We are so eager to finally share with you this gothic-inspired Victorian wedding inspiration at Dover Hall Estate in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia! I came up with this concept because I wanted to attempt my first ever editorial where I was able to plan it all and immediately went to a Gothic/Victorian-inspired vibe. When Adam and I were able to create a video for a wedding last summer at Dover Hall, we instantly fell in love with the grandiose atmosphere and knew that this would be the perfect setting for this kind of styled shoot. By tying in subtle gothic inspiration and elegant styling, my design goal was to create something that was intimate because I think that the time period that the style of the venue portrays is incredibly romantic. The property is full of these meticulous details that I cherish as a photographer and the entire space played perfectly into the inspiration of the editorial. We were so inspired to do a styled session here that we also wanted to create a short film to accompany the session. We felt that it was important to be able to capture the moving life of the venue because there are so many special details within it. Adam created the film for the shoot as well as composed the stunning accompanying classical music, which brought the film to a whole new level.
The paper goods were handmade by the wonderful owner Jo of Ink Push Co. She worked for the British government a few years back and is a big fan of the Victorian era so was really excited to learn that it was styled with that in mind. She told me that traditionally, Victorian dinners had 7-14 courses so she was inspired to replicate this in the menu. The cake was a black fondant three tier cake with gold leaf accents designed by Kadi of Kadi Bakes. Since there are touches of Gothic inspiration in this editorial, I wanted some black to be incorporated in the paper goods and the cake, which fit the theme so well. The stunning florals are organic, romantic, and moody and Lisa from Petals and Promises did a phenomenal job at creating incredible texture and a romantic color palette that completely fit my vision.
This editorial is now being featured on Aisle Perfect and we are thrilled to release all of the work with you! We hope you enjoy and it gets you a little more excited for the fall wedding season!
The vendors who made this happen:
venue @doverhallestate // florals @petalsandpromises // paper goods @inkpushco // cake @kadibakes // makeup @suzcmakeup_artistry // hair @thejennylafleur // ring @trumpetandhorn // gown @avalaurennebride // tux @josabank // ringbox @the_mrs_box // tableware @brideandjoyculpeper // cake table @paisleyandjade // models @sonniemarie1@tristonnoble // music @adamrobertsonmusic // production assistant @c.l.foster // photo + film @wolfcrestphoto