How To Have A Chic Fairytale Castle Style Wedding
Kings and Queens of old lived in dreamy and romantic castles, here is how you can get married in one! Or at least give you overall wedding day a fairytale castle vibe! Verve Events Co partnered with us to showcase some awe-inspiring wedding ideas you owe yourself the chance to "Ooo" and "Ahh" over.
So sit back and let your inner child delight in the wonders of this storybook wedding come to life. Oh, and don't forget to stop by the full gallery, we have even more of Lovebug Photography's fabulous images stashed away in there for you to love!
The Inspiration
When I initially conceived the inspiration for the shoot, I wanted a contemporary color palette that complemented the historic nature of the Sword in the Stone legend. I also wanted to incorporate elements of the story in the artistic details of the day – the place cards, the details, the venue. Thus, I settled on shades of gray with mauve and metallic accents and a venue that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The result was a sophisticated photoshoot full of exquisite details – from the dress to the 2-carat pear-shaped diamond engagement ring, to the custom gifts curated from artisans across New York State!
The Venue
The shoot was set at The Rabbit Room at The Lower Mill in Honeoye Falls. The building was originally a flour mill dating back to 1827 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I selected it because it added a vintage contrast to the modern, artistic elements we used and it incorporated the stone from the story the Sword in the Stone.
The Style
For the fashion, I wanted the color palette to remind us of a period when brides didn’t wear white but wore color instead. Working with Lovely Bride Rochester, I chose the dreamy Willowby by Watters Galatea in Platinum with its ethereal tones. Sometimes the dress appears to be shades of gray, sometimes mauve, depending on how the light hits it. As a contrast, our bridesmaids wore all white in contemporary Theia dresses – Bonnie and Marissa.
Finally, the groom’s suit was a bespoke charcoal gray mohair suit that oozed finesse and sophistication. It had a sheen that made me weak in the knees every time I looked at it.
The Desserts
Our 3-tier wedding cake incorporated the stone aspects of our story. The “cement” layer served as the foundation for our second tier, which was hand-painted to emulate rocky stone with gold flecks from the hilt of the sword. Our top layer was crisp and clean and adorned with a gorgeous, hand molded anemone made out of fondant.
In addition, we served snickerdoodle cakesicles covered in marbled white chocolate with gold flecks and marbled macarons with chocolate peanut butter filling.
The Stationery and Signage
Our custom fine art stationery and signage were all hand-lettered with a vintage calligraphy font created specifically for this shoot that was inspired by vintage manuscripts. The entire suite included the invitation, reply card, hand-lettered envelopes with vintage stamp curation, a custom monogram for the couple, a details card, ceremony program, signature cocktail and dessert signs, and a suspended escort card display.
The Tablescape
In keeping with our theme, our romantic vintage tablescape included a centerpiece of Italian Ranunculus, and anemones, vintage chairs and candelabra, vintage gold flatware from the venue, Vera Wang Blanc Sur Blanc china, and hand-lettered marble tiles as place cards.
The Weather
This shoot took place in late April in Rochester, New York. It was supposed to be a spring shoot, but, as I said, it took place in Rochester and Mother Nature didn’t care. While we were shooting, the temperature was about 30 degrees and it also started to snow. But the team pressed on and embraced the elements. That’s what happens in western New York in the spring! It gave the wedding party a chance to wear some fur blankets, which would have also worked with the period.
- Accessories & Lingerie: Brides & Hairpins
- Cakes & Catering: Shell’s Sweets
- Dress & Apparel: Lovely Bride Rochester
- Event Planning & Design: Verve Event Co.
- Flowers: Bradley James Designs
- Groom & His Men: Adrian Jules Custom Clothing
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Special Occasion Hair Design
- Jewelry: The Source Fine Jewelers
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Artisaire
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Helicon Paper Co.
- Photographers: Lovebug Photography
- Registries, Gifts & Apps: Gracious Gift Co
- Rentals: Revival Vintage Rentals
- Venues: The Rabbit Room