Wedding Fashion: Contemporary Classic - Ottawa Wedding Magazine

A customized look from morning to night

The muse for this shoot came in the form of bold, blooming accessories a bride could wear as her floral adornment instead of a traditional bouquet – a twist on the popular floral crown we have seen dominate bridal trends for some time now. WeddinCustomization and a contemporary flavour on classic design is the underlying focus. Creative vendors were brought on board to extend and develop this vision into every facet of the wedding day. The result: stunning florals you can wear; three arresting bridal looks that can easily transform with the changing needs of a busy day, and the perfect balance of new-old-world romance and drama.

The bride’s apparel

Modular dress designs are a signature style for Ottawa’s The Handmade Bride. “We welcome brides-to-be to be part of the process of working with our designers and stylists to create an heirloom dress made just for them,” says Meaghan Brunetti. In most cases, tops, bottoms, fabric, colours, necklines and trains are all interchangeable. “Brides who are looking to have several dresses or looks throughout their wedding day may consider choosing modular pieces. It’s a fun and cost-effective way to have many outfits in one.” Take a peek at how this look is transformed throughout the day.

Getting ready

Sam is wearing a raw silk top with a sweetheart neckline and corset tie back. With the help of her husband-to-be, she slipped into a sheer tulle overlay while preparing for the day. This top is effortlessly beautiful in the simplicity of the design and the gorgeous texture of the silk fabric can be paired with a variety of pieces.

The ceremony

The bride is wearing the same raw silk top for the ceremony; this time paired with an A-line skirt. Such a simple addition, yet such a striking difference! This look is light, organic and a little bohemian, while still maintaining clean, modern lines.

Evening

The skirt has been swapped for stunning raw silk cigarillo pants that pair perfectly with the silk top. She is ready to dance the night away in comfort while looking effortlessly chic.

The groom’s look

Personalized and made-to-measure looks for grooms are hot this season, says Lara Bergugli of Surmesur Ottawa. Suit jackets, shirts and complementary trousers are all trendy staples. Why not change up your tie during the day? Marc – our groom – wears a silver tuxedo (Prescott Collection) with black satin shawl collar and a black satin bowtie. Everything is made-to-measure for the most important day of his life.

Later, he sports a blue and white pinstripe double-breasted suit (Hunter Collection) with peak lapels. The garment is paired with a blue floral tie, custom and made-to-measure.

The florals

While the notion of wearing your flowers is not a new one, Floral Reef Designs gave the concept a contemporary twist for this shoot. In the past few years, flower crowns have reigned supreme, but they are actually traced back through history from Ancient Greece to 1840, when Queen Victoria wore an orange blossom wreath in her hair for her wedding to Prince Albert.

These days, arrangements are beautifully elaborate. With more flowers and greenery available at any given time, our imaginations are the only limit. “In general, I am seeing floral arrangements become more natural in style, airier, less structured and more romantic and soft-looking. For the colour palette of this shoot, we went with some lighter and softer colours (whites, creams, greens and soft pinks) with accents of hot pink and raspberry, and peach and coral,” says Breanna Deveau.

Boudoir – In the boudoir, we scattered floral accents around the room whilst Sam and Marc prepared to exchange vows. A few blooms on a dressing table can add a new interest to décor.

Ceremony – We paired a less traditional floral necklace with the bridal bouquet. The neutral white and green shades of the bouquet allowed the bright and bold colours of the necklace to take centre stage.

Reception –Both the floral necklace and the anklet are versatile and easy-to-wear accessories that can be removed throughout the evening.

The table features larger, lower arrangements in a natural, soft, romantic style with a neutral palette and pops of colour. The lush, natural greenery is a timeless design, while the pops of colour add a hint of mod and colourful interest.

The designer carried the use of floral accents throughout the shoot, including the cute floral stir sticks and floral arrangements with ribbon accents on the backs of the chairs.

Tablescape and styling

Wedding planning begins with a fine balance between a strong understanding of the underlining story and enticing brides to envision themselves within it. It’s important to stay current and relevant, but also incorporate exciting new elements, says Elise Schmitz of Toast Events.

Champagne saucer
Known by champagne aficionados as the Coup, this element evokes connotations of popular romantic eras and luxury. This detail created a feeling of remoteness from everyday life and a slight touch of aristocratic influence.

Como white-washed charger
Craftsmanship is an important design element when selecting pieces. These handcrafted and hand-painted charger plates are made in Italy with techniques that date back to the 13th century.

Gold cutlery
The perfect pairing to continue our theme of a mature design aesthetic.

Eclectic chairs
Bold accents grasp immediate attention from the onlooker and these chairs are a great conversation piece.

Floral embellishments
Florals soften the look of a stark object and small floral additions can add design continuity.

Cake and sweets
This beautiful rustic wedding cake is inspired by Mother Nature with its fresh florals and semi-naked state. “For the bottom tier we opted to go for a fondant finish, giving the cake a more unique and almost edgy flair. The handwritten script is a poem by Pablo Neruda, which truly is the perfect finish for this cake, as nothing says romance as a love poem,” says Rosie Osso of Osso Sweet.

Taking a classic design with a contemporary twist and clean lines, as shown here, means any couple can look back in 30 years and love their wedding cake as much as they did on their wedding day.

Invitations and stationery

The stationery was designed with an old- world feel in mind. The design was infused with modern materials and hand-drawn graphics. The invitation is an elegant, tri-folding, landscape layout embellished with shimmer champagne cardstock, natural jute string and a monogrammed self-adhesive wax seal – a ready-made and durable alternative to the traditional method of melting and stamping sealing wax. “A romantic calligraphic script lends both a sense of history as well as intimacy to the invitation, like a personally penned regal decree,” says Jessica Fahey of Ink Blossom.

Unconventional frosted white vellum envelopes add an airy, translucent quality to the packaged suite, making them truly unforgettable for guests when receiving them in the mail. A frosted envelope has also been used on the interior to hold the RSVP card – a modern twist on a classic invitation pocket. Touches of sparkle and colour are added throughout with gold leaf accents, gold glitter and vibrant Nepalese paper. The unifying element is the ethereal floral illustration, which echoes the circular monogram from the wax seal and the soft garden roses and greenery used in the bouquet and centrepieces. This design is carried on to the menu, placecards and table numbers.

Hair design

The daytime look was crafted with a focus on soft, airy, and light moods. The hair was left down with a gentle texture added through the lengths to create some movement, but nothing restrictive.

For the evening, makeup was intensified and hair was styled into a glamorous vintage-inspired yet modern look. The style captures the elegance of the past, while staying contemporary, says Stephanie Richardson of Richardson Hair Design.

Coupled with the modern evening ensemble, hair and makeup provided a dramatic look for this confident, unconventional and extraordinary bride. W