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Dark & Moody Lunar Wedding Inspiration

Redhead bride with crescent moon and flower bouquet

Oh boy, do we have a special treat for you! Kristen Mittlestedt Photography along with a team of vendors put together this shoot with one goal in mind: to offer a bold take on intimate weddings + elopements alike with a trendy celestial design that’s alllll drama. 

A mix of light and dark elements were used throughout to create a beautiful contrast that’s almost haunting...and speaking of, the amazing venue, Laurel Hall, is rumored to be haunted in RL. Oooooh! Eerie and oh so romantic, we hope you feel inspired to think outside the box for your wedding. Read more about the details below and catch a closer look in the full gallery, if you dare.

Elegant woman holding a white and gold floral bouquet

Shelby and William New Years Eve wedding invitation suite

From Kristen Mittlestedt Photography

Shelby and William are a real couple who are very eclectic in nature. Although this was a styled elopement, we wanted to stay true to their vibe. We decided on a celestial theme because of Shelby's obsession with the moon. The 8ft moon alter was custom built by my team. Since we wanted this "elopement" to take place on New Year's Eve, we decided to make the moon a Waning Crescent, since that is the moon phase for December 31st, 2018. The goal of this shoot was to give a bold and dramatic take to an elopement.

Redhead bride with bouquet in elegant black lace dress Red haired woman with tattoo in black dress portrait

Elegant wedding styled shoot with tattooed bride and groom

Elegant gothic couple posing on a vintage white sofa Elegant couple poses on a sofa by large arched windows

Interior with a large crescent moon and a chandelier

backlighting effect

The ceremony arbor was set in front of a glass set of doors and surrounded by candles. Inspired by moonlight, we used a bright light behind the moon to illuminate the arbor. Backlit wedding arbors have always been dramatic, but to step up the game, we added a soft amount of fog to bring out the light beams shining around the moon giving an exploding star effect. This would be a great inspiration for couples looking for ideas for backlit weddings, that doesn't involve the typical "Christmas lights" arbor, and could encourage couples to think outside the box.

Couple on moon prop at dramatic wedding photoshoot

Romantic wedding photo under chandelier and moon decor

Elegant couple embracing by stained glass window light Elegant tattooed bride and groom in moody castle room

haunted mansion

Laurel Hall is a 1920's mansion that gave a dreamy amount of elegance. When choosing the venue, we looked for a space that had dark rooms to accentuate the moody night vibe, but also had a lot of windows to allow for light manipulation. To continue with the bold light effect from their ceremony, we added a soft fog to several parts of the venue to give eerie, ethereal, and dramatic portraits. Fun fact, the venue is said to be haunted and during the shoot, the lights would randomly turn off or flicker!

Groom in grey suit and bow tie sits in ornate chair Groom in gray suit with white rose boutonniere detail

Woman in gown poses on ornate staircase at Christmas

Elegant white wedding table centerpiece with floral design

The decor

We used bits and pieces from Shelby and Will's personal curated collection for the tablescape; geodes, ornate fabric, and star map embellished plates. The wine glasses were hand-painted with constellations specifically for this shoot. In contrast to the ceremony, we used the Solarium which was full of natural light for the reception. Unlike the ceremony space, the Solarium was created with white stone and marble. The color scheme for the elopement was very high contrast, so we wanted to do a call back to that with the ceremony and reception spaces. In lieu of a cake, we had lunar inspired macaroons.

Elegant tablescape with flowers candles and fireplace Elegant table setting with wine glasses and floral decor Elegant table setting with peacock plate and black cutlery

White rose and peace lily bouquet on a mantelpiece

Macarons and labradorite on silver tray with eucalyptus Delicious black and white macarons on a silver tray

Budget breakdown 

Curious what a lunar-inspired wedding like this might cost you? The vendors were kind enough to share their budget breakdown with us below. Please note, costs may vary. 

Photographer: $4000 
Venue: $400
Florals: $500
Sweets: $200
Rentals: $700
 Invites: $200
Dress: $3000
Suit: $300
Hair and Makeup: $200
Total: $9,500

Gothic wedding couple with moon backdrop and large bouquet

We partnered with Kristen Mittlestedt Photography to share this amazing shoot with you. As always, thank you for supporting our sponsors!

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$9,500
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