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Storyboard Wedding Why It Works Wednesday

Since my team is in the tank this year {I am a born and breed Pittsburgh gal} I need something to uplift my spirits about the tried & true ol’black and gold.  Don’t worry gals, I’m not about to go all sports on you, but I am about to sample a stellar color combination, black & gold, which is a combo posed to be utterly divine when it comes to weddings!

In looking around for gorgeous black & gold inspiration, I found a wonderfully mysterious styled shoot over at The Wedding Chicks which more then perfectly fits the bill!  The essence behind their particular design was that of dark romance, which it most certainly embodies, but for me, I was particularly captivated by the petite table for two.

Dark And Romantic Wedding In Black And Gold Full Table Kristen Booth via The Wedding Chicks

 *Photographs by Kristen Booth  

There is a beautiful synergy at play here between the posh regal elements & the more mundane ones gone glam.  Ignoring for a moment the perfect rustic secret garden spot that this shot takes place in, the set up as a whole has a certain mystic, a well kept secretiveness to it all on its own.  Maybe it is the sheer black lace that hearkens a gypsy vibe, or perhaps its the crown domed mini world, either way, its a mystery I want to know more about!

The Colors~ No matter how you slice it, this aint your momma’s black & gold.  Stark boring blacks & gotty blaring golds find no place here, instead we find subtle hints of black that almost play coy & muted golds that have a touch of age to them.  Instead of going full steam on us, the clever folks instead opted to work with one would essentially consider a lace overlay, but instead allowed it and the white wash table below, to become the staring role.  The result is a more subdue, more intriguing take on a black table.  The floral lace design allows for enough sheer open space that we are not hit over the head with the feeling of a lace table cloth and instead greeted more with a feeling of a fine lace dress tossed over a table.  Like wise the gold elements to the table have a refined maturity to them, each having a darker more ‘tarnished’ gold quality.  The exchange of a deeper gold in place of a more brightly polished metal gives a true regal quality and I am not just saying that because of the crown!  The mix of the soft black & darker gold is wonderfully pleasing to the eye and nods beautifully to dark, mysterious & wildly regal.

Dark And Romantic Wedding In Black And Gold Kristen Booth via The Wedding Chicks

The Layers~ One factor heavy at play in this setup is the varying heights, some of which is a direct result of layering.  While it may not always be practical to fully set a wedding table with every piece of china that you’re going to use, the reality is however, it certainly makes for one appealing setup to look at!  The layering of the plates is simply and common place, where we get into the interesting bits however,  is where we see the act of layering and levels being repeated.  Starting with the books, carefully stacked in a slightly off matched way, finished with a pocket watch box, we are told from the start that height will be at play.  Most certainly carrying on the theme of layers & height is the unique centerpiece which is a combo of ornate cake stand and glass dome which is filled with fanciful details of old while being stacked upon the stand.  The dome itself creates an additional layer, all while being finished off with yet another layer, in the gilded crown!  The act of layering is aesthetically pleasing to our eye, as we see our own world in 3D.  This gorgeous table toys with our vision in all the right ways, wiping up a world of desire without even going to a lot of trouble to do so!

The Intangibles~ You can select the perfect tones of color, find the exact materials to express them, you can even stack your heart out, but at the end of the day,  if you don’t have the right items to evoke the feeling that your aiming for, it will all be for not.  The vibe for this shoot was dark romance, which can be taken very literally, or more playfully in a mental sense.  The beauty of what the team was able to accomplish in this set up is the play on dark in a more secretive, more special way.  Choosing fabrics, decor details & design pieces that lends themselves to a vintage world long passed, they were able to create a petite table for two that played on the side of our best kept secret that we have squirreled away.  Items like the novels, perhaps of a great love story, the locket within the dome, a gift from a lover maybe, even the pocket watch which freezes time.  These items, combined with the design details noted above, whip together a world of enchantment and down right dreaminess, of a darker persuasion!

Pretty doesnt always have to be pink, bright & filled with light.  Sometimes darker, more playful can be even better, more seductive & intriguing.  When styled just right, a palette of darker intended hues can wield the same pretty power as those of their lighter counter parts.  There is a rich, alluring old worldness to this dark romance petite table for two, one that I personally I am completely drawn to, are you??

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