I kind of thought that there wasn’t a whole lot that could follow such a jaw droppingly gorgeous wedding shoot as today’s From Inspiration to Reality..until I spotted THIS insanely beautiful, formal engagement session. It’s so beautiful that it looks much more like an editorial feature in Vogue than an e-session of a couple who just wanted to craft something beautiful. Oh and get this…the bride actually MADE her two dresses. I mean, come on. Does it get any better? Photographed by Amanda K Photography, I just might be printing these images out to use as art in my new house! Click here to see the full gallery.
click here to see the whole shoot, including an adorable outfit not seen here!
From the stunning bride…When Amanda (our photographer) and I started discussing possible looks for our engagement shoot, we thought formal would be fun and beautiful. The one problem, I hadn’t owned a formal dress since my senior prom! So, we thought we would settle for a semi-formal look and call it good. I’m not a sewer, but I had a couple good ideas for easy to make dresses that didn’t take a lot of effort and still look beautiful. The white dress I made with just two pieces of fabric, sewn to a thick black elastic band. There are no zippers or buttons. It was also constructed by hand. I wrapped the top piece around my neck like a halter top, and pinned it to the black elastic band at the appropriate length. The skirt was easy as well. I sewed it to the bottom half of the elastic band, and wahla! A beautiful Grecian inspired gown for only $30 worth of fabric.
The black tulle was actually easier and cheaper. I first created a straight black skirt that was held up by a black fabric ribbon. I then started on one side and wrapped the material around the straight skirt. All the while pinning it in random spots to give it volume and an organic look. I kept circling the skirt and making puckers upon layers. The cost of the tulle was under $25. I wore a simple black strapless dress I already owned underneath.
It was so fun, and meaningful that I wore my own designs! I also made all of the hair accessories and bouquet the morning of the shoot. It really showed me that DIY can be easy and beautiful. I was scared that it would look “crafty” and not professional. But with the help of our very talented photographer, Amanda K, we were able to create something magical.