I’m super honored that this inspiration shooting has been featured on Style Me Pretty, the most famous wedding blog ever! I designed this wedding inspiration together with Margherita Orlandi, super talented stylist and event creator. We have been inspired by the refined elegance typical of the French Riviera during a business trip we made there: it seemed to us a perfect scenario for a wedding inspiration session! Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is called “the city of flowers”, so we tried to evoke the spirit of that dreamy place, to let people feel the wind and smell the blossoms from the pictures.
Côte d’Azur means little beaches surrounded by nubby maritime pines, rocky cliffs where to admire pink sunsets looking at the seagulls playing in the sky, medieval villages with narrow lanes full of flowers and of old fashioned street lamps, breathtaking panoramas on the sea and on the coast and most of all that kind of romance that France represents worldwide.
We imagined a slow morning awakening of the bride, in a typical French bedroom among bed sheets in toile de Jouy fabric, reading a love letter left on her pillow. Then a walk on the beach with the groom-to-be, a ceremony overlooking the sea and finally an intimate reception to end with a beach party in Villefranche sur Mer.
We decided to set all the moments outdoors, among the wonderful Chateau de La Chèvre d’Or, where we imagined the scene of the ceremony under the little temple, the beach and the cliffs of Cap Ferrat and the old medieval village of Eze Village, where we set the reception table.
As for the bride dresses we wanted something graceful and elegant, made with luxurious fabrics. So together with Silvia and Sara, owners of the atelier La Maison du Mariage, we chose the impalpable fabrics and flattering shapes of the dresses of Leila Hafzi, ethical and eco conscious fashion brand, and the French lace of a cape from Alberta Ferretti. Then we introduced Roma, a brand new collection of romantic and retrò swimsuits thought for the honeymoon, that we imagined for the morning walk on the beach (the intimate bay called Anse des Fossettes, in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat). Roma is a line of costumes conceived for day-dreamer women, designed and created exclusively for La Maison du Mariage, that aims to offer the bride a romantic and sensual vision of one of the honeymoon essentials, the bikini.
Carmelo Spina, the hair stylist and make up artist, thought about a specific hairdo for each scene, always trying to follow the inspiration mood. So for the bikini photos he proposed a high ponytail embellished with a flower and a nude makeup, then for the ceremony he created an up-do with a half braided crown and finally for the beach party he designed the most amazing romantic and messy up-do with a flower crown used like an headband paired with a luminous makeup with a touch of pale blue under the eyes.
From Margherita Orlandi, the stylist: As soon as I decided to start this project together with the wonderful Marta Guenzi Photographer, my mind began to think about those fascinating places that were to me the perfect inspiration for a shooting full of little details following the fil rouge of the French elegance. For the bouquet and the table flowers we decided, in accordance with Maurizio Buzzi, the flower designer, to work with the bright and pastel colors of peonies, freesias, David Austin roses, buttercups, lilies, eucalyptus and echeveria with their particular silver shade that gave a light tone to the compositions. Then we added some pink grapefruits to achieve a feeling of freshness. We prepared a white little “table for two” that we decorated with a runner in toile de Jouy fabric, one of the most ancient and typical production of French Rivera artisans. We used the leitmotif of toile also for the graphic suite scanning the cloth and extrapolating the drawings to match with the save the date, the map, the menu, the invitations, etc.
I loved planning and coordinating this shooting in one of my soul places and I hope this could inspire couples dreaming to get married in such a wonderful location!
Photography: Marta Guenzi Photographer / Cinematography: Riccardo Lavezzo Wedding Films / Styling: Margherita Orlandi / Floral design: Maurizio Buzzi by Margherita Orlandi / Cake: Pasticceria Ramperti / Invitations: Francesca Abbiati / Ceremony Venue: Chateau La Chèvre D’Or / Reception Venue: Eze Village / Bride’s Shoes: Penrose / Hair + Makeup: Carmelo Spina / Groom’s Attire: Burberry / Beach Location (morning And Sunset): Saint Jean Cap Ferrat / Beach Location (night): Villefranche Sur Mer / Bridal Boutique: La Maison Du Mariage / Groom’s Shoes: Fratelli Rossetti / Lace Wedding Dress: Alberta Ferretti / Model (Bride): Lucia Zonca / Model (Groom): Leonardo Silvestri / Silk Wedding Dresses: Leila Hafzi / Swimsuits: Roma / French Riviera wedding photographer
