We're off to the beautiful islands of Turks and Caicos today thanks to a collaboration between Brilliant Studios, stylist, Stacie Steensland and a whole host of talented creatives.
But first, let's play a little word association. When I say ‘destination wedding decor' what comes to mind?
Rows of white chair covers dotted along the sand facing the sea, fluro-tropical brights, seashell/starfish/miniature bucket and spade favors, perchance? Are you ready for something a little different?
It's such a pleasure to share this unique, rustic take on destination wedding style. Driftwood ‘Mr & Mrs' signs, amber bottles filled with single, creamy blooms, a ‘love nest', vintage camera station and a subtle book theme offer fresh inspiration for beachy chic brides and grooms.
But there are some things that are exotic destination wedding essentials – bare feet, windswept hair, floaty wedding dresses, linen suits and stunning scenery that takes your breath away!
Lia Ganosellis of Brilliant Studios shares a little more about the shoot inspiration and styling:
Past the towering gates to Las Brisas and Neptune Villas, down a narrow winding road, a wall of jagged rock and brush give way to a small stretch of sand overlooking the blinding blue vastness of Chalk Sound. Two tall, tangled and sun-bleached pieces of driftwood stand upright in the sand among a thicket of sea oats, their twisted branches reaching for each other in a perfectly asymmetrical arch.
An array of amber bottles that perhaps once encased tonics, oils or liquors, dangle from the branches, a single white rose blossoming from each as they sway to and fro with the perpetual breeze that makes spring season in the Caribbean so sweet. Wine bottlenecks peek out from picnic baskets on bamboo mats and cloth blankets facing the archway and its electric blue backdrop, welcoming wedding guests to lounge.
A nearby dinner table is set for six, bedecked with vintage book pages fashioned into flowers and tiny birds nests that fit into the palm of a hand, cradling delicate spotted quail eggs from a local farm. At the focal point of the table is a centerpiece of local sea island cotton, coconut husks, papyrus, moss and lotus pods, all reaching wildly from the center to graze the table surface. Two strips of driftwood labeled “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in a white fluid font are loosely tied to the back of two chairs facing the seemingly endless stretch of blue, interrupted only by the signature islets of Chalk Sound. A small ivory rowboat rests at the shore beside the mangroves, its time-weathered oars resting gingerly against the rim of the hull.
A single-tier perfectly white, perfectly ruffled cake topped with miniature handmade flags sits like an ornate crown on a tower of rustic wine crates.
Cocktails the color of robin's eggs are poured into mason jars, beckoning to wedding guests from a small table at the edge of the shore. Beside the jars, a picnic basket lid has been lifted to reveal three bottles of red wine. An antique picture frame and bouquet of local brush and blossoms frame the spirits, the table covered in a delicate cloth sewn with intricate floral patterns.
Call it rustic, call it rural or organic – call it what you like. The scene is by no means a testament to today's wedding conventions. But there's undeniable beauty in the simplicity, a charm that can't be found in the frills of flashy – after all, the flash is found in the striking azure sea that draws so many brides-and-grooms-to-be to the Turks and Caicos.
What a dream.
Thanks to Chanelle Segerius-Bruce at Brilliant Studios and the rest of the team behind this gorgeous shoot for sharing it with us today.
If you're interested in discovering more about all the hard work and creativity that went into creating these beautiful images, why not check out this behind the scenes film by Andy & Preston at Brilliant Studios:
I hope you've found it inspiring. Are any of you lovelies planning a destination wedding?
