July was truly Birthday Month for me! First, B modeled with me again! And this time, he treated me to the true Disney experience and I got to play my favorite Disney princess EVER for a few hours. So I’m sharing some of my personal favorites from this Beauty and the Beast Themed Wedding shoot that I got to do with my beast of a husband 😍.

Scroll all the way down to see select photos and the behind the scenes video recorded by fellow model and bridesmaid for the day, Jana!

First Look

“She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.”

Annie Dillard

The Mansion had so many elements perfect for a Beauty and the Beast-inspired wedding: a large ballroom, a library, a grand staircase, and a stunning entryway. We did a few different first look-esque shots to take advantage of the variety of rooms and settings available.

First, to stay true to the characters we were meant to be representing, a back-to-back first look with some beautiful leatherbound books (that made it into the Details section further down!). I remember thinking I should have grabbed my copy of Pride & Prejudice from home just to sneak in another element of myself into the shoot 😉

And to take advantage of the beautiful rooms that The Mansion has to offer, we visited what I’ve dubbed The Blue Room to take a seat among gleaming vintage furnishings, the huge fireplace, and more beautiful natural light.

First Dance

“Tale as Old as Time, Song as Old as Rhyme…”

Can you even scroll past these next pictures without Angela Lansbury singing “A Tale as Old as Time” in your head? Go on, try it!

Despite a few wardrobe snafus (like the fact that the ball gown was a smidge too big and the available safety pins were too small and kept popping open), the ballroom scene was the best part of this shoot because both B and I were comfortable and in the zone.

Bridal Portraits

Any bride — and any model — wants photos of herself looking and feeling like a princess on her big day.

When having your bridal portraits taken, make sure you’re capturing the following:

1. Both vertical & horizontal orientations
2. The whole dress from a distance
3. Various headshots – smiling, looking away, looking down, serious 
4. Some shots with the bouqet, some without
5. Some shots with a veil, some without
6. Because the question of “what do I do with my hands” will amost always come up, so something recognizable and comfortable in the setting that makes sense
   1. Play the piano
   2. Smell the flowers in the bouquet
   3. “Princess hands!”
   4. Play with your necklace or adjust your earrings
   5. Lightly touch your hair
   6. Pretend you’re about to pick your nails (sounds a little gross but it totally works!)
   7. Have something to hold — flowers, champagne glass, clutch, your shoes (it’s a good opportunity for a unique detail shot), your vows
7. Tip particularly for models — don’t be afraid to move! 

Details

Beauty is found within, but these pretty little details are what make a styled shoot pop!

The details are even more important when creating a themed event (so hire a planner to take care of all of that for you if you can!) Red roses for the bouquet? Check! Yellow ball gown? Check! Rose ring? Check! I don’t think any of the vendors missed a beat while putting together this shoot — there was even a Chip teacup!

Behind the Scenes

It takes an entire team to pull together a shoot this extravagant!

Photographers featured in this post

• Ashley Mathews | Ashley Red Photography | @ashleyredphotography
• Grace Lind Hubbell | Gracelind Photography | @gracelindphotography

Shop Belle-Inspired Jewelry

Shop Belle-Inspired Dresses

I’ve thrown in a few not-quite-ballgowns for those Disneybounding fans looking to plan their looks!

Shop Beauty and the Beast Inspired Tableware & Decor

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