Nov 27, 2020

Haunted Weddings: Bride of Frankenstein

By Jaimz Dillman

In a local winery, amid the tanks and barrels, an annual gathering of Orlando Florida wedding vendors were together again to bring their Halloween shoot to life!

Each spooky season the teams of Michele Butler Events, Lee Forrest Design, Anna Cakes, and more select a theme that wouldn't ordinarily be applied to a wedding, and then they create.... magic!

"Always looking for new inspiration for our Halloween shoots, we decided to try our hand at a wedding style shoot with a spooky flair featuring the Bride of Frankenstein." says Butler, "We chose Quantum Leap Winery for it's laboratory-style feel."

Ephraim McCormick of Elmwood Forest Productions lent his voice to the reading of Mary Shelly's classic over the video shot and edited to look like an old black and white film with lots of low angles and sharp lighting. "Quantum Leap Winery was kind enough to accommodate us and they couldn't have been more perfect. Their machinery, stone walls, and wooden casks made for the absolute ideal setting to evoke the sinister castle laboratory of Dr. Frankenstein and pay true homage to the 1935 horror-noir film," says McCormick.

The team at Lee Forrest Design captured structured romance with callas, roses, fiddlehead ferns, and candles, lots and lots of candles. "In our annual Halloween photo shoot, we went even darker and more industrial with "Bride of Frankenstein", paying homage to the 1935 film. We kept the details more industrial--and even found linen from Over The Top called "Molecular" that resembled molecules of elements bonding in their chemical compounds. We kept the colors more muted, emphasizing the high contrast of greys, blacks, and whites that is so indicative of film noir, with only light accents of pale lavender Amnesia roses and dark eggplant calla lilies. " says Forrest.

Gown selections were made from two different local boutiques to give options with the goal of a classic Hollywood look and feel. Calvet Couture and Modern Bridal had just the right sleek and sophisticated silhouettes to lend a timeless elegance to a shoot that easily could've been too campy. And don't we just love a wedding cape? Keeping model Ashley Mercy as bridal as possible while emulating the well known classic monster was key. Groom model Ryan Bryer's look was kept simple in a basic black suit.

"For the Bride of Frankenstein shoot, I really wanted to bring the bride to life- in this time period." says hair and makeup artist Kristy Alonzo of Kristy's Artistry Design Team. "From adding hair extensions, spraying hair color, and airbrushing the classic white streak through the hair, we were able to give the bride an original movie inspired look. Then with applying a lighter face color foundation, extending the brows and giving the right contour to add a gorgeous beauty look while portraying a back-from-the-dead bride- we were so pleased to see it all come to life, pun intended."

Photography from Damom Tucci captured the ethereal drama of the couple as well as the stark tone of the setting. "We used dramatic lighting, the Bride of Frankenstein also held great inspiration. It was an ode to Boris Karloff." said Tucci, "We were trying to capture the film noir look. Inspired by old Hollywood and Frankenstein."

"This was certainly one of my faves as I was able to collaborate with my work husband, a la Lee Forrest, and my other half, photographer Damon Tucci. The look, the style, the decor and design, all perfectly spooky and a perfect nod to the Frankenstein movies of the 30's." summarized Butler.

As Mary Shelley wrote - "It's a perfect night for mystery and horror." With a shoot styled such as this with some glamour and style added in, it's just the right formula for perfection.