Friendsgiving Inspired Wedding Ideas
It’s the week of Thanksgiving, which means we’ve got lots of delicious tablescapes to look forward to. This shoot from Jonica Moore, Dawn Mauberret, and Sweet Thorn Flora explores the dramatic side of autumn weddings, and we think it works perfectly for a Friendsgiving event with the besties too. Be sure to keep an eye out for the incredible dip dyed veil!
From the shoot’s concept designer, Kerry Ann Stokes: The Moody Romantics styled shoot was inspired by dark fairytales and the beauty of nature found deep in the woods – maybe where you least expect it. Both décor and wardrobe are rich in texture-including furs, satin-faced chiffon, lace, quartz, lush florals, and taxidermy insects. This shoot is packed with detail, a love for the handmade, and vintage items. Dreamt up by accessories designer Kerry Ann Stokes and brought to life by a team of creatives, mobilized by Dawn Mauberret Events. This shoot sets the mood for a dreamy and romantic fall wedding—all beautifully captured by Jonica Moore Studio.
The color palette is rich and dark hued-highlighting deep reds, and Pantone’s color of the year, Marsala. For the wedding dresses we pulled a Rue De Seine dress with a delicate lace over a beige slip and one of Leanne Marshall’s creamy and silky dresses from Lovely Bride. We paired the first look (Rue De Seine) with a deep wine dip-dyed silk tulle veil and dark beaded crown from Kerry Ann Stokes. Sophie Hughes provided some killer jewelry for the shoot, including a custom Black Beauty Diamond Ring (we were all wide-eyed over it), black diamond bands, and fused metal pieces. For the second look (Leanne Marshall) we topped the dress with a fur shawl and a natural quartz headpiece. The bridesmaids wore maroon (Ash and Light) and black (Nordstrom) dresses, along with coordinating jewelry, leather flower hairpins, a beaded headpiece. Hair (by Stephanie Kauffman) and makeup (by MauberretFX) have a beautiful witchy vibe. Sweet Thorn Flora nailed it with the floral arrangements, which included deep toned florals mixed with lush greens and blush accents. Peonies, blackberries, thistle, ranunculus, and ferns were utilized and mixed with taxidermy insects (courtesy of Hoardaculture) and antlers-definitely making a dramatic statement.
The Grand was the perfect location for this shoot, and included a long wooden banquet table, rustic seating, exposed brick walls, a deep green pin-tuck cushion booth, and some in house taxidermy wall mounts. They cooked up a menu full of color for every course. Oysters for the cocktail hour with some fall inspired signature cocktails, a black kale salad to start, and braised ribs for the main-all served up on vintage plates and glassware from Eleven Thirty Six. For the dessert we decided to forego the traditional cake and have a table of pies and tarts instead. Deep colored berries and elaborate crust designs made for a beautiful sweets table thanks to Cutie Pies NYC. The maroon and rose-colored invites were designed by Of Note Stationers — who also supplied some stationery (Can’t Do This Without You, Dazzle, and It’s Your Day cards). Our signage was all hand painted by Kristin Texteria onto vintage mirrors, including the one large mirror in the venue. The escort cards are strung from butterflies and pinned inside vintage frames. Needless to say, a lot of talented vendors came together on this moody and romantic wedding inspiration shoot and the end result is truly inspiring!
