The Kiss of True Love - Inspired by Sleeping Beauty Deep in the forest, tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies a hidden jewel, a French winery, on a mountainside deep in the Northern California Redwoods, known as Chateau Partage. This magical wedding venue looks like a perfect Fairytale Castle from a classic storybook. Surrounding the property are hundreds of redwood trees, complete with an enchanting Fairy Tree Ring (Redwood Trees in a circle) and green mossy covered tree stumps behind the castle. This makes for the perfect venue to have a woodland Fairytale Sleeping Beauty styled wedding in Northern California. There is even a library located at the venue filled with old, worn leather books, golden embossed titles holding the secrets to hundreds of magical tales. This Styled Bridal shoot, inspired by the Classic Fairytale literary theme, the Kiss of True Love, is where we begin.
"
Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear ol' princey to fall in love with you. That is, he's got to kiss you. Not just any kiss — the kiss of true love."
— Ursula, The Little Mermaid
Inspiration for this particular Fairytale styled shoot came from a timeless literary theme, the Kiss of True Love, which surfaces in quite a few classic Fairytales. From Sleeping Beauty in a bed of flowers, Snow White falling asleep due to a poisoned apple, & even the Little Mermaid, they all have one thing in common, the princess needs the
Kiss of True Love to break the Spell she is under. Its not just princesses who need the kiss, the Prince also needs the magical kiss, lest we forget about the
The Frog King, or
Beauty and the Beast where
he needs True Love's kiss to lift the curse. Even in our modern day culture we believe that to reach our Happily Ever After, we need the
Kiss of True Love to lift us up and sweep us away into wedded bliss. Modern Day Movie, Dreamwork's animation Fairytale: "Shrek" even has Fiona the Ogre needing the
Kiss of True Love to break the magical ogre spell she is under. Disney's Frozen also mentions
True Love's Kiss, despite the kiss not actually working to unfreeze Anna and revealing treachery by Prince Hans. It turned out to be a sisterly
Act of True Love later in that particular story which broke the spell. When we really start to look, the theme of True Love's kiss is literally all around us in the modern world. Its found hiding in dozens of dramatic movies, even the romantic comedy and its the main photographic highlight, "cant miss" shot for any Wedding Photographer,
"Now you may Kiss the Bride!" and seal the deal.
The story for this Styled Bridal Shoot,
True Love's Kiss begins with the Groom searching the forest next to the Castle, for his lost bride. Under a Fairytale spell, she is awaiting the
Kiss of True Love in a bed of flowers near the Castle. He survives the wild, tangled vines on his journey through the redwoods, in order to deliver the Kiss of True Love to his bride in time for their wedding. She awakens to discover the eyes of her beloved staring into her own. He carries her off to the enchanted forest (behind the winery) for their woodland wedding vows, They return to the Castle, to their wedding dinner, on a beautiful vintage table complete with flowers and crystal goblets. The cake is covered in flowers, her veil blows in the wind and the young couple celebrates their love. Created on a misty, cloudy day, the artist's lens allows a glimpse into the enchantment which happens
When Love takes an ordinary life and turns it into a Fairytale.... * This Styled shoot is half woodland Forest and half enchanted Castle given that the redwood trees are growing and surrounding the winery from all sides. Storybook pages done by a professional calligrapher provide some whimsical narrative to the Wedding theme. When choosing the couple to be photographed, we decided that the professional model should be kissing her real-life boyfriend so we could get some true, authentic moments of true love's kiss in action for the storytelling at hand.
Photographer:
@alixartphotography_wedding
http://alixartphotography.wedding
Bride Model:
@jcmurraymodel Groom Model: @awkwaz
location:
@partagewinery @chateau_partage
www.partagewinery.com Makeup: @Designsbydonovan
www.designsbydonovan.com Florist: @katsfloweraffair https://www.katsflowerlg.com/
Dress: @bridechic
https://bridechic.wixsite.com/amy-jotatum Cake: @bzcake831 https://www.facebook.com/bzcake831/
Vintage Furniture: @foragevintagerental.co
https://www.foragevintagerental.co/ Calligrapher: @wildquillcalligraphy
www.wildquillcalligraphy.com
© Alixandra Art & Photography
