Whimsical Wes Anderson & William Morris Wedding Ideas

If there ever was a ‘whimsical wonderland’ set of images, this has to be it you guys! We’re getting lost in the dreamy world of Wes Anderson and William Morris today as this styled editorial shoot, curated by To Be Adorned, is influenced heavily by the works of these two incredible creatives. The results are just breathtaking; from the pink, red and blue colour palette to the stunning images captured by Jessica Hill Photography.

There are so many fabulous details to mention; the illustrated order of the day is magnificent, the detailed painted cake is sublime and the dresses ever so special. I mean that peter pan collar dress is just so cute! I also have to rave about the gorgeous hair and make up looks, the beautiful brush stroke letting in the stationery and the wonderful styling on the tables. In fact there is just too much loveliness to discuss it all, so I will leave you with the inspirational images to enjoy for yourselves.

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Wes Anderson & William Morris Wedding Ideas

In an offbeat styled shoot unlike any other, myself and a team of talented creatives pulled together a dreamy faux wedding set in a Victorian woodland cemetery in Bristol. With the mighty Mendhl’s box as colour reference and Suzy Bishop, Agatha, and Margot Tenenbaum as our style muses, we set about making some magic. The focus was on creating a playful, dynamic shoot full of print, colour and a sense of adventure, and we were able to make use of the woodland venue The Underwood Centre on site for the ceremony and the Anglican chapel there for the reception looks.

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As this year marks the 185th birth anniversary of Arts and Crafts designer William Morris, we thought it apt to feature some of his iconic prints to highlight the heritage of the venue and add a vintage artisan flavour. We’re hoping to inspire couples to embrace colour and just have fun putting together their day. All of the suppliers involved are independent creatives from the UK, giving the shoot a really unique edge.

We were fortunate to have Bristol seamstress Emma Dee on board for the bride and bridesmaids looks. She has a brilliant eye for creating beautiful, feminine pieces and was really excited to come up with unconventional designs. We were keen to offer an alternative to the slinky boho trend by playing with pattern, volume and shorter lengths.

Emma came up trumps with bridesmaid looks with both a statement William Morris print and an ice blue outfit complete with the tulle cape of dreams! We were adamant we wanted the bride in colour, and I think we all fell hard for the pale pink tulle confection that Emma dreamt up, tying in perfectly with the groom’s shirt and the delicate pink veil, hair accessories and jewellery from To Be Adorned. It’s a really romantic look and the movement of the gown was exquisite. The shorter bridal reception look, with the peter pan collar and long diaphanous veil, was inspired by Agatha’s wedding outfit in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

And the Wes Anderson inspiration didn’t stop there. Sarah of Hepcats took the reigns on hair and make-up and worked incredible crown braids into Jasmine’s hair, reminiscent of those sported by Agatha. She kept things straight and sleek for Sophie’s first bridesmaid look as a nod to Margot Tenenbaum, complete with a hairslide by To Be Adorned, then changed things up with a relaxed updo for the reception. Extra touches sourced by the team helped bring the outfits together, none more so than the quintessentially Margot faux fur jacket from Fox and Fowweather. Such a golden find!

No detail was left to chance. Kaye Hannabus Textiles provided impeccable mens’ accessories and a bespoke clutch bag in a pink toned version of the famous Strawberry Thief print. The brilliant bowtie and the bold red braces meant groom model Laurence had a fun, versatile look of his own that wasn’t overshadowed. Laura of Laura Streeter Pink Nails painted bold, fashion-forward nails for our female models, Sophie and Jasmine, which was a brilliant contemporary touch among the nods to vintage. A co-ordinating To Be Adorned ring pillow made with vintage Liberty fabric completed the ceremony set-up.

The flowers were where we really pulled together the red, pink and blue colour scheme, and echoed Morris’ botanical designs with wild greenery. Em from Sunflower Blooms came up with an incredible ceremony arch on a copper frame, bursting with hydrangeas, roses, eucalyptus and ivy. She echoed these through the urn table arrangement, bride and bridesmaid bouquets and boutonniere. The colours really sing in the images.

Reception styling was beautifully done by Liz of Elizabeth Weddings. We settled on a vintage luxe style, with colour pops and playful handmade details to keep it fresh. Vintage glassware, teacups and antique gold details set the scene, and she was able to source some special pieces from Prestige Hire. She handmade Strawberry Thief paper chargers, drinks stirrers and confetti, and her collection of keys were a marvellous Grand Budapest touch. Wedding stationer Becki from Olive & Bramble is known for her brush lettering, and her striking pink and red brush lettered place names and menus gave the tablescape a modern edge. And as maps and books often crop up in those films we love so much, we were thrilled to have some co-ordinating reading material in the form of a bespoke wedding newspaper from Sarah of Photo Press.

When it came to cake, and that mouth-watering dessert table, indulgence was what we were after. Our baker, Celia of Cemlyn Cakes actually worked with Wes Anderson on the Fantastic Mr Fox film so had some brilliant insights and made sure her showstopping cake echoed the precision and symmetry that’s key in so much of his work. Her incredible William Morris printed creation picked out all the key colours and even the Strawberry Thief birds to echo the menswear and tablescape details. She really went above and beyond, whipping up lots of tempting treats for the table.

The whole day was captured marvellously both on camera and on paper by Jessica Hill Photography and Name and a Dress respectively. Jess’ relaxed photography style is fantastic – there’s a moody, almost film-like quality to it, and she has a real eye for portraits, movement and moments of emotion. Illustrator Jen of Name and a Dress not only did live illustration on the day, she produced a hand-drawn order of the day map – a beautiful handmade detail for the venue. The photographs and sketches really show how dynamic and joyous the day was, and it’s brilliant to see models Laurence, Jasmine and Sophie having so much fun together in such a stunning location. Buffy at Arnos Vale couldn’t have been more helpful. How many wedding venues encompass a period chapel, a licensed outdoor space and beautiful woodland?

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Just incredible! Thanks so much to the whole team above for sharing with us these epic wedding ideas today xo Lou