All weddings are stunning events, but the Fine Art style of weddings perfectly embodies an absolute elegance hard to beat. With inspiration drawn from a bygone era, planning a fine art wedding is a perfect way to bring in an air of utter romance.
As if taken straight out of a oil painting by a Renaissance master, or a mental image from a Jane Austen novel, there is something dreamy, ethereal and airy about this type of wedding design. Classic sophistication meets a romantic fairytale.
As a photography style, it is totally poetic and romantic, embracing the grace, love and philosophical spirit of the day.
(Our prettiest post yet? Yes, we think it might be!)
How to incorporate Fine Art elements into you wedding:
Start with a soft and muted color palette – great neutral colours to use could be dusty blue, ivory, dusty pink, dove gray, and accents of tarnished metals.
Use flowy semi- sheer fabrics to create a subdued aesthetic. Pair loose arrangements of greenery with unstructured wildflower florals to create an organic and foraged feel. Roses, magnolias and thistle or can enhance the bouquet and center pieces.
For the invites and all written goods, hiring a calligrapher is your best option.
Scroll down for more Fine Art wedding inspiration.
The Stationary
Inspired by letters written long before the type writer, the Fine Art Wedding Invite may sport intricate calligraphy, deckled edges and a wax seal. Complete with your wedding logo stamped on a handmade envelope, tie a silk ribbon and you have mastered the art of Old World wedding invitations. Finely etched floral motifs are also welcomed.
For your signs, seating plan, name cards and gift tags, hand torn paper edges with give you a stunning Old Romance look.
The cake
Keep the cake fairly minimal – the classic white cake is a good base to start from. Let the cake be a work of art, without being over decorated. Adorn it with one or a couple of the following: florals, green sprigs, fruit, a metallic accent or slight marbling on the fondant could also be a good idea to make it a bit more modern. Keep the overall look fresh, light, organic and not too “planned”. A ribbon is not a bad idea either.
The table styling
Organic and unstructured florals combined with elegant china and crockery. The candle holders, vases and glassware are ideally vintage. Use a water colour still life painting as your inspiration. Keep the tables uncluttered but scattered greenery such as ivy, pea runners or olive sprigs keeps the look organic and brings it all to life. The centerpieces are opulent, foraged and doesn’t necessarily have to follow a color scheme.
The venue
It all starts with a beautiful venue. An grand historic building of any kind is the natural choice, whether an Italian castle in the country side, a Spanish villa, Southern plantation, a French Chateau, wine farm in South Africa, a grand house by the sea or on a lake.
In the city, an old building, Art Deco, Victorian, Georgian, Tudor or medieval, a European-style manor house or similar, or head out to an elegant country club.
An art museum or library could work perfectly – choose a place with an architecture and atmosphere that speaks to you where you hear history whisper.
Look out for: a formal or English style garden. A beautiful staircase. Pillars and ornate interiors. Oil paintings. Large fireplaces. Wooden or travertine floors. Natural setting such as a pasture with horses or a meadow.
Remember: the Fine Art styling could be set up on any background – even an minimalist back drop can work as “the art is in the eye of the beholder”. Fine Art weddings can be modern too.
The Ceremony
Choose a ceremony space that is beautiful, dreamy and fairytale like, whether a natural setting or in/ near a building.
hartley botanica // valentia glidden fine art photography
adam barnes fine art photography // DAR-constitution hall
jose villa photography, france
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erin mcvey photography
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aisling, ireland
The Bouquet and flowers
The bouquets follow the same route as the tablescapes: unstructured, loosely arranged and romantic florals such as roses, magnolias, peonies mixed with wildflowers and greenery. The bridal bouquet could be on the larger side, avoiding being too tight and round but rather organically shaped with sprigs cascading down or to the sides.
Ideal colours are creams, burnt apricot, dusty rose, pale blues and pops of burgundy, infused with greenery. Color schemes are not necessary as the composition as a whole creates the delicate ambiance.
The bride
Few things are as beautiful as a bride. In Fine art bridal portraits, brides are captured in the spirit of everything bridal: light, femininity, mystery, grace and effortless beauty.
The dresses
I know that I must definitely do a post solely on these dresses sometime, as it was incredible hard to pick out just a selection!
The fairytale-esque elements of a Fine Art wedding day are summed up in the wedding dress. Floaty, airy, dreamy, relaxed and elegant, you can be sure to feel like a fairy queen on one of these. The choice of designs are numerous and infact any dress could be photographed as a fine art wedding dress, if put into the right light and context. But a dress with floral lace, delicate embellishments, floaty fabrics such as silk chiffon, georgette and tulle – a hint of pastel colour is also encouraged.
The couple photography
As with all wedding couple photography, there are just 4 words: Pure Love And Joy. In Fine Art Wedding Photography, the love and joy is being portrayed bathing in a sea of philosophical atmosphere, making the photos intensiley romantic, poetic and sometimes even spiritual.
