Behind the Scenes – All White Wedding Inspiration on Style Me Pretty

The Grand del Mar resort epitomizes old world elegance with the flair of eclectic personality.    With this impressive location as our backdrop we chose a lush palette of whispery whites to conjure a scene of full of contrasts.  Georgia O’Keeffe paintings inspire lush textures and lavish moods…  Old meets new with a distinctly modern twist….

Yesterday I blogged about staying limber; challenging yourself as an artist.  This shoot originally produced for Exquisite Weddings Magazine was my marathon.  For a girl who loves color, bold and not, soft and bright, designing in all white was a big hurdle.  You’ll see below that with the help of some friends at The Grand Del Mar, we were able to cultivate some killer all white wedding inspiration!  When I set out to design a shoot, it is usually because something is tugging at my heart to be explored in stationery.   So many couples are going back to basics and placing color on the shelf for more clean, understated shades of white.  White can be bold and we were ready to show the world just how!

I began with a “Wow Whites” Pinterest board and chats with Joyful Weddings.  Georgia O’Keeffe’s many white flower paintings inspired the palette overall…

Kathy Wright went to work arranging a variety of white blooms in and around cut glass vessels…More sculpture than arrangement, the look never felt overdone.

Two bouquets were created…this version was all paper blooms and findings.  We created “ribbon” out of thin paper strips featuring the same sketched lace from the table runner.  Sliver dipped lace elements hung throughout and lastly vintage white velvet blooms added a last bit of texture.

So all white…almost.  I sketched a few varieties of lace in black for just a touch of contrast!  With the help of Ribbons and Rust I added to my collection of cut glass.  Glass buttons and more of our paper “ribbon” were styled amongst some Iris, fragrant Gardenia and Roses.

Vintage laces make a strong appearance but in a hand drawn disguise on sleek papers.  Pops of thick white inks add another layer of dimension to each piece while an unexpected layer of plexi added substance and a bit of sheen.

Our paper “ribbon” makes another appearance of the invitation’s silk presentation folio all tied up in a bow.

Cut glass meshes with modern ghost chairs and plexi details for an eclectic romantic vibe.  How much do you love these lace pattern plexi chair liners??

White on white floral artwork was painted on each menu then adhered to plexi layers…

A garden of lilies and iris were hand painted on large sheets of plexi.  Each guests name was hand written and then laid atop an ivory painted table…

The cake…oh the cake!  Inspired by the scalloped gown seen here, Melody from The Sweet and Saucy Shop combined asymmetrical blooms, smooth tiers and scallop edging to

Another peek at the sketched lace…

A final little moment to share… We love the idea of handwritten notes to each guest or couple.  They can be used as place cards, seating tents or even just laid out at the end of the evening.  Just a thoughtful way to share a personalized sentiment with all of those who cared enough to attend.

I’m incredibly honored by the full feature on Style Me Pretty last week, be sure to have a look as they published the complete gallery of images for all your viewing pleasure.   Thank you so much to the team for the artistry that oozes from every moment of this shoot.  XO

PhotographyJill Thomas Photography  ::  Photo Shoot VenueThe Grand del Mar in San Diego, California  ::  Event Styling, Design + Stationery – Kristy Rice of Momental Designs  ::  Event Planning + DesignJoyful Weddings and Events  ::  ProductionBe Inspired PR  ::  Floral Design – Kathy Wright of Kathy Wright and Co.  ::  Paper BouquetMomental Designs  ::  Wedding Cake – Melody Brandon of Sweet and Saucy Shop  ::  Vintage Rentals – Ribbons and Rust  ::  LinensLa Tavola Linens  ::  Wedding DressAlisa Benay via The Bustle  ::  HairpieceDesla Couture  ::  Hair + Makeup – Erica of 10.11.Makeup