Pretty Blue & White Porcelain Wedding Inspiration

Wedding inspiration boards have had a little break of late, while I have been busy shooting. But I am dead excited to get back to it, with some seriously summery blue and white inspiration. This UK Summer might be one of the longest and hottest I can remember in years, so I wanted to work on something which felt as European and sun-drenched as this weather.

“How is Blue and White China european?” I hear you cry. Well, of course it is not. But the initial inspiration here was the Portuguese and Spanish traditions of Azulejo. These often blue and white tiles were everywhere at a gorgeous wedding I shot last Summer, just outside of Sintra, Portugal. The painterly blue scenes were so fresh and bright in the midday heat, and kept the interior spaces feeling cool.

But, it’s hard for me to go down this blue and white route without making reference to the more delicate style of Blue and White China. Although, as the name clearly suggests, this tradition originates on China, England has re-appropriated it in so many interiors through the ages. These days, a flourish of blue and white china can suggest antique and vintage styling.

“Oh dear, next you’ll be talking about burlap wrapped around jam jars and country-rustic” No no. I curated this board, and sourced these images to show you that it absolutely does NOT need to go there. Cross the cultural and European reference of Azujelo with the slightly antique style of blue and white porcelain, and you can come up with something far more contemporary.

Use the tiles everywhere and anywhere. Ideally, they would form part of the backdrop of your venue, but there are so many other ways to incorporate them; as bespoke place names, parts of the table centre styling, coasters at the bar, invitations. Pile up the porcelain wherever you can too; tall vases in blue and white could line your ceremony aisle, and of course serve your tea and coffee in perfect little blue and white china tea sets. But, add to this the softness of off-white-blue ribbon. Use light tulles and muslins to add texture to the cooler and harder porcelain. Worried it could get a bit twee? Keep your blue prints and patterns larger in scale, and look more to the european visual.