Alluring Gondola Elopement with Soft and Timeless Details

Soft, sophisticated and utterly irresistible are just a few of the words we’d use to describe today’s elegant gondola elopement inspiration. Dreamy garden details marry fantasy in these images from Ashley Rae Photography, and you’re sure to be hooked from the moment you lock eyes with the fluffy pupper who graced us with his canine presence. Lush blooms dance across the table as caneback chairs give structure and sophistication opposite the velvety linen, and we are not-so-casually captivated by the bride’s nod to Old Hollywood glamour. A starlet in the big picture that is this elopement, these are the things we daydream about on the daily. So fawn with us, please!

From the stylist, Ashley of Modern Grace Events: Marrying the style of ethereal romance with the simplicity of an elopement, we along with Ashley Rae Photography, created an elegant vision for a romantic gondola elopement. We wanted to follow the bride on her journey of young love meets wedded bliss, while focusing on her playful personality & stunning classic style.

Ashley Rae captured the bride’s soft essence while focusing on the groom’s charming nature during their portrait sessions. The invitation suite and tabletop stationery set the tone of timeless enchantment, while the shoes, hair and makeup portrayed a more modern feminism with a classic timeliness look. The florals danced with the delicate array of florals cascading along the dusty blue wedding reception table.

The light natural tones of the blooms on the four-tiered wedding cake made us giddy when we saw how the afternoon sun beamed perfectly onto it to reflect the gold foiling. Just as that bit of gold shimmer complimented our reception table glassware, we could feel the gorgeousness of the designs come to life!

We also wanted to highlight the tabletop place settings since they are such a staple piece for how we, as planners, design a wedding and transform a space. We took into play color theory, ambiance, the couple’s style, and transformed their dream into a magical day of love and laughter.

The Gondola
The day wouldn’t be complete without a perfect “getaway car” or in our case a “getaway gondola!” Our lovely bride & groom exited their wedding day on an ultra plush gondola, decorated in faux fur throws and sweet bubbly to cheers to their love.

Hairstyle
Savanna is wearing an Old Hollywood hairstyle with our signature bronzed Bridal makeup which includes dreamy warm smokey eye, wispy lashes, rosey cheeks and nude glossy lip. Her one of a kind hair piece is only available at Makiaj Beauty.

The Bridal Bouquet
This voluminous bridal bouquet was filled with soft peonies, blush garden roses and Japanese ranunculus. To help us appreciate the romantic focal blooms, Sabrina embraced complimenting textures to create variation in shape and size. The fragrant sweet peas, cascading snapdragons, and tweedy allium placed at varying heights created a pleasant and captivating contrast. Like a cherry on top, the luscious bundle was draped with soft grey silk from Frou Frou Chic. Avoiding the always lovely but slightly unkempt use of eucalyptus, this was a truly high end garden style bouquet. It is perfect for a bride who wants a floral forward bouquet that evades tradition.

The Centerpiece
The most romantic centerpiece, floral forward in every way. Sabrina splurged on premium flowers for the guests to enjoy nearby the entire evening. Complimenting to the bridal bouquet, the centerpiece was full of large, luscious focal flowers including dahlias, soft lisianthus, blush garden roses, and the ever beautiful layers of a Japanese ranunculus. Perfect in height, the flowers were placed atop a weathered stone urn, with blooms spilled out at the base helping to keep the weight of the design grounded. Drifting off like a romantic daydream, the loose blooms gently decrease in size as they reach the ends of the table.