THE DOWSE ART MUSEUM, LOWER HUTT
Photography: Jo Moore Photography
Colour of Love
Featuring masses of vibrantly coloured flowers and set in the Dowse Art Museum, the brief for this photo shoot was for a modern, bright, art-inspired wedding... that just so happened to celebrate Pride as well.
The styling of our gorgeous models reflected the care we took to balance ‘bright and bold’ with ‘modern elegance’. The sexy yet sophisticated silhouettes of the gowns by Sally Eagle Bridal created the perfect base for the strong and confident hair and makeup looks created by Zoe (The Makeup Artist) and Antoinette (Hair By Antoinette). Layers of pearl accessories created by Lynda from Crystal and Cord Jewellery completed the look.
Adjacent to The Dowse is The Bellbird Eatery, one of the recommended caterers for weddings at The Dowse. Bellbird created a gorgeous charcuterie board for the lounge area that we created using soft furnishings designed and made by Little Lace Flower Company.
The Dowse Art Museum was the perfect venue for this shoot, with its elegant, modern look. The blank canvas wall in the James Coe Room was the ideal background for our large floral installation used for the Ceremony Backdrop. Set on clear plinths, the huge colour-blocked floral arrangements created a floating rainbow.
We used faux flowers for the rainbow installation, floral arrangements, table decorations and bouquets. With large floral installations being so popular right now for weddings, we wanted to showcase what could be achieved with faux flowers – as floral hire enables couples to have beautiful bespoke floral installations at a fraction of the cost of fresh flowers. Faux flower hire is also an eco-friendly option to fresh flowers.
The James Coe 2 Room adjoins the main room and is an ideal location for cocktail hour (and later, dance floor). In this room, we set up a display of champagne glasses decorated with colour-coordinated name tags. This created a colourful greeting for guests and a fun alternative to traditional seating charts.
At The Dowse, whilst guests are enjoying cocktail hour in the James Coe 2 room, the main room can be set-up for the reception. To create a ‘wow’ effect upon entering the dining room, we repurposed the ceremony florals as a backdrop for the sweetheart table and placed zigzagging troughs of ombré-effect flowers on the guest tables. Brightly coloured table linens added a final splash of colour. Personalised gift boxes and individually colour-coordinated place settings then showcased how an intimate, interactive experience can be created for guests as they sit down.
We also styled a ‘wishing tree’ to demonstrate another idea for adding an interactive guest experience. Guests would be encouraged to write messages on brightly coloured tags and create a piece of ‘community art’ as they hang their messages amongst branches of twisted willow.
WRITTEN BY:
Lyndal McKenzie, Owner and Lead Designer, Little Lace Flower Company
VENDORS:
Photography: Jo Moore Photographer
Stylist & Planner: Little Lace Flower Company
Floral Design & Faux Flower Hire: Little Lace Flower Company
Venue: The Dowse Art Museum
Gowns: Sally Eagle Bridal
Jewellery: Crystal and Cord Jewellery