A Breathtaking Vignette of 2020 Wedding Trends
This vignette is everything I envision the perfect Provencal wedding to be.
Set in the inspiring grounds of Almost Orange with its magnificent country villa, lush orange orchards and the stunning and contrasting background of olive farms and rolling hills, this styled intimate celebration oozes Provence. We wanted to capture the tranquil essence of such a beautiful area and its captivating scenery.
This vignette was inspired by the top wedding theme for 2020: a nature-inspired design where couples opt for fine dining experiences mixed with the relaxed Alfresco-lifestyle, and a focus on simplicity and quality. 2020 will be the year of contrasts – we’re moving through deep cohesiveness into the ability to combine disparate elements in ways that feel fresh and related. This year, everything old is new again; we’re taking trends from decades past and breathing new life into them; putting a polish on the past, and finding ways to integrate modern antiques, colours, flair and boldness into the popular trends of eras gone by.
Nature’s Bounty
Our theme was natural and luxuriant, coupled with an abundance of tiny, multi-sensory details that, when combined together, created a feeling of understated luxe and a touch of magic. We let the flowers take the lead and worked with what was available and in season – a soft yet sophisticated palette of figs, berry and cassis – a deep rich shade that emanates elegance and glamour, and is reminiscent of royalty and all that is luxurious and opulent. These tones complimented the exterior décor and surrounding landscape beautifully.
The Botanicus dress, designed by Elli-Nicole, was inspired by the natural landscape which we felt was perfect for this romantic shoot and venue. Elli-Nicole says,
“The dress is a mermaid silhouette that artfully combines two different types of laces which gives an organic foliage effect. The base is a deep oyster, which displays the lace beautifully and compliments the natural surroundings.”
With a prominent floral focus, our asymmetrical arrangements drew on the bounty of figs, blackberries, peaches and pomegranates which invoked a truly romantic feel. This year, we will see florals moving away from structured designs towards fully bespoke designs that are unpacked, unstructured, and possess natural fragrance. We will see a move towards warm soft tones, juxtaposed by an injection of rich, bold colours.
Perfectly Imperfect
Our table styling remained simple yet elegant. Mixing antiques with modern elements gave a sophisticated look to the table. Together with the natural wooden table top, loose style florals as our centerpieces, and tapered candles to balance the fine dining style with the relaxed setting of the venue, we achieved our perfectly-imperfect masterpiece!
Whilst décor this year will be accompanied by one or two statement pieces, décor will be designed to immerse guests in the experience and create lasting memories, with minimalist breath-taking pieces that enhance the surroundings and add an edge of vintage to the overall style.
Love as an Art Form
Our picture perfect setting was painted live by the talented artist Kelly Farrow, who captured the ambience of our shoot and the location perfectly.
This year, we are seeing more bridal couples opting to commission hand-illustrated designs of their venue, ceremony area, or themselves, and even use this as a unifying narrative throughout their stationery and décor. Exquisite, personalized stationery from handpicked calligraphy to delicate sketches, water-colours blended together, and stylized line drawings are ways in which couples are injecting their personalities into their wedding to ensure a unique celebration filled with heart and meaningfulness.
Through this styled vignette, my hope is to inspire couples this year to embrace the juxtaposition between soft and striking. The touches of organic textures, cotton linens, and pampass grasses will remain, but contemporary twists will add bursts of vibrancy when layered within design details and ornate installations.
With credit to an amazing team:
A special thank you to Jenna Storey Photography for capturing the essence of the shoot in the most beautifully elegant way, and to Ramona from Ruffles & Rust for skilfully bringing the vision to life so passionately and effortlessly.
Venue: silverorangebistro
Planning, Conceptualising, Co-ordination: @_byblythe_
Photography and Videography: @jennastorey_xox
Flowers & Styling: @ruffles.rust
Crockery: @ginghamceramics
Stationery: @chrystalace
Artist: @Kegs_art
Cake: @cherry_whisk and @ruffles.rust
Tartlets, eclairs & macaroons: Patisserie de Paris
Wedding dress: @ellinicolebridal
Bride’s Shoes: @ellinicoleshoes
Make up artist: @rebeca_makeupartistry
Bride & Groom: @rhemiviljoen7 and @hardus007