Today we have the treat of chatting with one of our favorites, Allie of Gypsy Rose Events. She dreamed up this opulent Luxe Wedding Inspiration with some of the Midwest’s best vendors and it is full of unique ideas for your own wedding at The Wilds.
In our conversation, you will learn all about her planning philosophy as well as how to use elements of a styled shoot like this to make your own big day truly fantastic.
The Wilds: This styled shoot is so opulent! What were your original inspirations and key visual elements in planning this styled shoot?
Gypsy Rose Events: I took inspiration from the décor & rooms of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg Russia. Originally, I wanted to call the shoot “Once Upon a December,” which is a song title from the animated movie Anastasia. However, as we developed the details/colors surrounding the shoot, we did not want to just focus on a single month so it became more universal. I wanted to include rich textures like the velvet couches and linens. I also wanted to include physical pieces that added more drama and body to everything. These were done with the candelabra, the painting, added fruit and drapery).
The Wilds: Let’s talk outfit styling. How did you decide on the looks for each member of the bridal party, and what were your outfitting inspirations?
GRE: It was a little trial and error. I assumed that we would end up with a massive ballgown, but as a team we agreed that the mermaid style fit more with the overall style. The beading and lace created the snowflake feeling that was just STUNNING on Heidi. We were really lucky that both Heidi and Sharon were able to meet and try on dresses together so we knew how they would photograph. The gray suits for the men just stood out as sexy and sophisticated, but also did place the bridal party in one dress code like black tie or formal. It really balanced out well together!
The Wilds: The florals on this shoot are breathtaking, what did you and Gina of Pomp & Bloom and Christy of Creative in Bloom talk about in preparation for the incredible installations and bridal party pieces?
GRE: I owe a LOT of credit to Christy Wilson from Creative in Bloom on helping take my vision and putting it on paper to translate to Gina. They both pitched an idea to me about a canvas with real flowers and I WAS IN. After knowing that we were going to have this huge statement piece, we had to basically continue with the floral madness! We knew that was reaching out to Winter Brides and we wanted to show that they could still bring in color and drama to their event through florals. Especially when you have such a bright backdrop that The Wilds has to offer.
The Wilds: Each corner of the venue was perfectly styled for this shoot. What elements of The Wilds made this shoot work so well visually?
GRE: One of my goals was to dress The Wilds in a way that I hadn’t seen before. We took some risks in this luxe wedding inspiration, but I think also showed some options that couples have not considered before. The drapery over the mantel, the placement of the head table, the closed parlor doors to credit a scroll style seating chart. The constant saying of The Wilds is “luxury within reach,” and this was taking the luxury to the max while also complimenting the space.
The Wilds: Styled shoots are obviously an idealized and extravagant production in a way that many weddings simply can’t be – how would you guide a couple to pull inspiration from this opulent styled shoot to suit their wedding at various price points?
GRE: What I love about Styled Shoots is the opportunity to take each vendors talents and highlight them all at once!
I always tell couple who are at the beginning stages of planning a wedding to decide as a couple where they want to invest the most of their budget. Is it the Venue, Photography, Florals, Guest Experience, Food or Beverage, Music, etc.? Often couples spread their budgets out and don’t actually get the opportunity to focus on hiring vendor they really want and end up settling collectively on everything. That can create the sense of balance but also can lead to disappointment.
With styled shoots, we get to max out and that’s where people find inspiration! I had a bride that knew as soon as she saw the images and Heidi and Sharon laying in the flowers that she wanted to recreate that moment for her wedding. We had a bride that go married at The Wilds that WANTED the flower canvas for her wedding and another that wanted the drapery over the mantle. They just took what inspired them and fit it into their budget.
Vendor Team
| Planning | — | Gypsy Rose Events |
| Creative Director and Guest Communications | — | Creative In Bloom |
| Photography | — | Stacy Able Photography |
| Venue | — | The Wilds Venue |
| Florals | — | Pomp & Bloom |
| Cake | — | Icing on the Cake |
| Catering | — | Jeanette Molina Catering |
| Hair and Makeup | — | Indie Bridal Co |
| Dress and Tux | — | Sophia’s Columbus |
| Rentals | — | Violet Vintage A Classic Party Rental |
| Bar | — | Upland Brewing Co. |
Looking for more wedding planning inspiration? We have all that you need right here!
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