If there is one thing that every girl wants on Valentine’s Day…it’s Chanel. Bottom line. So when I saw this FABULOUS Chanel inspired shoot that Yelena at The Stylish Soiree put together, well, I swooned.
The concept behind this shoot was to take the trends, fabrics and themes showcased in the Chanel Spring 2010 Ready to Wear runway show and translate them into a beautifully styled wedding. Allison and Kyle (from Studio 28 Photo) and I thought it would be a great way to infuse our favorite aesthetic into a shoot and inspire style-loving brides currently planning their weddings at the same time. This particular Chanel runway show took place under a huge wooden barn that had a farm-like equestrian feel, which is why we chose Brookside Equestrian Center for its rustic yet upscale vibe. The runway show featured lots of short dresses and skirts paired with tights, messy updos and statement accessories. Chiffon, silk, tweed, lace and tulle were the dominant fabrics in the collection, which was characterized by white, cream and black colors with loud pops of red. Taking this as our inspiration, we created a classic yet modern Chanel-inspired wedding in a setting reminiscent of a French farm that would make Karl Lagerfeld proud.
{click here to see the whole inspired shoot in the gallery}
The tablescape featured the khaki colored Russian linen from Wildflower Linens paired with a table runner I created from black and white tweed fabric, a classic Chanel fabric choice. Wildflower’s creamhemstitch ivory napkins were folded beneath the black French glass charger plates from Party Rental King and topped with menus hand-written by Calligraphy Katrina, who also created the red place cards. Katrina, who attended culinary academy prior to her starting her calligraphy business, created a provincial French menu for the wedding. The invitation suite was calligraphied entirely in French as well, in a nod to Chanel’s heritage and homeland.
The talented design guru Carissa, from JL Designs, designed the floral tablescape with various milk glass containers scattered down the center of a long table. Carissa incorporated a mixture of white and red florals that included ranunculas, tulips, blackberries and anemones, which were prominently featured in the Chanel show attached to shoes, bags and as hair pieces. Carissa also made the stunning bridal and bridesmaid bouquets from anemones and blackberries, and we wrapped the stems in the signature Chanel tweed fabrics.
The bridesmaids each had two different looks, one more casual, fun look and a dressier look that took the formality up a notch to pair with the long wedding gowns. Rosettes, bows and sheer, feminine fabrics like tulle and lace characterized the bridesmaid looks, which were primarily black and white with vibrant pops of red as seen in the Chanel show. Oversized headpieces with messy hair lent an editorial drama to the girly ensembles, and lace tights were worn under both changes of clothes to mimic those seen on the runway. The bridesmaid outfits were a mix of high and low designers ranging from Cynthia Vincent to Rodarte for Target to Aqua to Marc Jacobs to Forever21.
The lucky bride had three different dress and accessory changes. All three wedding gowns were from L’ezu Atelier in Beverly Hills, and makeup and hair artist Dedra Whitt created the bridal and bridesmaid hair and makeup looks to mimic what was seen in the show. Her short dress was paired with a stunning hair piece from Stephanie Browne Australia (the style is called ‘Ambrosia’) and a pearl and crystal flower bracelet (which was stunning and came from Forever 21). Nude scalloped fishnet stockings and black rosette ankle strap peep toes completed the look, although I also added a black jewel-button cardigan from Tracy Reese, riding boots and red gloves to the look a little later for some fun equestrian-style pictures near the barn.
My favorite look on the bride was the silk and chiffon one-shoulder L’ezu gown with chiffon rosettes that looked just like the anemones seen in the Chanel spring show. Patricia from L’ezu sewed in black pearls sewn to the center of the chiffon rosettes for the shoot so they echoed the lovely black and white anemones The white peony headband is from Forever21, as are the white enamel and goldtone bangles that I added to the previous outfit’s accessories.
Vendors: Styling, planning & design development: Yelena Johnson, The Stylish Soiree / Photography: Allison & Kyle Richter of Studio 28 Photo / Floral Design: Carissa Jones, JL Designs & Events / Paper Goods: Calligraphy Katrina and Maison du Papier / Hair & Makeup: Dedra Whitt / Venue: Brookside Equestrian Center, Walnut, CA; Contact Lisa Walton-Cortes / Wedding Dresses: L’ezu Atelier in Beverly Hills, CA; Contact Patricia Nevil / Dresses Used in Shoot (from L’ezu): Acqua di Rosa (blush silk gown with chiffon detail at neck), Acqua di Giglio (silk with chiffon overlay, one shoulder and black pearl/floral details), Alonso (short dress) / Rentals: Party Rental King; white ladderback chairs, mirror and black French glass chargers / Linens: Wildflower Linens