Jul 28, 20204 min read

Modern Sleeping Beauty Elopement | Charlotte, NC

Recently, I had the honor of photographing a fairy tale themed styled wedding shoot inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Fairy tales and escaping away into a magical world of bouquets brimming with brightly colored floral arrangements; dainty lace dresses; and glittering delicate flutes filled with champagne have never been more essential or relevant. As a wedding photographer, I look at each wedding that I shoot as a day to capture a real life fairy tale, an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life where we pause and to celebrate love and happiness in its purest form. I was thrilled to be able to take that a step further by capturing the spirit of Sleeping Beauty on this set.

The floral arrangements were absolutely stunning for this shoot, and were put together by Vintage Soul Floral Design and Heatherly Floral Design. Delicate roses in the loveliest shades of cream and pink were woven into the table surrounds and coverings, and the bride’s bouquet was bursting with beautiful blooms. It was a woodland fairytale forest brought to life in a way that would convince even the most skeptical of guests that fairytales can (and do) exist.

The ceremony set featured inspired work done by Unspoken Designs and was the perfect fit for our very own Aurora and Phillip. A scroll with dainty, sweeping script spelled out the lines from the classic Sleeping Beauty song:

“Once Upon a Dream” that we all know and love. Framing the scroll on either side were ethereal, soft candles flickering against a backdrop of more woodland flower arrangements. With small weddings and elopement becoming more and more popular as 2020 moves along, brides are able to go all out on wedding day details, and this unique ceremony backdrop is the perfect splurge.

The dreamy ceremony set and floral arrangements were complemented by the cake, which was a four tiered masterpiece in shades of blush and cream with delicate floral details, created by Cake Expressions by Lisa. It was inspired by Aurora’s pink dress in the movie Sleeping Beauty and perfectly brought an old fairy tale into

the 21st century. The cake was complemented by a beautifully set table with floral details in shades of blue and pink, gold rimmed tableware, and elegant glasswork décor from CE Rental Charlotte and NewSouth Event Rentals.

The invitation suite, done by Champagne Calligraphy, was dreamy and exactly what a modern Aurora would have chosen to use to invite her guests. Shades of pink and blue came together in a light, floral patterned stationery covered with a vellum overlay. The envelopes stayed true to the theme while also embodying a bold, contemporary look. Each aspect of the invitation suite was lovingly chosen and the attention to detail was clear.

The centerpiece of the wedding was, of course, the bride and groom. Our Aurora wore two dresses, both inspired by Sleeping Beauty. The first, designed by Meagan Kelley Designs, is called Sterling. A glimmering, structured bodice is paired with a sweeping skirt and ballooned off shoulder sleeves that seem to almost float dreamily as the bride moves around. The bodice is made of a fabric called cracked ice and the glitter in it reflects the pink and blue shades of the shoot. The second dress the bride wore is called Briar and was chosen to reflect the classic scene from Sleeping Beauty where her dress is turned from pink to blue. Just like the first dress, a structured bodice is paired with beautiful, flowing sleeves and a skirt, except this dress has a modern floral print in Pantone classic blue on top of a soft cream fabric with hints of pink in it.

The groom wore two outfits as well. The first was a classic gray suite, perfectly structured and subtle to let the bride shine. Paired with this, he wore a cream floral print tie, from Grateful Gadgets, that perfectly encapsulated the theme of the day. The second suit that the groom wore was a rich navy that complemented the blue in the bride’s second dress. With this suit, the groom wore a pale pink bow tie that was fresh and modern, just like the bride’s second look.

All in all, although this shoot was a styled shoot, it was still true to the fairytale definition of love. Every detail was lovingly, exquisitely crafted – from woodsy floral bouquets brimming with flowers and greenery that look like they were plucked from the most luscious fairy tale forest, to the sweeping delicate gown worn by the bride that even Aurora herself would have been jealous of. I was so thrilled to be able to be swept away into this fairy tale world, even just for a day, and I hope you feel the same.