This editorial, inspired by Botticelli, is dreamy, ethereal and feminine. It gives a new meaning to ‘fine art’ weddings.
The delicate details in this shoot are opulent and dignified. They were styled by Charlotte Weddings and photographed by Irene Fucci. Sprays of sweet peas and blue hydrangeas create the indoor garden. The sleeves of couture wedding dresses are adorned with floral embellishments. A little pearl ring decorated with gold petals has won our hearts.
The team was inspired by Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” in many different ways. Beauty is our favorite. Hair and makeup artist Lina Pagano took inspiration directly from the painting and braided our bride’s locks in flowing braids to create a glowing, luminous glow like Venus and goddesses.
Irene Fucci
Botticelli’s works inspired Irene Fucci’s photography to create this editorial set in springtime. The artist’s masterpiece, ‘Spring,’ contains many clues pointing to a spring marriage. The Birth of Venus celebrates beauty and femininity, just as this same-sex photo shoot with two brides.
Charlotte Weddings styled and planned the shoot, creating a color pallet that woven light pinks with warm whites to evoke Botticelli’s roses and the sea and sky around Venus in the paintings.
The Lake Como location was perfect for the shoot. It had a natural elegance, but the rain poured all day long. We had to abandon the exteriors but had a great time bringing nature indoors with this fantastic team.
Boudoir & Milk Bath
Botticelli’s “Three Graces,” representing feminine qualities such as love, beauty, and grace, are beautifully ethereal. As Cupid points his bow toward them, the three women intertwine into a soulful, transparent dance. What better inspiration could there be for a boudoir? The fine robes and silk gowns in peaches and nudes from The Lace Atelier were a dream. The boudoir session morphed into a luxurious milk bath that combined water, flowers, and beauty. Three elements that make up ‘The Birth of Venus’.
Tablescape
The tablescape pays homage to a second element in Botticelli’s paintings: luxurious and flowing textiles. The dusty-blue tablecloth adorned with gold flatware and glasses with gold rims create a divine atmosphere. The white tableware with a warm texture resembles the shell Venus emerges from in the painting “The Birth of Venus.” The table is covered with a suspended floral installation, a cloud of spring flowers, and greenery that looks like Mercury chasing it away. There is only a tiny ikebana with a sweet pea on the table.
The Cake
The cake from Qualcosa Di Dolce, with its dusty blue strokes and delicate design, celebrates both the paintings and the Lake Como location. Its gold scattering gives it a subtle elegance. The cake comes in two different versions, one with fresh florals and one with cascading tiny floral elements to create an elegant texture. The biscuits are made using the details from the paintings. We love the details!
The Dresses & Beauty
Due to the torrential rain, the ceremony was moved to an “indoor garden” created by the Sfumature Di Cipria. The couple exchanged their vows in front of a stunning stained-glass background.
Francesca Picini made both wedding dresses. As soon as I saw them, I knew they were the ‘ones’ for this shoot. Venus in “Spring” is a sculptured beauty, and Botticelli portrays her in the center of the painting wearing an off-white sleeved gown. This bride also wears a similar robe. The dress of the other bride is light, ethereal, and delightfully feminine. It’s just like one of Botticelli’s goddesses. Flora, the goddess of spring, scatters the flowers she has collected in her gown to symbolize springtime and fertility. We had a lot of fun recreating the fantastic elements from the paintings.
Lina Pagano drew inspiration directly from the paintings to create the most natural and luminous makeup. The hairstyles were a mixture of flowing waves and braids like Venus and goddesses.
The Florals
Botticelli’s works contain over 500 plant species and nearly 200 different types of flowers. Our shoot would feature some fantastic florals. Like Botticelli, we used seasonal flowers in May to create a Renaissance feel. We sourced organically-grown local florals. We could use unique flowers such as sweet peas, digitalis, and other seasonal blooms. The floral design created by Sfumature Di Cipria was an explosion of spring in a naturally wispy and overgrown garden.
Botticelli depicts a wedding in May, and sweetpeas are the flower that represents May. Sweetpeas are not used for weddings or events because they are fragile. They have traveled thousands of miles and are kept in refrigerator tanks. The flowers used in our photo shoot were locally grown by Lake Como at Olga’s Flower Farm. They are organic and seasonally appropriate values that we promote.
Paper Goods
They were chosen for the stationery collection not just because they are seasonal but also because of their delicate beauty. In ancient Greece and Rome, smells were also associated with divine presence.
Botticelli is a master at painting transparent materials. The use of vellum in the stationery suite created by Grigiocielo Studios is a celebration. The gold-leaf sweetpeas hand-painted on the vellum throughout the stationery suite are reminiscent of Botticelli’s work, such as in ‘The Birth of Venus.’ Venus is shown stepping out of her shell, which has been gilded. She then receives a shower of roses with golden hearts. Calligraphy adorns the blush envelopes.
Accessories
We love meanings. Not only are the flowers in the painting beautiful, but they also have special meanings: according to legend, roses bloomed after Venus was born. The handcrafted ring, with golden petals created by My Golden Age Lab, was perfect for this shoot. The choice of materials was also carefully considered: Botticelli often had his flowers outlined in golden, a theme carried through all the stationary and jewels. In Botticelli’s works, pearls are believed to represent purity. A pearl is placed in the middle of the gold floral rings. Bella Belle Shoes are fit for Venus with their floral lace details.
