April 21, 2023
If you’re engaged and somewhere on the wedding planning stage spectrum, congratulations! This is such an exciting time, but also, cue the overwhelm. With so many styling elements to consider for your big day, it can be hard to know where to start.
If you’ve turned to instagram for inspiration and found yourselves head over heels with the romantic wedding styling evocative of Tuscan summers and Mediterranean gatherings, then this one’s for you.
This utterly lavish and dreamlike aesthetic is one that many couples face an internal battle to achieve. They want the European sensibilities, but aren’t quite ready to face the challenges that planning a destination wedding presents or indeed the beloved guests it may exclude.
Whether it’s an extension of a time in your lives spent backpacking across Europe, an ode to your holiday in the Med or simply because you adore fresh pasta (I hear you), by considering these elements your favourite European style notes can be imprinted on your UK wedding and your wedding photos too.
As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen countless creative couples bring their once seemingly unattainable wedding aesthetic dreams to life, and I’m here to tell you that it’s totally possible to curate a stunning celebration with a European twist and the symbiosis of home and away.
- THE CANVAS
If you’re very early in your planning journey, there are venues in the UK that are spilling with European charm. Think The Euridge, Middleton Lodge or Le Petit Chateau for example. If you’ve already chosen your venue, look for backdrops that with a little styling could create similar aesthetic allusions or look for unexpected yet organic spaces and backdrops such as a distressed wall or unruly garden that hardly need any styling at all.
- THE DETAILS
Participating in styled shoots has taught me lots about styling and how carefully curated elements can completely alter the composition and feel of a setting. This totally translates into your wedding photographs too and as a lover of the finer details, I am a huge advocate for this nugget of styling advice. Minimalist yet elevated decor, texture, depth and elegant and coherent themes are a must and will set the scene for your final gallery.
- THE FLORALS
An extension of styling, your choice of florals can take your mood from English country cottage garden to a balmy evening in the South of France in an instant. Perfect as an addition to those romantic portrait shots or to add a scent to your forever memory, choosing a florist with a portfolio of foraged floral arrangements and installations can help you transform your setup to extravagant European ambiance.
- LIGHTING
If you’ve been here before, you’ll know that I am a total fangirl for natural light (read a recent post all about how to Maximise Light and Minimise Stress on Your Wedding Day here). But specifically when it comes to light you can control, opt for clusters of candles for a romantic edge or festoon lights over al fresco dining for that continental courtyard at dusk vibe.
Trust me, as someone who’s been behind the lens for weddings that could be straight out of the pages of Vogue Italia, with intentional planning, styling and a creative licence from your photographer you can achieve the look and feel of a destination wedding without the destination, and a wedding album to match.
Feeling inspired to elevate your wedding day photographs to straight-up European chic? Send me an email at rebeccakkerr@gmail.com and let’s chat.
