Are you a confirmed Austenite? Does the thought of Darcy flexing his hand after helping Elizabeth into the carriage pass through your mind more often than you would like to admit? Then you have surely been burning for “Bridgerton,” the Netflix series, and have been dreaming of attending your own lavish event in the British countryside. (We surely have been!)
Well, If there’s anything that 2020 has taught us, Dear Reader, it is that we have to make our own dreams come true on our own timeline. And since we couldn’t go to London, we decided to bring London to us with a styled wedding shoot inspired by “Bridgerton” that we think would even win the approval of Lady Whistledown herself. Our goal with this shoot was to show brides that you can have a vintage-inspired wedding, without being dated or costume-y. Are you ready for all of the regencycore vibes?
First we had to find the perfect couple, so we called past clients and current friends of AKP, Mambwe and Christian. You want to talk about the jewels of the season? These two are as kind as they are stunning! We were so fortunate to shoot their own perfect wedding a few years ago, and they were so kind to let us make them the center of our regency-era dream.
There could not have been a more perfect venue for this shoot than the Barkley House in Historic Pensacola Village. Their beautiful, sweeping lawn and majestic oak tree was perfect for our British garden party. The fact that the interior of Barkley House just happened to be the colors of our design (pink, yellow and blue) was just a plus that proved to be a lifesaver when nasty weather rudely popped up and forced us to move the shoot indoors. We were delighted to learn on the day of the shoot that the Barkley House was actually built during the regency era, and those colors were chosen after much research into what was popular at the time!
For this shoot we wanted to embrace the bright, bold colors of the Featherington family and the elegance of the Bridgerton family, so we needed furnishings and florals that perfectly married those two styles. Hemstitch Vintage Rentals had exactly what we needed, not just for furnishing, but for our elegant tablescape, as well. We loved the whimsy of the mismatched place settings and the beautiful crystal glassware.
For our champagne and favors station, we couldn’t resist putting that gorgeous, antique blue bureau from Luxe Event Rentals right in front of that posh, pink wall. For flowers, we wanted “British garden party decadence”, so we turned to the experts at Celebrations the Florist. We told Debbie what we were looking for and she created a floral story for this shoot that was even more perfect than we could have hoped for. Our wedding cake, made by Betty Weber Cakes, consisted of quilted and pearl-studded fondant and incredibly delicate sugar flowers.
For Mambwe’s look, we wanted something that any bride could easily achieve that isn’t tied to a particular time – just inspired by it. We wanted her makeup to be simple and fresh with rosey tones, much like Daphne from the show. DeSheri at DESHI did an amazing job of capturing Mambwe’s natural glow and giving her a very classic and feminine bridal look. Instead of a tiara, the ladies at Arrow Salon gave us a chic braided crown. Just the right amount of romance.
For her dress, we wanted something timeless and modern with a higher waist and just a bit of a sleeve – paying tribute to that regency-era style. This dreamy dress from Bliss Bridal was just what we were hoping for, paired with a lovely, pearl-studded veil. Since Daphne’s engagement ring in the show was a pearl ring, we incorporated pearls into everything BUT our engagement ring. Jeweler’s Trade provided us with an absolutely stunning vintage diamond ring that still has us gushing at the office. Then we topped it off with those dainty diamond and pearl flower earrings and a perfect pearl knot necklace. In keeping with our very formal theme, we couldn’t put our groom, Christian, in anything other than a perfect pair of tails, courtesy of Randall’s Formal Wear.
We may not have put our bride and groom in true period wear, but thanks to Rainey’s Closet, we were able to live out our regencycore dreams through our precious flower girls and ring bearer. Abby and Ellie had so much fun being our little princesses in layers of tulle, while Carter was the perfect little prince in those velvet tails.
Charlotte Mason Printing Company captured the tone of the event perfectly with their invitation suite that was truly fit for a royal wedding, and was even made on an antique printing press!
And, of course, we couldn’t have a true fairytale wedding without a noble steed to carry our couple into the sunset. Thanks to Carriages of Pensacola, our bride and groom were able to have the most romantic exit.
Thank you to all of our fabulous vendors who worked so hard to help us bring our vision to life despite some nasty weather!
