Bold fashion meets an explosion of style in today’s bold and colourful wedding inspiration by a super-talented Canadian team of wedding suppliers. Set at Reel Room Vancouver it’s brimming with life and colour inspired by the late fashion and interior designer Iris Apfel. Known for her bold, eclectic style and larger-than-life personality this shoot pays homage to just that! With a dramatic use of tones, textures and eclectic styles it’s sure to give you lots of inspo for your bold and beautiful nuptials. We hear from the team involved and they share some great planning advice too…
Inspiration
Iris Apfel, world-famous fashion designer/interior designer, was my inspiration for this styled shoot. Coincidentally, she only passed away a few days before our shoot took place on May 22nd, 2024. I’ve always been a fan of her style and personality – confident, colourful, eccentric, witty, and even slightly idiosyncratic but in a good novel way. She was like my inner spirit animal that never came out, so I wanted some of that to emerge during the planning of this shoot.
How can a couple turn this theme and ideas into reality?
Don’t be afraid to infuse YOU into your wedding! If you like bold, unique and fun styles and touches, don’t be afraid to experiment and play with different colours and textures to make a design work for you. The best part is that you can find most of the personal touches of this style of shoot at home.
Venue
The Reel Room Vancouver is a haven where private luxury meets the magic of cinema and events. It is a private movie theatre with a beautiful lounge/bar space for all types of intimate weddings and gatherings. It is best for cocktail stand-up weddings and allows guests the freedom to roam around and explore the many interesting spots in this building.
Styling – Get The Look
To get a similar look I suggest picking deep colours like yellow, royal blue, violet, and rich fabrics like satin, silk, and velvet. Adding touches of modern vintage charm also helps enhance the entire vibe by making it feel very luxurious and cosy. I wouldn’t mix too many different patterns otherwise it gets too busy, but keeping your focus on one pattern (ex: the tiger stripes in this shoot) will bring in a subtle fun touch to the shoot.
Planning Advice
Photography – The number one rule for picking a photographer is making sure you both click in terms of personality, communication, and trust. Sure, they are there for just one day but this one day is so important to you and the photos they take will last a lifetime. Being able to pass this task to someone is huge, and you want to be able to ensure that they are able to give you what you want, but also provide opinions and suggestions that will enhance your day and photos.
The Dress – I follow the quote by Carol Hannah Whitfield and share it with all my brides: Don’t feel pressured to wear anything too traditional, expected, or trendy. You want to feel confident and comfortable. You must look and feel your best as that will translate to your wedding photos. There’s no higher compliment for us than when a bride says, “This is so me.”
Flowers – For this shoot, we wanted arrangements that were a mix of curved and straight lines, bright and deep colours, and a range of small blooms to large blooms. The florist picked airy pink ferns, rainbow-dyed roses, purple delphiniums and added hanging orchids to the bouquet. It helps when you have professional help with the flowers as they know the best flowers within a budget to help bring your vision to life.
Cake – Choose a cake design that goes with your overall wedding style, venue, season, and flower design. Personally, if you choose a plain white cake then use as many flowers as you’d like to decorate the tiers. If you are choosing to add an intricate design to the cake using piping or fondant then consider nixing the flowers or use them very sparingly to showcase the design.
Hair and Makeup – Always do a trial! The trial helps you see if the look you had in mind actually works with your skin, facial structure, and hair. This also gives you time to provide feedback to the makeup artist and they can adjust accordingly (different shades of foundation, eye shadow, hair type). Another tip is to choose a style that suits your overall wedding theme and venue. If your wedding is an outdoor garden theme consider something light and more natural. If it’s indoors in an elegant ballroom, consider something a little more dramatic.
Stationery – Choose a design that matches the colours, style, and even the attire of the wedding so that it flows from the initial touch of the invitation to the place cards, welcome signs, seating charts, and menus. I like to suggest to couples these days to try something new with stationery by printing them in different shapes instead of the usual rectangles. Ex: Circular menu vs. rectangular menu, Acrylic name place cards vs. tented.
LOVE THIS BOLD AND COLOURFUL WEDDING INSPIRATION? SAVE IT FOR LATER
The Team – Bold and Colourful Wedding with Iris Apfel Vibes
Photographer John Bello Photography @johnbello
Venue Reel Room Vancouver @reelroom.yvr / Dress, shoes and accessories Novelle Bridal @novellebridal.vancouver /Styling Elle Weddings @elle.weddings /Florist Blumen Florals @blumenflorals / Hair and Makeup The Lolita Collective @thelolitacollective / Cake Frolic and Forage Catering and Cakery @ frolicandforagecatering / Decor Bespoke Decor @bespokedecor / Design Zabar Studio @zabarstudio / Resin Art Oceanskye Designs @oceanskyedesign/ Cocktails Eucalyptus Cocktails @eucalyptuscocktails / Model Madam Lola @iammadamlola
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