I am currently having a moment over carnations, the big blousy variety all tightly packed together to create a pouff of extreme pretty. I am also having a moment over colour, bold bright clashing shades such as hot pink, red and orange in particular. So it was like Christmas (literally) after such a successful run of romantic rustic affairs when the uber contemporary inspiration shoot styled by Andri of Always Andri Wedding Design, landed in the RMW inbox…
There are quiffs. There are crimson lips and patent platform shoe candy. There is a selection of sexy stationery and foxy fashion. And there is ceremony decor of epic proportions….. seriously people, if the venue where you are saying “I do” is a blank canvas then all you need is one of these laser cut paper drape creations.
I know there has been more than a couple of requests to feature some modern cool on these pages of late so here it is, with great big ruddy bells on.
All of the gorgeous images are courtesy of Chanelle Sergerius-Bruce.
Andri of Always Andri Wedding Design: I’ve wanted to do a very modern inspired bridal shoot for a while now, so when Chanelle from Segerius Bruce Photography, contacted me to ask if I’d like to work on one together I instantly knew what look I wanted to go for.
For the modern bride who is looking to have a clean crisp minimal feel for her wedding I decided that Altitude 360 would make the perfect venue with its clean white walls, polished white floor and panoramic views across London. Such a white space can end up looking very stark so I decided to use strong accent colours of hot pink and red to accentuate the details and avoid the overall look feeling too clinical.
The Suppliers
I was very keen to make the shoot paper heavy so had two stationery companies in mind who both came onboard with some great ideas. My first call was to the fabulous Helen at Cutture, as I felt this shoot was a great opportunity to showcase some of their stunning 3d laser cut paper work. We discussed creating a ceremony installation with laser cut paper ribbons and large oversize paper flowers to line the aisle and from the initial concept drawings to the final installation on the day they really didn’t disappoint.
With such a blank canvas space I think it is well worth creating a beautiful alter focal point and you can also use it again during the reception as a photo booth backdrop. They also provided some of their Perspex pieces which worked really well with the Ghost chairs I’d hired in from Well Dressed Tables.
To complement the laser cut paper creations, Amma at Beyond Beyond designed the bold graphic stationery for the orders of service and menus which added a punch of colour as well as the modern guest book ‘tree’ cards to clip onto the Umbra footfalls photo holder.
For the cake I approached Cakes by Krishanthi who designed two beautiful cakes that perfectly complemented Cutture’s paper pieces. Rather than traditional cake stands I used glass vases, displaying some of the paper flowers inside the taller one – you could also easily use coloured water inside the vases as an alternative contemporary twist for your cake display.
The flowers were by Leanne at Wildabout. When you’re going for a clean contemporary look, using block colours of a single flower variety works really well in creating striking focal pieces; here we used carnations. Now I know carnations are often overlooked or seen as a cheap filler flower, but when used en masse as we did here I think they look just stunning.
The Fashion
When it came to choosing the dresses I thought it would be nice to showcase a variety of designers and price ranges. I had seen this stunning Naomi Neoh dress at the Designer Wedding show and just love the simple classic shape of the dress which is totally transformed by adding the long sleeved shrug with wrap around ties.
Naomi makes all her dress with internal corsets too so they give you a fabulous nipped in waist. We accessorised this look with some lovely silver jewellery from Not on the High Street retailer Bijou Jewellery and sparkly shoes from Aldo.
The second dress was from new online bridal range Kitty & Dulcie. They have a wonderful range of dresses all at amazing prices; we used the short Bobbi Dazzler dress. I accessorised this look with a stunning headpiece from Kirsten Goss, if you’re looking for really contemporary jewellery then I highly recommend you take a look at their range as they have some dazzling pieces.
For the final dress I used a Two Birds Bridesmaid dress which are not only great dresses for your maids but make fabulous wedding dresses too, if not for the whole day then a great option to change into for the evening , (this dress is one of their custom colours).
For the menswear I went to bespoke suit maker Delvero, Italian ateliers based in London who make all their suits maid to measure. We had two looks for our Groom, a silk lined modern tuxedo and a three piece dark navy suit.
On the day of the shoot everything came together so well, (apart from the weather – we were in the clouds all day!) so a big thank you to the whole team for translating my vision for a modern wedding style so perfectly and for those brides out there who like the modern city vibe I hope the shoot will inspire your day.
Hair And Make-up
Gemma Sutton: Lipstick is HOT right now, I think go red and bold with a bridal twist. Celebs like Gwen Stefani, Georgia Jagger and Katy Perry are all lovers of a brighter, vintage-esque sexy fuller lip.
My Top Tips to get your perfect red point.
• Smooth concealer over your lips to lock down the colour.
• Work in thin layers, starting from the middle of the lip and work outwards.
• Apply lip liner after the lipstick and Use a lip brush for a smother finish.
• Add clear gloss after to make lips look even fuller.
My favourite reds are Colour Fever Lipstick in 151 by Lancome, Signature hydra lustre lipstick in Rich Red by Estee Lauder and Moisture Drench Lipstick in Dare Devil by No.7
If you want a modern look with an edgy hair do, why not try a curvy modern mohawk. This is a look both male and female can do! Adding curls to the your mohawk will make the look softer and more refined.
Venue – Altitude 360 & The River Room
Photography by Sergerius Bruce Photography
Design, planning & Styling by Always Andri Wedding Design
Styling Assistant Anna And The Ring
Hair & Makeup by Gemma Sutton
Ceremony installation & Perspex Stationery by Cutture
Paper stationery: Menus, Order of service by Beyond Beyond
Flowers by Wildabout
Cakes by Cakes by Krishanthi
Long wedding dress by Naomi Neoh
Hammered silver necklace & earrings by Bijou Jewellery via Not on the High Street
Short dress Bobbi Dazzler bridal gown (£285) by Kitty & Dulcie
Long silver dress by Two Birds Bridesmaid (tied in the Grecian Twist Cross Back)
Menswear by Delvero
Ghost Chair hire & White Linen Well Dressed Tables
Behind the scenes video by Dreamday Films
See what I mean about the laser cut flower drape?
Immense.
Anyone having this kind of red/pink colour scheme for W-day? thinking of donning a scarlett pout or a gold glittery shoe?
And if your venue is a blank canvas but with a modern edge what are your decor ideas?
Big (Pouffy) Carnation Love
Charlotte xxx
I LOVE this! Especially the red/pink combo, it works amazingly well.
We had a colour pop scheme for w day. Hot pink was ours. My bouquet and the centre pieces were gorgouse big bundles of stargazer lilies and my maids had posies of hot pink gerberas. We highlighted the colour throughout our day with chair sashes and shoes! I think it looked awesome!
I love a good colour pop!
I love it. And it’s so nice to see something so clean, modern and vibrant. Great stuff.
Yay! I was worried about having hot pink with red (everyone thinks I am nuts/colourblind) but I think it looks really cool. Now then, where do I get one of those paper flower drapes….
Oh my god! I swear each time I submit a post you guys do a feature on at least one of the topics in it!
Wait til you read my pouffy carnation dreams on Thurs! And DIY carnation attempts. I am currently hosting some bright purple and orange ones in my kitchen! They are so delish!
Love it, and a red lip is a big possibilty!
xx
Super slick & glamorous! Gorgeous concept & styling that would be so easy to turn into a fabulous wedding!
@Alex 84 – Oh! I haven’t seen it yet – very excited for your carnation attempts…and red lipstick!
Charlotte xxx
I love the look of those vintage-esque pinky red lips and wanted something similiar for my own wedding, but my sister who is a make-up artist and doing my make-up on the day said that it will make my teeth look yellow in the photos! a) is that true?! and b) are they any alternatives that anyone can recommend? Really don’t want yellow yeeth but absolutely adore those lips!!! xxx
I might have missed it but where are the pink shoes from? they are the perfect colour for my BM’s! Thanks
Xx
Simply gorgeous LOVE the mix of the grey, white, and reds beautiful!
So, my fashion choices can be, as my wonderful nana always put it, ‘somewhat inspired’…
So much so, that when I was discussing bridal accessories in my mum and dad’s living room my dear dad made me promise not to wear ‘anything the size of a dinner plate on my head’…
However, big, massive, HUGE flower in the centre of your bonce…SWOON! What does my dad know?!
xoxo
So, my fashion choices can be, as my wonderful nana always put it, ‘somewhat inspired’…
So much so, that when I was discussing bridal accessories in my mum and dad’s living room my dear dad made me promise not to wear ‘anything the size of a dinner plate on my head’…
However, big, massive, HUGE flower in the centre of your bonce…SWOON! What does my dad know?!
xoxo
Ohhhh I love those ghost chairs! I know Shirley will like those flowers alot too. The red lip is pretty special, but I find a red lip makes my teeth look, well, yellow. Any one got any ideas?! Maybe it’s just the shades i;ve tried, then again, it might just be my yellow teeth! x
I love that this shoot is almost like a retro vision of the future… a little bit 80′s sci-fi.
It’s certainly a bold daring look – but equally there are lot’s of little idea’s like the cut-outs or the cube florals that isolated would give your wedding a really nice visual focus and colour pop. Any one of these idea’s could take centre stage if used in isolation.
Also, loving a well chosen drink or cocktail that ties into your colour scheme, and that electro pink tie is about as outrageous as the grooms hair… ACE!
Adam.
haha Kelly, you’re right – I’m loving those carnations. Mine will be similar but in shades of orange. I did consider cubes of flowers but preferred the spheres because they echoed my sphere lanterns and balloons (got a bit of a sphere thing going on!).
I love the red lips but suspect that they only look good on people with nice plump juicy full lips. Thin lipped girls (like moi) probably wouldn’t look as good.
@Aimee-Louise – they do say that there is a red out there to suit every skin tone, so maybe your sister or a good makeup counter can advise on what will look good on you?
@Charlotte/Adam – when I first saw this on my phone, I thought it was a real wedding and I was so excited but then realised it was a photo shoot. Its still good but I’d love to see a really bright modern funky real wedding – come on girls, one of you must have had something really contemporary, please submit it!!!
@Shirley…I’ve been terrified of submitting my wedding. Town centre hotel, no countryside, no cars, no romantic flowers – very colour pop, city-chic! Maybe I’ll brave it and send it in…Worth a go I suppose! Eeek!
@Lydia – you should definitely submit your wedding!!! Whilst I am one of the brides with the countryside manor house and rather classic wedding, I love seeing completely different weddings! It’s really refreshing and I’ve definitely taken inspiration from some of them in the past.
@Kelly/ Shirley – the minute i saw this, I also thought of Shirley! haha
Personally, the idea of a blank canvas like that would initially terrify the hell out of me (i’m not sure my styling brain cells are good enough for that much creativity) but the final result looks amazing. I love the cutture designs, soooo cool!
Guess what – I thought of Shirley too!!!
And I may be a bit behind but I didn’t realise our real brides were having so much carnation action?! I am beyond excited!!!
Charlotte xxx
haha I read my comment back and it sounds a wee bit like I am saying your totes stealing my ideas…..REALLY not what I meant…I meant more it is super freaky and telepathic like!
I did have the carnations on my moodboard I submitted in the entry but the speres were going to cost too much and couldn’t re-create them as I am not THAT good.
So I have instead done as much as I can using vases and water rather than foam oasis type floristry tricks. But there my mums fave flower and we both have a bunch every week. I suppose they are not that popular though in weddings usually. I am a big gyp lover too!
Shirlz can’t wait to see your balls!!! haha…if yer know what I mean!
xx
So glad everyone likes the shoot, thank you so much Charlotte for featuring it. It really was so much fun working on this shoot with such a fabulous team too, so a big thank you to them all.
Lisa the pink patent shoes are from Next and the sparkly ones are from Aldo x
So lovely to see modern, fresh and bold styling! Great job Andri and to all involved, I love a bit of colour clashing and a red-lipped bride. Oh and I wouldn’t say no to a paper flower curtain either
I love the vibrant pink and red combo & the groom’s hair! 80s sci fi indeed! Well done to all involved, it’s so refreshing to see modern wedding inspiration xx
@Alex – you should try the balls, they’re really easy to do – you don’t need any technical floristry know how … I just snipped the heads off and shoved them in the wet oasis ball wherever it looked like there was a gap – bingo! The big one (20cm) only took me about 30 mins when I didn’t really know what I was doing so I reckon you could knock them out in 10 mins once you got in the flow.
@Lydia – PLEASE submit your wedding, I want to see it!!!
Great shoot Andri – love the clean lines and pops of colour. It’s so nice to see something really different and this really makes an impact!
This city chic shoot is so bellissimo! I die for block colours, splashes of bright monochromes, and structured shapes. Great work Andri and Anna!
Love that big rose fascinator – may well be in the market for that lovely. AND pretty much my first plan for my wedding day was red lips! No demure pinky beige for me, no sirreee
Argh – that big rose is not on the Kirsten Goss site…
@Peridot- the large silk flower in the hair was from Naomi Neoh but you can easily pick up something simiar in places like VW Rouleaux or any good haberdashery supplier.
Love this shoot, so refeshing to see something bright, modern and new!
We absolutely love this shoot! The ideas, crisp colours and striking combinations are a real breath of fresh air.
Fantastic that the shoot shows how weddings can move towards more contemporary style whilst still holding strong to individuality. x
Wow – I love the pink and red combination – such a fabulous modern shoot – well done all!
This is gorgeous Andri! Love the colour combination, fun and stylish! The laser cut ceremony installation is amazing! Lots of wonderful and different inspiration for brides x
Thanks for featuring! Been in SA just arrived back to the UK today. Bit of a shock going from 30 degrees in the sun to this!