A blend of masculine & feminine details in this ‘Charcoal & Crystal’ wedding inspiration

From luscious spring blooms to a stunning detailed lace gown this shoot by PAUL VON RIETER at the beautiful VILLA DEL SOL D'ORO has inspiration in spades. Planner STYLISH DETAILS EVENTS was inspired by the European aesthetic of the venue and chose to play off its natural beauty. "We chose to combine hard and soft design elements like mixing charcoal and raw silk together. We chose charcoal because it reminded us of the Parisian artist sketching with raw charcoal in his studio. BLOOM BABES did an amazing job of softening up the overall look with romantic flowers. We thought the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine was so stunning and fit the space perfectly! We selected an eclectic mix of tableware from ARCHIVE RENTALS which included mis-matched wine goblets and vintage chargers.

Wanting to match the venue's garden estate features, BLOOM BABES incorporated roses that are as close to a European garden style as it gets in Southern California. The full and lush blooms really helped to capture the romantic vibe of the shoot. Stunning gowns from CLAIRE PETTIBONE ensured the overall elegance of the day.

Photographer Paul shares his thoughts on the day with us, "Whenever my vendor partners and I set out to create a inspiration editorial, I strive to inspire a sense of creative freedom in everyone… it's easy to replicate existing trends, but always a challenge to come up with something fresh. This shoot is a prime example of intertwining the new with the old. We looked for new ways to complement the traditional European elements of the venue, whilst still pushing for modern floral design and contemporary decor elements. When Sophie and I set out conceptualising this shoot I described a mental image I had of a bride to be, sitting in her naturally lit artist loft, sketching (in charcoal) her gown and elements of her wedding day, all the while sipping tea from a crystal glass. It was that main concept that drove most of the narrative and inherent romance in the imagery… hence the name "Charcoal and Crystal".