A Dead Festive Season and a Bloody Good New Year
It’s that magical time of year again; the nights are dark, the fires cosy and we’re all ready to feast!
At the beginning of December the Til Death crew made the pilgrimage to Whitby for the Krampus Run to celebrate Vicky’s birthday. While we were there we took the opportunity to team up with Starr of Alternative Ceremonies (who is exhibiting with us all at The Curious Place on the 5th/6th Feb) and The Brunswick Centre to create a deliciously dark, festive infused handfasting.
Our original plan was to have our bride join the Krampus procession; we even had horns ready for her moment as Mrs Krampus. Merely days before the shoot though we realised we would be asking our bride to stand on the top of a windy cliff without a coat or woolly hat, in minus 4 degrees when it was forecast snow and rain… so we devised a new plan (don’t worry, we have an alternate idea for the horns).
We embraced a ‘Dead Festive’ handfasting with candle ceremony and just LOVE how perfect the skull unity candle is. And check out the colours of the handfasting cords carried in their glass coffin! If you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing a celebrant led wedding then you know its this kind of personalisation that makes them so perfect.
Starr has been a celebrant for over 8 years and as a ‘dyed in the wool’ Goth, her knowledge and inherent understanding of alternative subcultures and traditions ensures she can work with you to create and deliver the quintessential ceremony for you.
The Brunswick gave us the run of the place which really added that Gothic grandeur. In years gone by, on our biannual trips to Whitby, we used to walk past The Brunswick and wonder what it was like inside. I remember it being a forgotten relic complete with a family of bats in the bell tower; the overgrown columns outside becoming the perfect backdrop for many a Gothic clothing brand. Over recent years it has been lovingly restored and can now be hired for events… including weddings. The gorgeous wood panelling, stunning gothic arches and brilliant stained glass windows every bit the perfectly resplendent setting.
Vicky Dubois Photography always manages to capture the vibe of the day. No matter how busy the venue, how cold the models, how dark the setting, Vicky waves her magic camera lens and exquisitely moody pictures appear. There’s a lot of wizardry involved as far as I’m concerned… I mean - you could never tell that it was so cold our teeth were chattering or that inquisitive crowds were gathering round our couple (like a real wedding a guess) and the many different lighting aspects? well its more than I can get my head around, but just check out the depth and alchemy in these images!
Sam of Prim & Glad bespoke wedding stationery managed to whip up this gorgeous dark floral design in a matter of days… after spending weeks on a Krampus suite of stationery we really put her under pressure (amid her burgeoning Christmas orders) to create this masterpiece. No matter the theme (or timescale it seems) Sam has this ability of picking out the style threads and weaving together her ideas to create a whole set of wedding stationery; invitations, menu’s, seating plans - the lot!
Maddison Rocks Floral, is a powerhouse of creativity. Not only did she create two stunning bouquets for our shoot, but she also created the crown, buttonhole, table centre pieces and also became our stylist for the day. We are DYING over her dark floral bouquets - especially with details like hidden skulls, antler and even a crow thrown in for good measure. And the table design? So good Vicky had to take an aerial shot from the balcony!
So lets talk about the Legend Bridal dress… the crimson satin ballgown was a no-brainer for this theme. We added our new Pandora lace jacket; cinched in waist, bell sleeves, a hood and cathedral arch shaped train. We love how the Alliums and Swallows in the lace creep and dance up the fabric… and it can be worn over any gown!
All the suppliers in this shoot are exhibiting at The Curious Place… the home of alternative wedding suppliers in the North West. If you’re interested in chatting to any of the team from this shoot we recommend booking your tickets… it’s at Liverpool Exhibition Centre as part of Bliss Wedding Shows on the 5th and 6th February.
