Dust, Love & Light: A Romantic Rustic Lodge Wedding Inspiration
Lighting and texture played a big role in the design of this next shoot dreamed up by Southern Hospitality Weddings & Events. With a natural design in mind, every detail fell right into place at the historic Flyway Lodge - an old hunting club dating back to the 1920s. “For this styled shoot, the inspiration came before the venue. Dusty clay and handmade pottery was my muse from the beginning. All the various shades of earthen clay, the natural curves and unaltered state of the material - it captured my attention and from there it expanded into a wedding design."
A mix of texture and natural lighting created a moody, romantic vibe in dusty pink hues with natural clay accents, and dried/fresh flowers. See all the thoughtful design details below and in the full gallery, beautifully captured by Mary Basnight Photography.
dreamy handmade wedding dress
From the designer, Jessie: We were so fortunate to work with Di Domenico Designs and use one of their couture gowns for the shoot and while on the hanger it was beautiful, it wasn’t until we saw it on our bride that we became overwhelmed with awe. Every bead and detail was hand sewn, every inch of the dress designed with intention. And where all of our décor was very raw, matte and natural, this dream dress was its opposite – regal, glam, and refined. All of the jewelry worn in the shoot was also custom made, including the solitaire diamond ring handmade by jeweler Mary John Ventre.
A rustic hunting lodge
To really bring the vision to life, we needed a space that could facilitate natural light and shadows in a very unaltered way. It took almost 2 months to find and secure this 1920’s untouched Hunt Club with stables on Knotts Island in North Carolina, The Flyway Lodge. The old wood plank and original carriage doors, the brick and dusty wood staircase that lead up to 11 original bedrooms and bathrooms with 1920’s clawfoot tubs still intact. The light poured in the windows and created beautiful shadows on the aging walls and floors. It was a diamond in the rough, the unfound gem and every bit of it amplified the initial vision. Using such a raw space really shows that a vision, or a wedding, can be brought to life anywhere.
Fresh + dried blooms
For the flowers, we didn’t want to drown out the clay tones with rich greens and vibrant colors so Shelley of Honeysuckle Events focused on incorporating dried and muted floral design. The protea, antique carnations and quicksand roses offered that dusty clay color while the coral charm peonies and orchids delivered just enough pop. Dried palm leaves, straw flower, & bleached umbrella fern were added to the ceremony installation for rigid visual texture while the hand dyed blush pampas grass lended a soft and airy nature.
Playing with light
Light played a huge role. The light hitting the beads of the dress, the light coming through the windows, and the light incorporated into the design. The escort vignette was designed around a Rumi passage “Every being is a Jar full of light”. It referenced the clay jars used as seating charts for the tables, and the custom candle favors for parting guests. We continued to shoot into the evening, again to capture that glowing light that was so close to the core of the shoot.
The paper suite echoed the muted colors and clay inspiration of dusty pink and complimenting neutrals. Handmade pressed papers were paired with hand drawn maps and vintage stamps for a sophisticated yet undressed invitation suite. Patty Bakes did the same for the cake, by playing with descriptive words and color palettes she designed a single tier bridal cake showcasing the imperfect nature of clay. A simple dessert bar with understated wafers, blush macarons and dried florals was staged in the metalsmith workshop portion of the barn.
budget breakdown
Curious what a rustic lodge wedding like this make cost you? The vendors were kind enoug to share their estimates with us below. *Estimates for full wedding used except where noted!
Photographer: $4100
Venue: $8000
Florals: $2500* This shoot components only, not full estimate
Rentals/Styling Pieces: $2000* This shoot components only, not full estimate
Dress: Custom
Planning: $3000
Invites: Custom
Custom Handwriting: Custom
Cake & Dessert Bar: $1200
Engagement Ring: $7900
Additional Jewelry: $150
Hair & Makeup: $400
Total: ~$30k
- Cakes & Catering: Patty Bakes
- Event Planning & Design: Southern Hospitality Weddings & Events
- Favors & Gifts: Outer Banks Candle Co
- Flowers: Honeysuckle Events
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Darling & Dapper
- Jewelry: Mary John Ventre
- Jewelry: Erin Nicole Jewelry
- Jewelry: Goldielocks
- MUA: Blushtones
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Seafoam Design
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Heart of Harlow
- Photographers: Mary Basnight Photography
- Rentals: Amaranth + Artifact
- Venues: The Flyway Lodge
- Wedding Dresses: DiDomenico Design