To a galaxy far far away for today’s wedding inspiration at Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel. It’s got celestial vibes with a gothic twist and full of quirky details for a couple looking for an alternative twist on their wedding day. With sustainable elements and dreamy styling from coordinator Becky of Foxglove & Black it’s aptly titled ‘Galaxy Dreaming’. We catch up with the team behind the shoot…
Inspiration
“The inspiration behind the shoot was to take a Gothic spin on the celestial theme so it would appeal to a different audience. I decided to focus on the deep colours of the galaxy with rich purples, electric blue and also gold, to give pops of bright colour. The crater like texture on the dinner plates imitated the moon, whilst the crystals on the cake; agate place names and the gorgeous bridal crown represented the core of the galaxy. I didn’t want to be too literal using stars everywhere, so instead represented them by making everything look like it was sparkling, from the shiny gold candlesticks and cutlery to lots of fairy lights. My own wedding venue of Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel with its 17th century barn, provided the perfect Gothic and atmospheric feel to this shoot and it was lovely to be back a year after our own wedding.”
Venue
“The venue used is a 17th-century farmhouse with quirky features such as being able to eat in the old pigsties! As a barn, it’s obviously popular for a rustic theme, but it also has a lot of atmosphere and is a perfect black canvas, which made it especially work well for this gothic & galaxy styled shoot.”
Styling
Stylist – Foxglove and Black
“In order to turn this theme into reality for your own wedding day make sure you use lots of candles and fairy lights. You want to make your venue look like it is the sparkling night sky! Use deep purples and electric blues to represent the colours of the galaxy and items such as agate slices and crystals to create texture. Don’t be afraid of using black or having a dark venue! This will totally rock the look and provide you with lots of atmospheres. Make sure you personalise your wedding so it’s totally unique to you! Think a bespoke written poem, a hand-painted jacket or a funky personalised pair of shoes!”
“Think of colours and textures that represent the galaxy. A rich colour palette of deep purples; electric and midnight blues and touches of gold, will make your styling and table decor really pop! Use shiny or glossy materials such as sparkling gold candlesticks so that the light reflects off them, alongside lots of candles to represent the twinkling of the stars. Consider items such as quartz crystals and amethyst to give texture and resemble the galaxy core and for a touch of luxury, use velvet table linens and napkins. One last thing?! Don’t be afraid to use black! It may not be a ‘traditional’ wedding colour, but it does add an air of sophistication and works fabulously with this theme”
Photography
Photography – Emma-Jane Photography
“When it comes to choosing a photographer for your wedding day, one of the most important things that you can do is to have a phone/zoom call to make sure that you click with them. You want to be made to feel at ease so you behave naturally in front of the camera. Also look at their work and ask to see at least 2 past wedding galleries from start to finish. Do you like their style of edits and how they pose their couples? Try to imagine your wedding photographed & edited in the same way.”
The Bride
The Dress – Bex Brides
“I was really excited with the brief I was given and I took the opportunity to work on a vintage dress that needed updating. It had a fabulous skirt but the bodice was too outdated. So I removed the skirt to make it separate. I then hand coloured it to match the galaxy theme in blue, purple and black. I then teamed up with one of our separate corsets. We accessorised it with a variety of tops on the day including a star topper and a veil cape, also with our trademark ombre treatment. We are passionate about recycling and it was great to breathe new life into an otherwise unwearable gown.”
Makeup – Blondelle Beauty
“To portray a dreamy, galactic inspired look I knew I wanted the eyes to be the focus. I kept within the theme of the shoot by using jewel tones of royal blue and shimmering purple with tiny hints of emerald. The glitter pigments I used on Dionne’s eyes really made them pop and emulated the endless shades of galaxies as the colours shifted when her eyes hit the light. Dionne had such amazing skin so I kept her complexion lightweight and fresh. To add a glamorous touch, I knew a crimson matte lip would look out of this world! No gothic galactic bride is complete without a smouldering groom. Ali’s eyes were subtly defined with a hint of black liner to make his eyes look bright and alluring.”
Hair – Max it up Bridal Hair
“Our beautiful model, Dionne, had the most gorgeous curls, so I decided to keep the look natural as to lose those curls would have been a travesty! So I decided on a flat braid on one side, pinned under to hide the end, then some Schwarzkopf Tamewild smoothing cream and OSIS Sparkle Shine Spray through all of her hair as that was all that was needed to really add oomph to the style. Add the stunning headpieces, and the style spoke for itself.”
The Details
Flowers and Stationery – Foxglove and Black
“For the flowers, I used a mix of dried & silk so that the flowers could be enjoyed long after the wedding day. Bright purple pampas was ideal to create texture, alongside electric blue silk roses, delicate sweet peas, elderberry and teal dyed teasels for a bit of variety. These were used throughout all the arrangements, the ceremony moon gate and also the bouquets, making them a perfect keepsake from your wedding.”
“I wanted the stationery to look stylish in design with the focus being on the ombre background and the melting of the deep colours reflecting the galaxy. Subtle stars were added for texture and a scripted font to add a touch of elegance.”
Cake – Deliciously Divine Cake Design
“To fit the style of the shoot, the cake was made predominantly in black with a white splattered paint effect for interest and the top tier decorated in black glitter to add texture. The middle and top sections of the cake revealed an inner crystal structure that represented the galaxy core. These were lined with gold to mimic the sparkly fairy lights adorning the stand and bottom of the cake.”
Jewellery & accessories – Bunny Loves Evie
“As soon as I got the spec for this fabulous shoot, my first instincts were quartz Crystal mixed with an array of gorgeous sparkly crystals in midnight blue, deep velvety purple and a splash of gold. I wanted to create something that had a bit of an edgy vibe so the quartz worked perfectly for that. I added some gold moon and stars to the crystals and the piece was finished. Hand beaded star pins were also added to embellish the bride’s beautiful hair and to really show the galaxy theme alongside the gold beaded star drop earrings. A hand-knitted cuff bracelet with a splattering of the different coloured crystals also provided a gentle twinkle on the bride’s arm… the crystals looking like a galaxy of stars in amongst the midnight sky of the black wire.”
The Team – Alternative Celestial Goth Wedding at Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel
Photographer Emma-Jane Photography @ejlewis
Venue Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel @Donington_park_farmhouse / Brides dress and Cape and Veil Bexbrides @bexbrides / Brides Shoes Inanna Bespoke Shoes @inannabespokeshoes / Bridal Jewellery & Accessories Bunny Loves Evie @bunnylovesevie / Hand-painted Leather Jacket Mimosa Couture Bridal Accessories @lovefrommimosa / Groomswear & Shoes Farleys Wedding Suits of Kibworth @farleys_suit_hire / Styling Flowers and Stationery Foxglove & Black @foxgloveandblack / Hairstylist Max it up Bridal Hair & Extensions @natalie_maxitipp / Makeup artist Blondelle Beauty @blondellebeauty / Cake Deliciously Divine Cake Design @deliciouslydivine / Videographer Nina Emily Photo & Film @ninaemilyphoto / Model couple Dionne Francis and Alistair Hardy @a.d.modelcouple / Crockery and glassware hire Whitehouse Event Crockery @whitehouse_crockery / Velvet linen hire Magpie Linens @magpielinens / Coasters Wild one Interiors @wildoneinteriors / Hand sewn bouquet ribbons Extra Special Touch @extraspecialtouch / Calligraphy on mirror & agate place cards Inviting writing @invitingwritinguk / Poems and Writing Rhymes To Remember @rhymes_to_remember / Galaxy chocolate favours Bon Chocolat @bonchocolatuk /Moon-gate Hire Rose Cottage Floristry & Flower School @rosecottagefloristry / Fog Machine Hire Signature Silent Disco @signaturesilentdisco
IF YOU LOVED THIS CELESTIAL GOTH WEDDING PIN IT TO YOUR WEDDING PINTEREST BOARDS
If you loved this celestial gothic inspo at Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel you may also like;
Celestial Wedding Inspiration with Purple and Blue Styling
Industrial Luxe Wedding With Celestial Vibes At The Old Joinery, Essex
Alternative 1920’s Wedding Inspiration with Celestial Blue Wedding Cake
