Green, Brown, and Cream Woodland Wedding
“The shoot was inspired by the movie Shrek, but it could also be classified as woodland-whimsy; an ode to overgrowth and natural beauty. The color palette drew inspiration from the main characters which leaned heavily towards earthy tones – cream, browns, greens, and soft purples to add a delicate touch.” -Tatyana Hughes, Owner/Lead Planner and Designer at Vibrant Hues Events and Florals
FEATURING
Enter the whimsical world of fairy tales through this enchanting Seffner wedding styled shoot filled with flora and foliage in neutral tones, natural textures of wood and moss, and magical details that lept straight out of the movie screen.
“The shoot was inspired by the movie Shrek, but it could also be classified as woodland-whimsy; an ode to overgrowth and natural beauty,” Tatyana Hughes, Owner/Lead Planner and Designer at Vibrant Hues Events and Florals shared. “The color palette drew inspiration from the main characters which leaned heavily towards earthy tones – cream, browns, greens, and soft purples to add a delicate touch.”
While the overall event style was inspired by the dreamy forest setting, the offbeat charm of the movie also heavily influenced the designer in her approach to the inspiration shoot.
“I love the movie Shrek, and in my mind, cinema and weddings have a lot in common. They both are meant to evoke emotions in moments, while being aesthetically pleasing. Shrek is one of my favorite movies to rewatch because of those facts. Even though it is animated, it has fantastical visuals that I wanted to recreate by having a fanciful ceremony space and tablescape. It is also a movie that takes the traditional fairytale ideas and makes you say, ‘Huh, I wouldn’t have thought of that,’ in the best way. That is the way that I to approach design ideas with my clients. I take them outside of the box to leave a great lasting impression,” the planner articulated.
Choosing a natural setting along with selecting a photographer who understands the desired vibe are both critical for couples looking to recreate this whimsical-woodland wedding. The creative style and artistic eye of Regina As The Photographer was the ideal choice for capturing this unique setup.
“Green is my favorite color by far so everything being so green and lush was definitely my favorite element. I also especially loved the fantasy type floral set up by Heather with By the Bay Floral on the ceremony stage. There is an area at Mill Pond Estate where I took the couple for some dramatic lighting photos with lots of interesting fauna so that and the courtyard were my favorite areas for photos,” Regina Rached of Regina As The Photographer revealed. “For details, since I am a mycophile, I really enjoyed the mushrooms on the tables and everywhere else! It gave it that extra forest wonderland touch. The tiny pearl onions on the cake were such a fun and unique addition!”
“Once someone decides their color palette and look for their wedding the photographer should be a main thing considered when picking their theme/design. You want a photographer whose editing style highlights all of your design details. Regina As The Photographer‘s editing style showcased the rich depth of greens and textures utilized. If I had chosen someone with a boho/sepia editing style, the whole tone of the day would be lost in the photos,” the wedding planner added.
With the perfect setting in place, it was important that the couple wore attire that complemented the theme and felt authentic in the space. The delicate embroidered lace gown’s design from Truly Forever Bridal, Florida’s largest wedding boutique, featured a floral pattern perfectly suited for the surrounding foliage.
“The bride wore a gown from Truly Forever Bridal with a v-neck and open back that gave a modern twist to the classic, romantic A-line gown. The groom had on a three piece suit, but it was modernized by the hunter green color versus a traditional black or gray. They also wore brown boots which was a great touch for giving a more outdoorsmen tone to the suit.”
Custom stationery and paper goods set the scene for this look, with personalized envelopes, menus, and a guest book display from Inky Fingers Calligraphy.
“Inky Fingers Calligraphy created custom stationery for the shoot. The envelope lining was a custom pattern she designed of character outlines. She also did calligraphy work for the guest book sign on vintage books, and made scroll style bar menus. All of that combined with the gold ink table numbers, wooden welcome signs, and handwritten escort cards elevated the look,” Tatyana raved. “She is so good at finding items that could use an additional customized touch. For example, the bridal bouquet had golden custom calligraphy. I could see a couple wanting to keep it as a memento after the wedding day, something that could last while not taking up much space.”
Whether you’re dreaming of a fairytale-inspired wedding or a nature-focused celebration, this styled shoot is packed with creative ideas.
“I believe there are two types of couples interested in this type of wedding,” Tatyana surmised. “The first would be a couple that longs to have nature more heavily represented in their wedding day. They are a couple that wants the outdoors, but doesn’t want a barn, or they want lush greenery, but not within a botanical garden. This couple wants to commune with the type of Florida you see when hiking our local nature trails away from the city skyline. The second couple may have fanciful ideas or childish wonder. That couple wants to incorporate hobbies and interest in a subtle way (like hidden easter eggs) and unless you were told the theme, people would just see a gorgeous wedding.”
“Other things to consider when recreating this look is definitely the time of year,” the planned added. “Summertime can feel like a swamp especially as we wrap up hurricane season in Tampa Bay. This would best be done early spring or late fall to keep guests comfortable. In the vein of keeping people comfortable just know it is not for extremely sensitive noses. For woodland themes to be successful, texture plays a huge part in the aesthetic. Since you are dealing with a mainly green color palette, you need texture and different shades to add depth to the design. If it is all one or two types of foliage, it can come off flat. Dimension and movement are what add the whimsical element to this design.”
What was your inspiration for this shoot?
I love the movie Shrek, and in my mind, cinema and weddings have a lot in common. They both are meant to evoke emotions in moments, while being aesthetically pleasing. Shrek is one of my favorite movies to rewatch because of those facts. Even though it is animated, it has fantastical visuals that I wanted to recreate by having a fanciful ceremony space and tablescape. It is also a movie that takes the traditional fairytale ideas and makes you say, ‘Huh, I wouldn’t have thought of that,’ in the best way. That is the way that I to approach design ideas with my clients. I take them outside of the box to leave a great lasting impression.
Who would be the perfect couple for this type of wedding?
I believe there are two types of couples interested in this type of wedding. The first would be a couple that longs to have nature more heavily represented in their wedding day. They are a couple that wants the outdoors, but doesn’t want a barn, or they want lush greenery, but not within a botanical garden. This couple wants to commune with the type of Florida you see when hiking our local nature trails away from the city skyline. The second couple may have fanciful ideas or childish wonder. That couple wants to incorporate hobbies and interest in a subtle way (like hidden easter eggs) and unless you were told the theme, people would just see a gorgeous wedding.
How did you balance current wedding trends and classic elements in this styled shoot?
Luckily the current trends of lush, amped up florals lent itself well to this shoot as I don’t think we could have done this look without them. Our spin on the classic elements was to incorporate florals and vegetation that you would not expect to see. By the Bay Florals utilized many different types of onions/alliums in the bridal bouquet and aisle markers. My vision was to keep it fun, but still feel sophisticated. So while it had mushrooms and a mossy tablescape, it was accompanied by classic candelabras.
A cake trend that I have enjoyed lately is the quirky, squiggly buttercream frosting with an avant-garde floral placement on a cake. Allie Cakes perfectly captured the vision that I wanted. Mixing the vintage goblets with the modern metallic silverware from Gabro Event Services helped also make the theme come off more approachable and chic.
The same could be said for the choice of attire for the models. The bride wore a gown from Truly Forever Bridal with a v-neck and open back that gave a modern twist to the classic, romantic A-line gown. The groom had on a three piece suit, but it was modernized by the hunter green color versus a traditional black or gray. They also wore brown boots which was a great touch for giving a more outdoorsmen tone to the suit.
What should be considered to recreate this theme for an actual wedding?
Once someone decides their color palette and look for their wedding the photographer should be a main thing considered when picking their theme/design. You want a photographer whose editing style highlights all of your design details. Regina As The Photographer‘s editing style showcased the rich depth of greens and textures utilized. If I had chosen someone with a boho/sepia editing style, the whole tone of the day would be lost in the photos.
Other things to consider when recreating this look is definitely the time of year. Summertime can feel like a swamp especially as we wrap up hurricane season in Tampa Bay. This would best be done early spring or late fall to keep guests comfortable. In the vein of keeping people comfortable just know it is not for extremely sensitive noses. For woodland themes to be successful, texture plays a huge part in the aesthetic. Since you are dealing with a mainly green color palette, you need texture and different shades to add depth to the design. If it is all one or two types of foliage, it can come off flat. Dimension and movement are what add the whimsical element to this design.
Did this shoot feature any DIY or customized items?
Inky Fingers Calligraphy created custom stationery for the shoot. The envelope lining was a custom pattern she designed of character outlines. She also did calligraphy work for the guest book sign on vintage books, and made scroll style bar menus. All of that combined with the gold ink table numbers, wooden welcome signs, and handwritten escort cards elevated the look. She is so good at finding items that could use an additional customized touch. For example, the bridal bouquet had golden custom calligraphy. I could see a couple wanting to keep it as a memento after the wedding day, something that could last while not taking up much space.
How would you describe your theme?
The shoot was inspired by the movie Shrek, but it could also be classified as woodland-whimsy; an ode to overgrowth and natural beauty.
What were your favorite elements of this shoot?
That’s like picking a favorite child–it depends on my mood. If I have to choose right now, I would say my favorite element of the shoot is the sweetheart table design. It was a show stopper. I believe that if there were only pictures of that section of the design, the theme would be grasped. The creeping fern and moss paired with the purple allium alternating heights rents space in my mind. Mixing the soft earthy greens on the table top with the dark metallics of the candleholders, created a visually pleasing juxtaposition of natural and industrial.
The goal of this shoot was to show that you can incorporate your hobbies or pop culture that you are into in a mature and sophisticated manner. We want couples to feel that there is space in wedding design to go off the beaten path and incorporate their interest into their wedding days. This was a playful experiment with whimsy and embracing nature.
How much would you estimate this wedding would cost for 150 guests?
Some of the items could be foraged for (such as the moss/mushrooms or if you have power tools the wood slab chargers) or thrifted from vintage shops (the books used as signage or the goblets). If you were to use the vendors incorporated in this shoot the rough estimations are:
Venue: $8,900-$9,500 | Photography: $4,900-$6,400 | Flowers: $6,000-$7,000 | Planner: $2,800-$3,000 | Tables and Chairs: Provided by the Venue | Invitations: $900-1,200 | Additional Stationery (Welcome Sign, Bar Sign, Guestbook, Table Numbers, and Escort cards): $600-850 | Bride Attire: $2,000-2,300 | Groom Attire: $500 | Cake: $100-150 | Napkins, Silverware, and Goblets: $1,000-$1,500 | Bridal Hair & Makeup: $240-$350
