Art Nouveau Autumn Burgundy Wedding

Get ready to see a fab rustic wedding with a major twist today, lovely readers. Vicky and Jesse tied the knot on September 17th 2016 in Pennsylvania. The very clever bride and groom managed to highlight and utilise both the great outdoors and the Art Nouveau movement to bring their big day to life. For those of you who may not have heard of Art Nouveau (like myself), it is an “ornamental style of art” with an emphasis on various decorative elements. The amazing venue was Shenango Pines Farm, which also happens to be owned by Vicky’s parents and has just been morphed into an events space.

Vicky’s outfit was sublime – a Watters strapless fitted lace gown, a birdcage veil, Art Deco earrings gifted to her by her love and gorgeous sparkly high heels. Her bridesmaids wore grey sequinned dresses and all the girls held vibrant dried flower and feather bouquets, tied with orange antique velvet ribbons. The boys were vintage-cool in grey suits, vests and green ties.

There were many DIY touches including the wooden stationery, the spirit bottle oil lamps (awesome!), the table number signs and the bouquets. My very favourite aspect of their one-of-a-kind celebration was the fact that the happy couple’s sisters doubled as bridesmaids and officiants. What a special and memorable touch.

Thank you so much to Jeannine Bonadio Photography for sharing these great pictures with us.

THE PROPOSAL | Jesse sent me on a scavenger hunt for my birthday, or so I thought. He had me follow clues and decode messages that led me to all of our favorite spots in the city. Culminating in a finale, which took place in the Victoria Room at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. There I found Jesse on one knee with ring in hand.

THE VISION | I would say our wedding style was inspired by the Art Nouveau movement. We liked the concept of contrasting the beauty of a natural setting with unique and dramatic details. I thought the richness of Art Nouveau decor, along with the natural forms and structures indicative of the style would contrast nicely with a formal event in a more rustic setting. Finding that right balance between formal and casual was an important component for us. We wanted the event to have an impressive dynamic look that would reflect elegance in photos, yet have a relaxed and comfortable feel for our guests. We let the landscape set the tone and then polished the look through all the little extras. For example, we had Victorian-style vintage furniture set around a campfire and elaborate table settings while serving BBQ. Sounds kind of crazy when I put it into words, but it really came together in the end!

THE PLANNING PROCESS | The planning process was errrr….can I say….fun? I know a lot of couples have horror stories about how stressful it is and we certainly weren’t immune. I can definitely understand why some hire teams of people to plan weddings. But overall, I think it was pretty enjoyable. Like anything, there are ups and downs and while I certainly wouldn’t want to repeat the process any time soon, I tried to remain centered and remember all the fleeting moments. Even the not so pleasant ones.

THE VENUE | The venue was very special to us. My parents have been working towards turning their farm into an event venue for quite some time. It just so happened to be up and running the year of our wedding. We were the second wedding ever at Shenango Pines. Everything about the property is amazing. It features an Amish-made barn, bridal cottage, Native American tipis and even has mini donkeys! We had the ceremony in a wooded clearing lined with rows of trees, which served as the perfect backdrop for our day.

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | I was really nervous about finding a dress. It was probably the main source of stress for me during the entire process. Luckily, the team at Anne Gregory for the Bride were extremely welcoming. I decided on a beautiful dress by Watters. The sample fit so perfectly that they offered to sell it to me off the rack at a discounted rate. I took it as a sign and ended the search right then and there.

My engagement ring is a square diamond surrounded by four faceted sapphires in a beautiful Art Deco setting from the 1930s.

We picked a faceted sapphire eternity band to accompany the ring. It’s also an antique from the same era. I love how wonderfully they go together, even though they each have their own separate history.

I wore earrings Jesse bought me for our last anniversary, which matched the engagement ring.

THE MUSIC | Violins (friends of the bride).

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | Adrianna Papell (via Ebay). We chose to do a combination of floor length and knee length versions of the same dress.

STATIONERY | Bride.

THE FLOWERS | Dried flower bouquets with antique velvet ribbon, hand designed and assembled by the bride.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Jeannine Bonadio Photography. Jeannine was our favourite investment in our wedding. As a very awkward person in front of the camera, she made me feel extremely at ease, which is no easy feat. The pictures turned out amazingly and I’m so grateful for the entire experience.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | Lots of DIYs. We handmade the liquor bottle oil lamps that were the centerpiece of the tables, designed and fashioned woodgrain table numbers, hung the lights in the reception barn and set up the backdrop at the head table.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | I think our favourite moment was having our sisters officiate the ceremony. Pennsylvania is one of the few states that allows a self-uniting marriage, which legally allows a couple to marry themselves to one another without a third party officiant. It gave us a lot of freedom to design our own personalised ceremony. Both Jesse and I are very close to our respective sisters and wanted to have them included in some way. It was really special to have them up there with us. We got a lot of compliments about that part of the wedding and I hope it inspires other couples in Pennsylvania to take advantage of an alternate option too.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Do whatever to takes to relax the day of. Trust that all the hard work you put in will pay off and don’t sweat the small stuff.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Photographer | Jeannine Bonadio Photography

Venue | Shenango Pines

DJ | Posey DJ Services

Hair & Makeup | Plush Salon and Spa

Catering| Pittsburgh BBQ

Coordination | Devoted to You Events

Cake | Cakes by Colby

Congratulations, Vicky and Jesse, on both becoming Mr and Mrs and for creating such a eye-catching and unique wedding day. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Abby xx