Hand-painted wedding inspiration ideas

Sapphire Events paired up with Wedding Paper Divas to create an ethereal and timeless wedding inspiration design with hand-painted wedding ideas. This unique shoot, shot entirely on film by the talented, Catherine Guidry, was inspired by the Mcleod dress hand painted by Kate McDonald. The combination of the soft pinks and statement gold foil accents in the dress influenced the design of everything from the flowers down to the delicate stem of the wineglasses, all with the backdrop of the popular New Orleans event space, Il Mercato.

When Wedding Paper Divas approached me with an opportunity to collaborate on a shoot, I was all on board. Paper products are my favorite details to design, particularly because they end up in the hands of every single guest, and really set the stage for the tone of the wedding celebration overall. When I learned that I could have full artistic license to design the invitation suite, and then build an inspiration photo shoot around that, I felt it would be a great opportunity to come up with something different, and incorporate color in a new way.

I turned to my friend, the very talented photographer Catherine Guidry, to see if she would be interested in partnering up on this project with me. She jumped at the chance to shoot everything – even offering to do so on film! – and she mentioned one of her engaged couples, Ashley and Courtney, that would be a great subject as the center of our storytelling.

I had just returned from bridal fashion week in NYC where one dress designer I particular resonated with me. Kate McDonald had a dress on display that was one of a kind: it was a white dress of her own design that she had used as a blank canvas, and she hand painted stunning watercolor pink and blush floral details with gold accents on the entire gown. This dress is what hand-painted wedding ideas originate! I knew I wanted to use this dress for one of our brides for the shoot, and knowing it was one-of-a-kind, I understood there was a chance it might be unavailable for us to use on the project. Luckily the team at Kate McDonald had it one hand, and they were eager to have the dress featured in our shoot!

The soft pinks and pops of color in the flowers, created by floral designer, Kim Starr Wise, echoed the feminine feel given off by our two brides, Ashley and Courtney. The way Ashley’s neutral dress with metallic belt complimented Courtney’s hand-painted dress symbolized how the two girls’ personalities complement each other and also tied in the rose gold of the their engagement rings. More hand-painted wedding ideas came in the form of the cake. Melissa’s Fine Pastries followed Kate McDonald’s lead by hand painting the cake in a similar pattern inspired by the artistry of the Kate McDonald dress.

While this shoot was stunning at first glance, the couple’s story behind the pictures gives meaning to the aesthetically pleasing set up. At the time of this project, Courtney and Ashley were eagerly awaiting their upcoming nuptials in New Orleans in March.

The partnership of Sapphire Events, Catherine Guidry, Wedding Paper Divas, and Kate McDonald accented by the love and commitment of Ashley and Courtney, created a truly one of a kind wedding inspiration that I hope you love as much as we do. Color is really making a comeback, and you can never go wrong with hand-painted details!