A shout out to all the Hamilton-obsessed brides out there—this one’s for you! This styled shoot is Auburn + Ivory‘s American Colonial brain-child and it’s stunning. The team of super talented vendors took very literal inspiration from the musical and transformed it into a marriage of modern simplicity and elegant colonial details. Cheer Up Press set the tone with letterpress stationery in dusty pastels, warm pinks, robin’s egg blue and gold—a color scheme that translated beautifully into spectacular florals by State + Arrow Design Co. and Katie Reed of Old Slate Farm. Rich velvet textures and a breathtaking Carolina Herrera gown reference the colonial vibe while feeling totally current and a cake by Wendy Kromer is the perfect grand finale. Lucky for us, Henry Photography, was on hand to capture all the details in these gorgeous fine art images.
Setting out, we wanted to give the “Hamilton” obsessed brides modern, fine-art inspiration from the musical to incorporate in their own weddings. The musical has a spellbinding way of bringing our early American history into a palpable modern experience, and we imagined today’s bride wanting to recreate that feeling as well.
The color palette is inspired by the colors of the musical, the neutral parchment color in homage to his prolific writing, the blues of his military days, and the tawny brown of Hamilton’s (non-military) coat. We also included the different colors associated with all three Schuyler sisters- teals and robin’s egg blue for Eliza, warm rich pinks and red for Angelica, and golds and yellow for Peggy; all present in our shoot just as all three were uniquely present in the Hamilton story.
Our team also wanted to reflect an admiration for the specific historical period of Hamilton’s wedding in December of 1780, so we included specific antique pieces like the colonial dressing mirror, English china, dining chairs, bone dice, fan, and musket. We joined these actual antiques with period-inspired modern details, including the engagement ring from Susie Saltzman and groom’s handmade cravat from the Lesser Bear.
Adria of State + Arrow, and Katie of Old Slate Farm collaborated beautifully on creating florals that were both modern and transporting. Both florists looked to American colonial floral paintings for inspiration, using flowers that would have been available to late 18th century brides, and arranging them in painterly ways. State + Arrow’s lush arrangements and bouquets highlighted the romance of the Hamilton story. Pomegranates and persimmons were included as homage to the Hamilton’s December wedding date. The stunning installation of overgrown greenery and florals created by Old Slate Farm reminds viewers that this is a world straddling modern day and the past.
The most notable details of the shoot, the dress and models, were directly inspired by both Hamilton the musical and the colonial style; the dress was the perfect marriage of modern simplicity and elegant colonial details and the bride’s white hair color was trendy and modern, but also reminiscent of the powdered wig styles of the period.
Our team worked to add small and specific details in homage to Hamilton the musical, with Alexander and Eliza appearing on place cards (as well as Angelica and Peggy), “may you always be satisfied” styled on parchment in preparation for a toast, one of Hamilton’s actual letters to Eliza handwritten and included in the detail vignette, antique postage featuring the Marquis de Lafayette styled with the invitation suite, and the ring pictured with a photo of The Grange, where Hamilton wed Eliza.
Photographer: Henry Photography // Concept + Design: Auburn + Ivory // Florist (bouquet + Centerpiece): State + Arrow Design Co. // Floral Installations: Katie Reed of Old Slate Farm // Stationery: Cheer Up Press // Venue: Old Slate Farm (florist’s home) // Wedding Gown: Carolina Herrera // Wedding Veil: Vera Wang / La Jeune Marieé Bridal // Ring: Susie Saltzman // Wedding Cake: Wendy Kromer // Silks and Velvets, Custom Cravat: The Lesser Bear // Beauty: Angie Warren Artistry // Manicure: Charlotte Lucas // Men’s Suiting: Pursuit Yourself // Shoes: Trademark // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box