Beautiful florals, tea length dress and fun vibes with todays chintzy vintage wedding inspiration set at Arnos Vale, Bristol. It’s huge collaboration of suppliers bring intricate and unique elements to create an uber cool vintage feel. Here we catch up with shoot coordinator Rebecca of To Be Adorned who tells us all about how the concept began and how they created this chintzy vintage wedding…
“In an offbeat styled shoot unlike any other, myself and a team of talented creatives pulled together a dreamy faux wedding set in a Victorian woodland cemetery in Bristol. With the mighty Mendhl’s box as colour reference and Suzy Bishop, Agatha, and Margot Tenenbaum as our style muses, we set about making some magic for this cool but chintzy wedding inspiration. The focus was on creating a playful, dynamic shoot full of print, colour and a sense of adventure, and we were able to make use of the woodland venue on site for the ceremony and the Anglican chapel there for the reception looks.”
“As this year marks the 185th birth anniversary of Arts and Crafts designer William Morris, we thought it apt to feature some of his iconic prints to highlight the heritage of the venue and add a vintage artisan flavour. We’re hoping to inspire couples to embrace colour and just have fun creating their day. All of the suppliers involved are independent designer-makers from the UK, giving the shoot a really unique edge.”
[line]DOWNLOAD BOND BRIDE MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 HERE
[line]Photography- Jessica Hill Photography
“I always look to shoot more unique and thought ‘outside the box’ sort of shoots, as soon as I saw the mood board for this I instantly jumped at the chance to capture it, I’d not seen anything quite like it, combining together William Morris inspired prints with the truly one of a kind, vintage film-like style of Wes Anderson, was purely a stroke of genius. The entire team were incredible on the day, witnessing an array of equally passionate suppliers, come together to create what can only be described as a truly magical shoot, was definitely one of my photography journey highlights so far.”
Illustration- Name & A Dress
“I created an order of the day, perfect to be displayed for guests to refer to – to look exciting and fit with the theme too of course! Everything that I create is hand-drawn and this was no exception, taking inspiration from the beautiful patterns of William Morris’s work together with the style and colour palette of Wes Anderson. Adding a bespoke touch like this to your day is the perfect way to add a personal touch that is both functional and beautiful! You could also find me live illustrating on the day! This is something I love doing. I love turning your day and those unique moments into artwork that you can treasure for years to come. The perfect way to capture those memories in an illustrated story. A talking point, a keepsake, a memory like no other!”
Wedding Newspaper – Photopress
“As the theme was largely based around Wes Anderson’s ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ film, I took my inspiration from the Mendl’s boxes and the painting ‘Boy with Apple’, along with one of the iconic quotes. I felt these are integral elements to the film so wanted to create something that was instantly recognisable to fans, but also really fun. Not wanting to miss the William Morris part out, I used the dress print as a background and it all worked together perfectly. Have fun with themes, throw out the rule book for ‘traditional stationery’ and do something that matches your day. I’m a huge believer in making stationery your own, having something that suits your personalities and showcases things that you love, so make that part of your plans.”
Venue styling- Elizabeth Weddings
“We decided to create a vintage luxe theme with hints of pattern and touches of gold. The gold items created a more luxe feel with antique brass candlesticks, mercury tea lights holders and golden keys scattered on the table. We loved incorporating the pastel pink and blue from Grand Budapest Hotel, in vintage sundae dishes, teacups and candlesticks. We created a second table setting more in the style of William Morris with handmade charger plates, drinks stirrers and table confetti using the Strawberry Thief print. Some style advice for couples: go for minimal patterns so every item has its own wow factor. Too much pattern can feel cluttered. Opt for either a patterned table runner or charger plates with pattern.”
Bridal – Emma Dee Sewing
“We used a mix of unique fabrics to create alternative but wearable styles. Combining pink tulle, William Morris cotton, crepe and satin. These combinations also created a perfect nod towards the Wes Anderson theme. For brides looking for that unique look and want to draw some elements from this shoot I’d suggest looking specifically at unusual fabrics and pulling up on the vintage feel.”
Bridal Accessories- To Be Adorned
“Conceiving and coordinating this shoot myself meant I had the joyous challenge of creating the setting that I’d most like to see my handmade accessories in. A favourite piece of mine is a ring pillow made with vintage William Morris fabric. That, paired with my mild obsessed with Wes Anderson set the tone for the look and feel of the shoot. I was thrilled to be able to showcase pieces from my pearl collection – limited edition hoop earrings and hairslides made with blush pink vintage faux pearls. Incorporating vintage or thrifted elements into a wedding is a brilliant way to make the day much more sustainable and original. I’m also passionate about encouraging couples to embrace colour, print and playfulness into their day.”
Hair and Make-Up – Hepcats
“For the makeup, I was very much inspired by the pastel palette of Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel/the stunning flowers used in this shoot. I wanted to add subtle pops of colour that didn’t over power. Margot Tenenbaum was a big inspiration, with her iconic hair, as was Agatha in The Grand Budapest Hotel. I was also inspired by the models’ own hair texture, wanting to show this off through the styles used, as well as choosing styles to best showcase the stunning hair accessories.”
Nails – Laura Pink Nails
“When I saw the mood board and researched Wes Anderson and William Morris I knew this wouldn’t be a traditional bridal manicure and I used a colour palette that reflected the theme. I wanted nails to be colourful, retro and fun but not so arty that they didn’t fit with bridal styling so both sets incorporated a twist on a French manicure with a red half-moon manicure and a halo French. My advice to brides would be to have fun with your wedding nails! With everybody wearing white, they are an opportunity to express your personality on the day. Hire a professional for perfect and longer lasting results.”
Cake and desserts – Cemlyn Cakes
“I provided the three-tier cake and sweet treats and loved the combination of the two themes. I took inspiration from Wes Anderson’s symmetry and his interesting colour combinations in Hotel Grand Budapest. I used William Morris’ patterns and ornate borders. It’s very helpful having clear themes/ style for your suppliers to work with and makes the wedding work visually throughout the day.”
Clutch bag and Groom’s Accessories – Kaye Hannabus Textiles
“The design Strawberry Thief used throughout is one of William Morris most iconic prints. The groom’s accessories work perfectly in this grey and subtle pink colour combination, and coordinating bridal accessories are also available!”
Flowers – Sunflower Blooms
“Creating the flowers for this gorgeous shoot was such a treat – the colour combination of pink, red and blue is not one that is often requested but the results were striking. I’d definitely advise any bride to think outside the box when it comes to flower and colour choices for the Big Day – don’t be afraid to do things a little differently, it’s your day and should reflect and be inspired by whatever you like.”
Stationery – Olive & Bramble
“I provided the hand lettered menus and place names for the chintzy vintage wedding. Inspiration was found in Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest hotel colour palette and the bubble gum pink background goes perfectly with the red typography to create that distinctive Wes Anderson feel. The menus and place names were all quite simple and bold meaning they complement the floral details well rather than clashing with them and there is a lovely balance in the tablescape.”
The Team – Chintzy Vintage Wedding Inspiration with William Morris Alternative Style
Photography: Jessica Hill Photography @jhphotography
Concept, Co-ordination and Bridal Accessories: To Be Adorned @tobeadorned I Venue: Arnos Vale @arnosvaleweddings I Flowers: Sunflower Blooms @sunflowerbloomsbristol I Dresses and Long Veil: Emma Dee @emmadeesewing I Hair and make-up: Hepcats @hepcatsofnam I Bespoke menus and place settings: Olive and Bramble @oliveandbramble I Cakes: Cemlyn Cakes @cemlyncakes I Models: Jasmine @thoughtsfromjasmine/Sophie @sophiefryer/Laurence @laurence.parker.1 I Venue styling: Elizabeth Weddings @lizswong I Order of the day and live illustration: Name and a Dress @nameandadress I Groom accessories and clutch bag: Kaye Hannabuss Textiles @kayehannabus I Nails: Laura Streeter Pink Nails @laurapinknails I Wedding newspaper: Photo Press @photopressuk I
Brown faux fur vintage coat: Fox and Fowweather @foxfowweather
IF YOU LOVED THIS LOOK PLEASE PIN IT!
If you love this Chintzy Vintage Wedding you may also like;
CLASSIC MOVIESTAR ECO FRIENDLY WEDDING WITH A BLUE WEDDING DRESS
MODERN VINTAGE WEDDING INSPIRATION WITH CLASHING COLOURS AND TROPICAL VIBES
A YORKSHIRE VINTAGE WEDDING WITH A 1950’S DRESS
[line]