You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you’ – Mr Darcy
Fabulous parties, difficult but lovable family and of course, romance. This magical trio brings two things to mind: Jane Austen’s timeless novel, Pride and Prejudice and our favourite thing, weddings. Austen’s mixture of hilarious social commentary, smouldering love and a cool feminist edge has ensured that her most popular book has stood the test of time, never leaving our consciousness or our television screens for long.
The novel has also been serving as the most perfect source for wedding inspiration, so we’ve decided to put together some pointers to help you create the perfect Pride and Prejudice inspired wedding.
Photo Credit Stacia Morgan Photography
The Dress:
The Regency style was particularly distinctive, with empire line gowns and soft silhouettes, Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters would have appeared particularly casual and relaxed in comparison to the corseted Victorian ladies that would follow them. It is this very modern sensibility of Regency style that makes it perfect for a current day bride, who might value comfort as well as feminine elegance. Whilst the empire line gown might be a bit on the nose, the same effect can be achieved by choosing a dress that is unstructured, made of lace or chiffon like this beautiful gown by Emma Hunt London shown with our ‘Evangeline Elliot’ vintage lace boots peeping out.
Photo Credit: Daniel Moncur-Sime
And of course, anything with capped sleeves would have been a Jane Austen favourite. Here this elegant dress, dripping in lace, by Emma Hunt London is paired with the white version of our Regency inspired ‘Evangeline Elliot’ lace wedding boots.
Gown: Emma Hunt London Photo Credit: Ilaria Petrucci Photography
And now for the shoes! The Regency lady certainly had a deep appreciation for a delicate shoe or an elegant boot. The perfect bridal shoe for this particular aesthetic is certainly the gorgeous Lottie Elliot lace boot. Beautifully feminine, these pretty and playful ankle length wedding boots are ideal for the bride that not only has an eye for beauty but also appreciated the comfort of a boot that lets her dance the night away.
Photo Credit: Carey Sheffield for House of Elliot
Photo Credit: Ilaria Petrucci Photography
The venue:
What would Mr Darcy do? Apart from being gorgeous and rich, one of the main reasons that Elizabeth finds him simply irresistible is that, *spoiler alert* Darcy saves the day. I imagine that Mr Darcy would have planned the reception to take place in the country inn to which the two lovers had scuttled off to. To channel this elopement vibe we would ply our guests with good old English ale and pies in a pub with a roaring fire place. But where would Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy celebrate their big day? Luckily for us, Pemberley, Darcy’s estate is a real place! Austen based it on Chatsworth House, a palace that was originally built for the royal family, but its location in Derbyshire was no comparison to the bright lights of London. Now days, as well as a place of cultural importance the House is also a wedding venue. With its regal architecture and fabulous surroundings, Chatsworth House is the perfect location for a Pride and Prejudice inspired do.
Photo Credit: Shoot Lifestyle Photography
The Decor
The Regency era was one of sumptuous balls lit by glimmering candlelight juxtaposed by light and airy luncheons. Personally, we believe that the humble Elizabeth Bennet would opt for the latter when planning her own wedding. Decorated with the soft regency blues, full roses and vintage crystal glasses and accessories we think that this beautiful table decor featured on Wedding Chicks Blog captures the soft elegance of the period perfectly.
Feature Image Credit: Stacia Morgan Photography
The passion for a Jane Austen inspired wedding continues to the present day with many Brides choosing to style their day based on the classic elegance of her heroines. Of course, each Bride then ads their own individuality, like Bride Emily who chose to add a gothic twist to her Pride and Prejudice inspired wedding by adding some deep crimson to her bridal makeup and wedding palette. You can see our full feature on Emil’s beautiful wedding here.
Photo Credit: Leslie Lockhart Photography Boots: House of Elliot ‘Lottie Elliot’ Vintage Lace Ankle Boots
For more inspiration on planning a wedding with a Regency Theme like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice please take a look at our Pinterest Board!
|
