Boutique: Nicole Bridal // Color Film Processing: The Find Lab // Black and White Processing: Boutique Film Lab // Color  Film: Fuji 400H // Black and White Film: Ilford Delta 3200

 

 

Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

Moody in the White Barn Editorial

featuring Callie Manion Photography

The stunning white barn venue, The White Sparrow, often hosts weddings in light soft colors that coordinate marry well with the space. So the The White Sparrow planning and design team hooked up with always-amazing florists at Jubilee Flower Co. to create a shoot that celebrates the moodier side of a pastel palette. We love the black details like the tapers and chairs and the dusty blue in the beautiful tablescape. And the cake by Sugar Bees Sweets is AMAAING. Callie Manion Photography was on hand working her magic and we have all these gorge images to show for it!

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Photography: Callie Manion Photography // Venue + Planning + Styling: The White Sparrow // Florals: Celebrate Dallas // Paper Goods: Seniman Calligraphy // Dress: Truvelle via A & Bé Bridal Shop // Makeup + Hair: Wendy Zerrudo // Model: Caroline Bradley // Ribbons + Table Runner: Silk & Willow // Tabletop Rentals: Posh Couture Rentals // Cake: Sugar Bees Sweets // Film Lab: PhotoVision

 

Inspiration Shoots and Boards:

Old English Farm House Inspiration

featuring Yourdreamphoto

This shoot with creative direction by Natalie Papova was inspired by old English farm houses, soft fabrics and botanical illustration. Brittany Village in Northern California provided the backdrop giving the team a chance to incorporate English architecture and give a refined feel to the images. The talented Esther Clark created a rich and sophisticated invitation suite, full of beautiful details and garden-inspired illustration while Amanda Vidmar created a gathered, soft bouquet perfect for the mood. Lucky for us Yourdreamphoto was on hand to capture all the beauty.

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Styling & Creative Direction: Natalie Papova // Photography: Yourdreamphoto // Invitation Suite: Esther Clark // Florals: Amanda Vidmar // Makeup and Hair: Jasmine Chan // Models: Sami Swanson & Jeff Dean

 

Real Weddings:

Luisa and Francesco’s Frida Kahlo wedding in Italy

photography by Studio AQ

YOU GUYS! We are so excited to share this fabulous Italian wedding designed by Grey Collective member Chic Weddings in Italy with you. From the Frida Kahlo-inspired reception under the cafe lights on the couple’s recently restored B&B in Ceglie Messapica, to the bride’s rad style accentuated with the larger-than-life-amazing floral crown, this wedding is oozing with style. We’re loving the romance of the family-style reception and the florals by Flower Addicted are the perfect amount of artsy. Studio AQ was on hand to work their fabulous photo magic and we’re so happy to be sharing the gorgeous photographs of Luisa and Francesco’s wedding with you.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We were lucky enough to get to celebrate our wedding in a special venue: our home! We have recently renovated an old trullo property in Ceglie Messapica, in the heart of Itria Valley and transformed it into “Fikus” a small boutique B & B so it was the perfect occasion to gather our very big Italian families and friends from all over Italy and Europe to be with us on our special day. It was so emotional we got to celebrate our wedding in our very own nest we have created with so much passion and heart. Plus the work that the CW team and the florist have done was amazing – we were all in awe!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I had something completely different in my mind and wanted something more ” Gatsby – like ” but eventually in the last atelier I went, the dress was just there awaiting for me! The atelier manager opened these huge wardrobes with amazing floating dresses and the only thing I was attracted to was this tiny impalpable lace long sleeve – so I asked “What about this one?” and so I was actually choosing my own dress. It’s the Villaroel dress from Yolancris, and honestly I never thought this kind of dress would do for my body type but I felt so comfortable in it and started giggling when I had it on. Of course I added my special styling and twist: I wore it with no under-gown, I added the golden belt and the D&G like vintage crown for the party , and I just felt it was so much my style.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I have always been passionate about Frida Kahlo and her art but in the recent years I got to see this amazing exhibition in Rome all by myself – so I spent three hours wandering around her pieces and her life and it really got into me. Also Francesco and I share this idea of love that goes beyond formality and cliches and we really wanted to express it . So it was inevitable somehow to get her style as major inspiration for our big day.

The floral crown was the killer – Francesco and all the guests went nuts about the bold flowers and everyone kept asking about it. Channeling Frida all day was our way to make the wedding so very deeply personal.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

I am a control freak and although everything was perfect and everyone had great time, I was stressed out the majority of the time!

It had been a crazy day and I had been spinning around a lot. But the most memorable moment of the day was driving back from the castle where the ceremony was held to our B & B. We were in the car with Marta from Studio A+Q and the driver and it was like any other day – it was perfection. Francesco and I chatting and giggling and really feeling the love. The light was perfect, the warm summer wind, the anticipation of what we were about to see, it was those perfect 15 minutes we will never forget.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Francesco and I are both originally from Puglia but had never met until we were both living as expat in Brussels. Oh, yes life is funny! We got together in 2012 and by then Francesco had decided to move back to Puglia for its own start up, I basically quit my job and went back to live with him, leaving everyone in shock! But love wins it all! The idea of Fikus came a little bit later and it has been the center of our life for the past years, so the perfect ending to our project was to celebrate our love there.

Francesco proposed on the rooftop of our house on a sunny September Sunday morning with my favorite Juste un clou ring by Cartier – surrounded by ancient olive trees and a construction site work in progress for the renovation. One of those (im)perfect moments that are unforgettable!

Event Design and Production: Chicweddingsinitaly // Photography: Studio AQ // Florals: Flower Addicted // Invitations: Otto piu’ otto // Venue: FIKUS The Apulian B&B // Second Shooter: Paolo Manzi // Catering: Chez vous // Bridal Gown: Yolan Cris // Bridesmaids Dress: Vila