Get wrapped up in these romantic details at this California wedding venue., Two different wedding dresses for you to get inspired by, vintage florals and tips for you while planning your 2021 micro wedding. The Villa Montalvo has such spectacular spots for photo ops, a scene set for a Princess Bride!
Keep scrolling to see all of the beautiful photos by Ashley Noelle Edwards and the paper goods by by The Vintage Inkwell. Ashley Noelle Edwards planned every detail and Mignon Floral Co. created all of the amazing florals. You can see all the images in the full gallery.
This luxurious bridal fashion editorial was created by Ashley Noelle Edwards, California, and destination film wedding photographer. Ashley has been inspired lately by the great romance tales throughout history. This editorial focuses on one such romantic character, Juliet Capulet of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
The Juliet vibes are on point throughout the design, taking inspiration from and paying homage to the many Juliets throughout history, including those depicted by Claire Danes in the 1990s with her white dress and angel wings (this feel created with a stunning white feather capelet from EPHEMRL), and the 1970s movie Juliet with long dark hair and a center part!
Ashley's goal in creating this editorial was to dream up a gorgeous bridal fashion look for pandemic-era brides who may be choosing to hold a small "micro-wedding" in 2021 and then have their larger wedding with a complete guest list at a later date. While a pandemic is an unfortunate situation for couples to face, we hope to inspire taking changes in stride and perhaps using the necessity of having two celebrations as an opportunity to wear both a traditional white dress as well as a dream dress in a unique color or style!
Our dream dress in this case is a navy Marchesa gown with the most incredible pink flowers beaded onto the front and a tulle train. Our "traditional" white dress is a flowing, romantic, low-cut in front gown from Leanne Marshall. Each dress is so special and is set off perfectly by hair and makeup by Marisa Perel who styled the same makeup and bridal hairstyle look a few different ways to show the versatility of one style for multiple looks for your photos
Bridal accessories include a beautiful white choker with lace beading from Edera Jewelry, as well as two pairs of earrings--one small pair of studs with a pop of red, and one pair of lace beaded statement earrings--and intricate hair vine jewelry also from Edera that go so perfectly with the floral vine motif of the Marchesa gown.
Mignon Floral Co. designed stunning floral arrangements using several different kinds of roses, anemone, and autumn leaves to create a lush, grand tablescape, cake table adornments, and bride's bouquet. These sturdy flowers last all day and are suitable for any kind of weather!
With such a bountiful cake table, we chose a simple white cake in a tall cylinder shape to allow the florals to shine! A small cake like this is a perfect choice for a micro-wedding or elopement. Just enough cake for your sweetheart and your few beloved guests.
Villa Montalvo is the perfect backdrop for a Juliet Capulet inspired romance. With Italian-style balconies and European architecture, it is truly a dream wedding venue. The property is large and filled with so many opportunities for stunning photographs for events of all sizes! We are particularly in love with all the Juliet-worthy balconies where the light is just so perfect for bridal portraits. Not to mention the fountain, columns, gardens, and historic indoor space!
A subtle theme wedding can be so luxurious if done properly and we are so enamored with the invitation suite handmade by The Vintage Inkwell. The suite features an artistic rendering of a scene from Romeo and Juliet, as well as a beautiful ribbon-tied scroll from the play that serves as an incredible prop for ring styling! The Vintage Inkwell knocked this out of the park with epic calligraphy skills and attention to detail. Imagine your guests receiving actual pieces of artwork to invite them to your micro wedding!
The Vintage Inkwell also created the most romantic paper art for our reception table, which suits a small group. Standard Party Rentals provided the furniture and tabletop in such unique style! Black and gold plates with moonstone cutlery amped up the nostalgia and set off the florals perfectly. Fork tine name cards were hand-calligraphed by The Vintage Inkwell and the menu features a pink rose and vine motif that was inspired by the beadwork on the Marchesa gown. Isn't it so lovely when a design comes together?!
Our best advice for your micro wedding is to keep it small, but amp up the chic. Take the opportunity to do a subtle theme (overly themed can come off as childish like a kid's birthday party) that is meaningful to you and you're betrothed, or just make the design unique and special.
When there are fewer guests, this creates an opportunity to make the dinner even nicer, and maybe add a little more sparkle with multiple gowns or jewelry looks. Your imagination is truly the limit! Then for your larger wedding, you can incorporate bits and pieces of your micro wedding into your design, as well. This will create images to remember and you will have such a story to tell! These images were all photographed on real Fuji film in keeping with the cinematic Juliet realness. So romantic! Are you inspired?! Go create!