ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRED WEDDING AT DUKE MANSION, NC

You’ll love this beautifully styled elopement if you’re a fan of vintage antiques, old world charm, whimsical tea parties, and Alice in Wonderland! The beauty of styled shoots is getting the chance to showcase new and untraditional ideas that couples can easily incorporate into their wedding day. We also get to project our creativity through style and design. There’s nothing like a classic wedding with one white dress, a simple cake, a string quartet and a love story. However, we’re always hoping to inspire couples with more creative ideas they didn’t know they needed — like a pink tux and your favorite animal. Right, you need a pink tux?!

This styled elopement took place at the lovely, quaint Duke Mansion. Built in 1915 and owned by James Buchanan Duke, the mansion has been a home and host to many leaders of the 20th century. The mansion is full of decorated luxurious guest rooms and makes a beautiful setting for weddings as well. We had the most charming tea party set up beyond the main foyer, complete with macaroons and iced sweet treats so delicious that the ‘mad hatter’ showed up in his dapper suit and iconic custom hat. Our venue had multiple places to hold a ceremony, and we chose a courtyard area behind the house where a fountain was adorned in florals. Even more, the mansion’s hydrangeas were in full bloom, matching perfectly with all of the details! The blooming flowers were literally ‘twinning’ with our whimsical florals in the dreamy color palette of berry hues — even found in the handmade floral headband worn by our ‘Alice’ bridesmaid. The maid of honor and best man had amazing untraditional outfits of their own, so we had multiple extended photo sessions with them as well. Beyond the bride and groom’s ceremony, we had a tiny garden full of whimsy that gave all the ‘Wonderland’ vibes.

Not only did we have two looks for the small bridal party guests, but our bride had two stunning gowns as well. One gown was fit for a picturesque reception and elegant tea, and the other was a ball gown extension of the first dress. The gowns had the prettiest intricate detail from the etched glitter, to the 3D florals, to the fine beaded straps. A sweet aspect to planning a smaller, more intimate wedding day is that brides can splurge on some of their favorite details, such as having more than one gown perhaps. Another is having their pets attend! Animals can be fun, not to mention therapeutic on your special day. We had a few precious furry friends from a local animal shelter who were awaiting their loving homes. The white bunny in particular got some extra attention due to its cotton candy soft fur — we just couldn’t put him down. Overall, having a smaller wedding with fewer guests can allow extra budget for some wedding detail splurge. You can take your favorite trends and make them wedding day ready by finding your favorite vendors. Two of my other favorite features from this styled elopement were the custom tea tags attached to the bags of tea. The other aspect I loved the most was showing how romantic and fun it is for brides to lay in flowers! The unique look of bridal portraits made while lying in a bed of flowers is unmatched — maybe it’s a bit extra for some, but many love it and I’m here for it as a photographer!

I just love how great this fresh color palette came together. I’m all about the details. So, another distinctive feature worth mentioning were the bride’s velvet, dusty blue heels that were speckled with 3D embellishments that mirrored our blue, family heirloom china pieces. Talk about special wedding details! I love the timeless, romantic aesthetic, all the way down to the water color invitation suite and matching china pieces. This elopement was unforgettably themed and so much fun! Once again, this vendor team went above and beyond to make it explode into life. Check them out below!

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