It’s officially October- spooky season is my personal favourite when it comes to creating unique and inspiring wedding florals. It is why I have had the chance to work with so many alternative wedding couples on their spooky wedding florals. So to get us all into the spirit of Halloween here’s a throwback to one of my all- time favourites an Adams Family inspired shoot. This dark red and black wedding shoot is full of black wedding ideas and perfect if you want alternative autumnal wedding flowers.
I arrived at Ettington Park Hotel, a historic country house in Stratford upon Avon. The neo- gothic mansion was just what my autumnal wedding floral colour palette needed. Including deep burgundy, burnt orange, deep plum, and forest green foliage. I combined the rich moody tones of gothic aesthetics with the warm, earthy colours of Autumn. Blending these colours with their lighter or darker versions would create a more dynamic and visually appealing arrangement. Perfect for Morticia and Gomez Adams. Read on to find out more about this gothic wedding day…
BRIDAL BOUQUET
To make a bridal Bouquet befitting of Morticia Adams enigmatic presence, poised elegance, and an unwavering devotion to her peculiar family, I included deep ruby carnations, wine red dahlias, red hypericum berries and ivy fruit seedlings, the variety of heights and textures where perfect for the autumnal season. I also added oxblood roses and smaller varieties in a soft peachy cream tone and orange as well as green, red, and deep purple foliage adding depth and interest to Morticia’s dark red wedding bouquet. The result was exquisite the autumnal bouquet provided a vivid contrast and radiant warmth against the backdrop of her beautiful black wedding dress from Felicity Westmacott.
CEREMONY
We started the shoot at the Orangery, this unique ceremony space was perfect for our alternative couple. Under the intricately carved arches of the Orangery I created one large central floral centrepiece on the central column. This was perfect for the shoot as it allowed Gomez and Morticia to stand out whilst infusing their surroundings with a touch of their personality, allowing it to compliment them perfectly. To make the cascading dark fairy tale wedding ceremony centrepiece I added black orchids, physalis and burgundy amaranthus. The alternative wedding ceremony ideas all captured expertly by Lex Fleming Photo.
BUTTONHOLE
Gomez modelled by Mason expertly brought a cool, modern edge to the character in a stylish pinstripe suit, bow tie and snakes head cane. This outfit deserved a buttonhole as stylish and commanding as him. For this I paired Ivy seedlings with dark red foliage and a single orange spray rose. The autumnal hues contrasted perfectly with his light grey suit, a small floral touch to tie him in to his showstopping wife to be.
THE LIBRARY
Inside we discover another of Ettington Park’s magnificent spaces, the Library, which dates to the 18th century. Morticia is pictured on a magnificent peacock chair placed elegantly in the library’s ornate fireplace, overlooked by an impressive stain glass window and surrounded by towering dark oak bookshelves. With so many brilliant original features in this alternative ceremony venue, I opted to create a small off-centre mantelpiece arrangement. The asymmetry allowed Morticia in her all-black wedding gown and veil to still command attention, the floral arrangement softening the space and bringing in the moody wedding palette with familiar autumnal toned floral hues and shapes.
WEDDING BREAKFAST
The pièce de resistance of this shoot must be the wedding breakfast set up. A long banquet table beneath a bay of stain glass windows, dressed in a black tablecloth, personalised coffin menu, white pumpkins, and black tapered candles atop brass and glass candle sticks. I knew my floral magic was only going to enhance the black wedding décor. Therefore, I created budvases in vintage glass bottles in naturally dark and moody tones and glass receptacles with lattice detailing the intricate meshwork design pairing perfectly with the wine goblets along the length of the ghoulish wedding set up. Perfect spirals of blacks, blood red, deep burgundy, and red tone orchids, physalis, carnations, dahlia’s, red hypericum berries and Ivy fruit seedlings added the powerful finishing finesse the gothic banquet needed.
It was such a dream to create these exquisite dark fairy tale wedding florals. If you are dreaming of luxury alternative autumnal wedding flowers with an edge get in touch. Let’s chat about all things dark romance, moody autumnal wedding florals, and gothic wedding ceremony ideas.
Concept & Photography: @lexflemingphoto
Concept & Planning: @revelryeventsuk
Venue: @ettingtonparkhotel
Hair & Make-up: @makeup_in_orangeries
Flowers: @femmepetale
Dress: @felicitywestmacott
Jewellery: @bloodymarymetal
Headpieces: @thelucky6pence
Props: @wildernessprophire
Cake: @bronyadcc
Stationery: @peachwolfe
Crystals: @shopnecromantic
Peacock chair: @the_hullabaloo_collective
Models: @meganrose.earthsoul & @masonthehealer