Ophelia Inspired Floral Wedding Gown
Our Shakespearean Love shoot’s aesthetic was inspired by both Shakespeare’s sonnets – which were the vows exchanged by our couple – and by the paintings of John William Waterhouse of Hamlet’s, Ophelia.
Its design was romantic, rustic with a vintage twist to it, and entwined with nature; inspired by the free-spirited, innocent, beautiful and ethereal goddess of nature vision of Ophelia in Waterhouse’s paintings and the beautiful Ophelia inspired floral wedding gown from Isoline at Hazaar of London.
Written by Stephanie from Stephanie Christy Makeup. Images by Emily Montay Photography.
Micro Wedding
However, the heart of the shoot stemmed from the current climate we all find ourselves in and therefore styled as an intimate, micro-wedding. We wanted to show anyone who may be feeling disheartened with the current state of affairs that no matter what – love will always win. So with the shoot focused on a romanticized vision of Hamlet & Ophelia – their love and affection for one another – we went for a more toned décor to really add to that intimacy.
DIY Elements
The décor was actually a DIY affair, using resources from mine and my parents gardens, lanterns and candles from my home, and the autumn leaves from outside. We really wanted the gorgeous venue of Apton Hall to speak for itself and to not have the romance of the couple overshadowed.
Young Love
We were extremely fortunate with our real-life couple, Molly and Alfie, who are an actual young couple in love and have that natural nervousness, excitement, and affection with one another that is really quite beautiful to be in the presence of.
Those genuine moments when Alfie sees Molly at the end of the aisle for the first time, and when he slips the engagement ring on to her finger as they dance in the gazebo, or as they laugh reading a book together in the snug bar, just really pulled at our heartstrings. Emily, Dani and Lewis captured these moments and their emotions beautifully and you really can see the love story of this couple develop through the photography and videography.
Bridal Beauty
With Molly’s styling, we opted for a 1930s inspired, fairy tale style of beauty. Molly had two looks – a more toned down, soft, innocent, and relaxed style at the beginning of their love story where Vicky created these soft, natural curls with some braiding; and a slightly more dramatic and structured look for her bridal look, with an updo whilst still avoiding being too heavy.
With the makeup, I opted for soft champagne and natural pink shades for her first ‘falling in love’ look with flushed cheeks to reinforce that. When we moved onto her wedding look, I added in some deeper shades into the crease of the eye and a warmer, deeper neutral lipstick that tied in with the flowers on her gown.
The Headpieces
Both of Ophelia’s headpieces were designed by Wendy who created them from authentic 1930s pieces that had been redesigned to have a renaissance twist. The cape veil that Molly wore was designed by Rebecca who embroidered wildflowers across the hem to match the dress – really tying together this beautiful, nature queen element to her.
The Bouquet
The bouquet designed by Candice matched Molly’s dress perfectly – not only in the shades but also the style of flowers – whilst maintaining that wildflower, plucked from the meadow arrangement that tied in with the relaxed ethos of the shoot. To finish off the look and add that sense of renaissance, vintage majesty to Molly’s look, we used an onyx and pearl ring from Tiffany and Co’s 1920s Ziegfield Collection and a pearl bracelet and necklace from Chez Bec.
Autumn Love
It really was just a lovely Autumn love story to capture and it felt so much like a real wedding because of this beautiful romance between Molly and Alfie.
Credits
Concept Designer, Planner and Makeup Artist: Stephanie Christy Make Up / Photography: Emily Montay Photography; Dani Dunne Photography / Assistant Planner & Venue Stylist: Lauren Pedge Events / Videography: Lewis Adger Videography / Models: Molly Gardner and Alfie Boote / Hair Stylist: Vicky Jiggens Make Up / Florist: So Blooming Beautiful / Vintage Hair Accessories: Vintage Adornments / Bridal Dress: Hazaar of London / Veil: Rebecca Anne Designs / Ring: Tiffany and Co / Venue: Apton Hall / Jewellery: Chez Bec / Perfume: Jo Malone London
@stephaniechristymakeup @emilymontay.photo @danidunnephoto @lewisadgervideo @laurenpedgeevents @hazaaroflondon @mollyygardner @alfie_boote @vickyjiggensmakeup @sobloomingbeautiful @vintageadornments @rebeccaannedesigns @chezbec @tiffanyandco @jomalonelondon
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