We have some enchanting wedding ideas for you today! This dark woodland wedding is wild, opulent, and dramatic, with a touch of magic. This gorgeous shoot was coordinated by bridal designer Caroline Versallion and captured by Pilkington Photography. Keep reading for mystical and alternative wedding inspiration!
How to rock a dark woodland wedding
Contrasting themes
Exaggerate contrasting elements. In this case, it’s ‘opulent meets savage’.
Mix textures and finishes
Think faux fur, taffeta, damask, and antique gold metal-work.
Be unapologetic
Don’t be afraid of grandeur! Your guests will love and always remember it.
Luxurious & Alternative Wedding Wear
We can’t get enough of coloured wedding dresses, and this royal blue beauty by Caroline Versallion Bridal is incredible! Caroline wanted to create an alternative wedding gown, which stepped away from the classic black gothic style to a sophisticated luxury aesthetic. She was also inspired by the bridal crown beautifully made by The Lucky Sixpence. The combination of these two items ended up inspiring the whole shoot!
Bridal model Ellie has a badass ‘enchantress of the woods’ energy, with a wild updo by Big Hair Energy and a bold makeup look by Kiran Raval.
This bridal look is completed with statement lace black boots from House of Elliot, adding a badass yet elegant feel.
A beautiful final touch was the royal blue garter made by Catherine of Silk Garters, made with offcuts from the dress. Catherine is often asked to include sentimental items, embroidery and text in her designs so this was a prefect way to tie everything together.
Let’s not forget the bride’s four-legged companion! This beautiful horse really adds to the mystical, wild feel of the shoot.
Dark Woodland Wedding Styling
This dark woodland wedding is rocking the ‘wild yet opulent’ styling. Danielle from Acorn and Oak brought this to life by juxtaposing the luxurious jewel-toned colour palette with the wild forest location. She brought her bronze figures, faux furs and crystal glasses to provide texture, warmth and refinery. We’re also loving the floral cloud with the hanging lightbulbs!
Anika of Be My Guest Hire provided props and worked alongside Caroline to create this decadent banquet space. She layered fabrics, used tapered candles in modern holders and brought gold chargers to bring the opulence.
Helen from Bits And Buds created the gorgeous florals for this shoot using British grown magnolia branches. She kept it eco-friendly by using locally grown flowers and refraining from using floral foam or plastics.
Dark & Opulent Wedding Details
Kelly from The Copper Ink Pot created the luxurious wedding stationery for this shoot – including the half-arch welcome sign, handwritten gold calligraphy and handmade place cards.
Eva from Euthymia Cakes took inspiration from the mood board to create this royal purple wedding cake. Both the cake and cupcakes were finished with custom-coloured sugar paste, airbrushed with edible iridescent blue colouring and matching edible rice paper to reflect the textures. There were pieces of edible lace in between the layers to add further texture and reflect the floral elements of the gown.
This dark woodland wedding shoot would be nothing without an incredible photographer and we think Pilkington Photography smashed it here, capturing bold colour on a dark backdrop and exploring the use of shadow and light.
Do you love this shoot? You might also love: Modern Woodland Wedding – Forest Chic
The Team Behind This Dark Woodland Wedding
Concept & Wedding Dress – Caroline Versallion
Photography – Pilkington Photography
Crown & Jewellery – The Lucky Sixpence
Planner/Stylist & Venue Decorator – Acorn and Oak
Event Hire, Venue Decorator – Be My Guest Hire
Floristry – Bits And Buds
Boots – House of Elliot
Cake – Euthymia Cakes
Hair Stylist – Big Hair Energy
Make-up Artist – Kiran Raval
Garter – Silk Garters
Stationery & Signs – The Copper Ink Pot
Model – Ellie Fox
Horse Hire – OJ Horsebox Hire
Props – Acorn & Oak Events
See more woodland weddings over on the blog
