Storyboard Wedding Why It Works Wednesday

You know the image I am referring to, its been making its way around the Pinterestsphere for sometime now.  Hair done up in that just right textured loose braid do, perfectly wrapped flannel shirt paired with a full tulle skirt, all of which is highlighted by that gorgeous Look At Me back bow.  The image we’ve all squirreled away some place for use in our fall/winter inspiration boards, for cold weather brides looking for a chic touch to their day, even fashionista dream girls who simply love the idea of a cozy flannel paired with a gigantic full skirt.  We all love it, we each have our very own reasons for which piece is our favorite part, but do you know what makes it all come together and work so very well?

Plaid Flannel Bride Ciara Richardson Photography Hair and Make-Up by Steph 5

I decided to go on the hunt for the original source as this lovely shot is one of those treasures that the internet has run away with thanks to sourceless sites like Tumblr and the like.  Fortunately with a quick Google search, I not only found the original source, I found the entire shoot and it is all kinds of amazing!  Photographer Ciara Richardson teamed up with hair & makeup gal Hair & Makeup by Steph, to create as they call it, a Southern beauty on a ranch.  What I love about discovering the full shoot is that I had no idea they shoot the large majority of this session with a touch of an equestrian vibe and let me tell you, it only serves to add a whole new layer of awesome to the whole thing!  Be sure to check out the full feature on Ciara’s site HERE.  So let’s get into this covet worthy stylish example of the plaid clad bride shall we!

Comfy Cozy Flannel~ While I would love to say that the full skirt is what catches everyone’s attention at first, my bet is on the fact that there is a wonderfully cozy flannel shirt lurking on everyone’s wish list that is this maddeningly chic!  Often thought of as something one might wear when wondering through the great outdoors, flannel has picked up a pretty consistent rap as a woodsmen fabric.  Its not often we see flannel aimed in the direction of chic fashionista perfection, so when we do, we take notice.  While the type of plaid itself is a factor {soft, approachable & feminine} its really all about the cut & the styling that really draws us in.  The design of the shirt itself calls for a rolled up sleeve, an element that plays beautifully into the mix of worlds.  What really makes the use of a flannel shirt sing here however is the fit, neat, trim & hugging the body in all the right ways.  From the image that has been the envy of many affections, we only see her back, when you view the shoot as a whole, you realize the shirt itself is actually styled by the team to give that extra bespoke tailored touch.  Buttoning the top buttons, the remainder of the shirt is crossed over itself to create a tighter silhouette giving a true custom piece feel, all while being tucked into the cummerbund like top of the skirt.  The result is the illusion of the perfect, will trimmed, fitted flannel shirt that defies all design that we associate with that of the common boxy flannels.  Something that is yummy to wear AND has style, hell yes!

Plaid Flannel Bride Ciara Richardson Photography Hair and Make-Up by Steph 1

Pretty Princess Syndrome~ Let’s have a real moment shall we?  No matter what your dress up level is, unless your Team Tomboy everyday all the time, at some point in their life just about every girl has fantasized about donning a gorgeous gigantic ballgown and running around, its a fact.  The grand sweeping gown that our bride has clutched in her hands as she strolls down the street plays into every girlish fantasy.  Its full, its feminine, its regal and wonderfully chic and it is everything.  As if the full skirt werent enough, there is THAT BOW!  Talk about the right punctuation to end a sentence!  Beautifully fastened into a traditional bow, the structured fabric of its creation allows for a more styled & rigid {in a good way!} florish which gives it the ability to stand out from such a full skirt, really giving it that pop!  The bow serves as the perfect accessory soft, sweet & feminine.  The skirt as a whole, in its regal fabric & design, along with its perfect bow, is deliciously romantic in every possible way.

Criss Cross Magic~ At the end of the day what really truly captures us about this ensemble however is the simple act of blending together two other wise very different looks, and making us realize how dynamic that they are together.  Its like putting a pearl in saw dust, or a rusty tool in a bed of flowers.  When I was in photography school I had a pension for putting together 2 seemingly odd ended elements, finding a way to make them work, and in the end, they came out as art.  The look of our bride is much this way, wonderfully chic & elegant all while wrapped in something cozy & safe.

Plaid Flannel Bride Ciara Richardson Photography Hair and Make-Up by Steph

By the design of the wedding world we have all grown up in, we saw things only in white.  Its only truly within the last few years those boundaries are being broken.  Whether its a wedding dress of a non-traditional color, pattern, or the mix of things, our idea of what one can wear to a wedding is opening wide up.  A flannel clad bride, dressed in an elegant playful skirt is just another page of gorgeous self expression in weddings.  This session from Ciara & Steph is wonderfully divine and considering the number of times this image has been saved and coveted for future use as inspiration only serves to show how ready we are to take on a whole new fashion forward look when it comes to weddings!  Now if you’ll excuse me I am off to find the perfect tulle skirt & steal a flannel from the hubs, I need to make this happen!

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PhotographerCiara Richardson | Hair + MakeupHair & Makeup by Steph