Medieval Celtic Romance!

It’s a beautiful, sunny weekend in Vancouver and I’m sick as a dog!  So, what better things to do to pass the time than read books and make inspiration boards?  Yesterday, I was drowning in a pile of Kleenex and reading King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (why not, right?), and I started thinking about photos I’ve seen of medieval theme weddings.  I’m sure that when it’s done well, these weddings are a blast to attend.  Unfortunately, fromage seems to abound in the bulk of cases.  Using what Tim Gunn would call an “editing eye”, however, I think a medieval celtic theme could be incredibly elegant and truly romantic.

So I put this together:

While searching for inspiration, I found a wealth of info from vendors in the UK–those lucky Brits have so many incredible old castles and manor houses to choose from for the perfect wedding venue.  In Vancouver, I think this theme would work best with the right marquis tent–or, as Arthur and Guinevere would call it, a “noble pavilion”!  In the spirit of the famous “Round Table”, I’d arrange long tables in a U-shape to recreate a festive medieval banquet atmosphere. Then I’d use a nice big iron chandelier in the centre of the tent.  The one pictured here is actually hanging in the Banff Springs Hotel!  (chandelier photo by Randy Santa-Ana; tent photo from InTents.com).

A talented calligrapher can produce gorgeous invitations, as well as stationery for the ceremony, reception, and thank-you cards (pictured invitation by Melanie Davies Calligraphy).  The beautiful and elegant hair wreath was made by Gardens of Whimsy, whose work can be purchased through Etsy.  Her hair accessories are so lovely that I had trouble choosing just one for this board!  And while we’ve all seen photos of over-the-top, red velvet, costume-rental-store dresses at medieval weddings, I can’t think of a dress that puts the lie to that cliche better than this stunning gown by London’s Dana Bolton of Once Upon a Time.  For floral, I absolutely love the mix of wildflowers–the colour palette is perfect.  And, last but not least, Cakeline‘s “Princess Satine” cake complements the colour scheme in dusty pink and gold.

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