Dark and Dramatic Wedding Inspiration at Kilworth House

The general trend for wedding styling tends to be light or bright colours, so I love it when a shoot arrives in my inbox that’s dark and offers something different. That’s exactly why I love the pictures of this dark and dramatic wedding inspiration at Kilworth House in Leicestershire.

The creative team wanted to show couples alternatives to pretty pinks and rose gold, and the paler shades of weddings. If you are one of those couples looking for something more alternative then you will love this! With dark hues, dim lighting and the timeless, elegant backdrop of Kilworth House, this dark and dramatic wedding styling comes alive.

Taking inspiration from TV dramas The Crown and Victoria, the talented team used styling elements in keeping with that era. The tablescape with dark blue table linen, gold chargers, cutlery and candlestick holders, and hand lettering table numbers and menu cards, looks moody yet inviting. The dark green foliage table runner and single-stem spring flowers finish off the simple and elegant look beautifully.

I love the watercolour trend, so I especially love the stationery suite with its elegant font and splashes of blue watercolour. White Cottage Weddings also used a cute drawing of Kilworth House on the envelope liner (I do love an envelope liner!).

Another love of mine is gold leaf, so I adore the wedding cake. A pop of gold leaf running down the tiers of the cake brings the dark blue shade to life, and this styling carries over to the cake pops and macarons.

If you’re looking for a bridal style from a bygone era, then I’m sure this bride’s style will wow you just like it did me. The fabulous wedding dress designer Eliza Jane Howell kindly lent the team a selection of wedding dresses for the shoot. Each dress looks fabulous with the dark styling concept and fits perfectly with the era. Even the name of the dress collection, ‘The Leading Lady’, gives a nod to the styling. The groom also looks pretty dapper, wearing smart suits from Stephen Bishop Suiting, one of The Wedding Community’s very own groomswear experts.

I have such passion for these wedding ideas in dark, dramatic hues of blue with pops of gold. Rubie Love Photography had the wonderful job of capturing the shoot, and I hope you love it too…

From Another Era

“The shoot concept focused on something a bit richer and darker from the norm. Our whole objective was to show brides and grooms they can think outside of the usual paler and prettier wedding styles and go for something a bit darker and dramatic. I am also a huge fan of The Crown and Victoria, especially the style of filming, and wanted to create something with a little inspiration from those two dramas. Colour-wise we wanted really rich tones, and our amazing team brought the indigo and gold to life.

“The stunning and incredibly welcoming venue, Kilworth House, fitted perfectly with what we were aiming for. From the orangery to their luxurious drawing rooms and gorgeous staircase, we had a huge variety of locations to work with.

“I was so happy when Eliza Jane Howell offered us so many of their samples to work with. Her dresses are stunning and so different; they also have that ‘from another era’ feel. I am also in love with their jumpsuit!”

Different Looks

“Debbie our hair and make-up artist was amazing, and gave us a variety of different looks for each of the dresses. Also, a big shout out to HoneyV for the wide range of accessories which allowed us to be really creative.

“Our models, Louise and Jamie, were wonderful to work with and suited the look we wanted perfectly. I also could not be more grateful to Stephen Bishop Suiting for the three different suits. I was especially happy to see the white dicky bow, something Matt Smith regularly wears when playing Prince Philip in The Crown.”