Here it is! The big reveal: complete wedding looks and a preview of professional wedding photography by Red Letter Photography.
My fall jewel-toned color scheme came together just as I envisioned (and carefully planned) it. It can be a challenge to plan a collection of looks when the focal point, arguably the most important outfit, the wedding dress itself, is to remain a secret! I used a series of color boards to block out exactly how all the colors and textures would fit together to help us choose the right colors for the matrons’ dresses, groomsmen’s suits, and Jake’s show-stopper orange.
First, my dress. Having already eloped in a $50 dress once, I wanted something completely different this time around. I was going for obscenely heavy texture. I wanted to feel like an elemental collection of repeating patterns emerging from a volcanic fissure in the ocean-floor. That’s bohemian, right? It wasn’t easy to find. I tried shopping in stores locally, but the only way I was going to get something truly unusual was to design it myself or turn to the internet.
Jake also ended up on the internet for his suit, commissioning a custom three-piece set from India. Local tailors did not have access to this very specific orange that he had his heart set on. A few alterations in the States to let out the biceps, and the suit was ready. I am in love with that color, and the guy wearing it.
I ordered my dress bespoke from the Czec-Republic, through Devotion Dresses, and even though I had two experienced seamstresses help me with my measurements, the dress still needed some alterations when it arrived. I took it to Nicole Wzorek for those final adjustments. Even though in theory I knew how to make to make the alterations that the dress needed, that was exactly why I did not want to do it myself. You think I wanted to work with that lace? No thank you. I only wanted to wear that lace.
Another way that ordering online presented additional challenges was in the length. I specified my height and the height of the heels that I was planning to wear, but the dress still came in too long. This is not the sort of dress that’s easy to hem, so it was more budget friendly, and in the end more photo friendly, to get taller shoes. I ended up wearing 4-inch platform heels, which again, worked out really well to bring my face a little closer to Jake’s in photos. Plus I got to wear sweet platform boots that didn’t sink into the grass and kept me warm and comfortable.
We got an absolutely beautiful, temperate fall day near peak foliage for our photos and I do love the way that the outfits compliment the setting. I wish we had time to take more photos, there were so many beautiful little scenes, but not enough daylight. I’m hopeful that I won’t feel that way anymore when I get a few hundred photos back from the photographers. They’re great, aren’t they? Look at these!
I knew that I would love the photos based on our positive experience with an engagement family shoot with Red Letter at Purgatory Chasm. You can check those out here. Their style is polished and flattering, without being stiff. The narrow-depth of focus is melty and romantic, but the extra contrast keeps the photos exciting. They were wonderful to work with as well; they adapted to an unfamiliar setting quickly, and moved about the event seamlessly. Amidst all I had to worry about that day, it was great that photos were not one of them. I can’t wait to see more!
