Just like much of America in the last year, we have been entranced by the Netflix series, “The Queen’s Gambit”. Not only was the story compelling, but the colors and the fashion also had us captivated. There was one line in particular that struck us. When Beth said “Chess can be beautiful,” we started thinking about all of those couples who have hobbies, like chess, that are an integral part of their relationship. If chess is beautiful, as she says, then why not craft a romantic and meaningful wedding around the game as a theme? And if we are going to do it right, the only thing better than one queen… is two.
Our brides for this shoot are real-life couple, Brooke and Laynie. Since we had two brides with a slight flair for the dramatic, we decided to lean into the 60s-inspired vibe and capture two of Beth’s fashion choices from the show – the classic Jackie O type and the edgy Mod Girl. One of their shared interests is their love of performing, and both have graced local stages for several years. So it was only fitting that Brooke’s perfect vintage dress was loaned to us from their home theatre’s costume shop! For Laynie, we wanted that Twiggy-meets-Bridgette Bardot-meets-Bianca Jagger look so we went with pencil pants and a chic blazer. And then to sass it up a bit, we put them both in fabulous pink pumps.
When we told our glam squad what we were looking for, they executed two incredible looks that had our brides feeling fierce. Yvonne from Jo Rich Beauty made Brooke’s Audrey Hepburn dreams come true, while also expertly fulfilling Laynie’s request to “lean all the way into this mod girl thing.” Did we mention these ladies have a slight flair for the dramatic? (They are obviously AKP kindred spirits!) For their hair, Alexis from Volume One Salon did an amazing job of nodding to the time period, while achieving two looks that are still modern and very chic.
To fully achieve our 60s glam vibe, we called our friends at Luxe Event Rentals to bring some of their incredible pieces. Since emerald green factored so heavily into our design, you cannot imagine how excited we were to see that delicious sofa arrive on set!
Considering the content of the show and the focus on addiction, we decided to go a different direction with the signature drink. Our friend Annie Rose, a mocktail maven, crafted “The Queen’s Gambit” for us – an alcohol-free version of the gimlet. Even if you do decide to have alcohol at your wedding, having a mocktail option is always a nice touch for your guests who don’t drink!
When creating the florals for this shoot, we wanted a very dreamy look that mirrored the color palette from the show with modern elements tucked in. Jillian at Fleur Zoe Florals absolutely nailed it with her stunning arrangements filled with vibrant colors, amazing texture and even a few feathers!
Now, back to the chess… One of our dear friends of AKP loaned us her father’s trophies, chess books and boards to use throughout our design. After carefully placing all of these precious pieces, we could see what Beth sees. Chess is beautiful, and so are all of those things that we hold dear. Whether you love baseball or comic books, there is always a way to fit them into your special day, without sacrificing the overall style you are trying to achieve.
Our cake was a glorious creation from Kate’s Cakes that absolutely delivered on the theme. We still can’t figure out how she created that iridescent emerald green buttercream! She even made a few chess-themed cookies and white chocolate chess pieces to use as favors. (We can attest to the fact that they tasted just as good as they looked!)
For our jewelry, we wanted to incorporate emeralds, and Paige at Jeweler’s Trade went above and beyond, yet again! Every piece was absolutely stunning, right down to the emerald and diamond checkered pattern on Laynie’s earrings! They couldn’t have been more perfect for our theme.
Lawn games at weddings are always a fun choice, so we wanted to give our queens a chance to show their skills with a massive chess board that we borrowed from The 5 Barrel. As you can see from the photos, they had a great time!
For our exit, we needed to inject just a little more drama, so we called Alpha-Lit Marquee Letters! We thought it was only fitting to end the wedding in the same way you end the game… Checkmate!
We had such a fun time with this shoot, and want to thank all of our fabulous vendors and models for helping us make it happen!
