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What do wedding vendors do when the season winds down a bit, yet their creativity still pulses? They dream up new concepts, like the one staged at Lock Ridge Park in Alburtis, PA. (If you don’t watch Game of Thrones, see A Quick Guide on p. 10)
Featuring a medieval ambiance and Game of Thrones stand-ins, a local endeavor created a tableaux worthy of the show’s fans as they await the final season. Notice the somewhat darker mood, extravagant elements, and the deep, rich palette. Then look online (a Pinterest search brings up “506 best Game of Thrones themed wedding images”). Definitely a trend to watch in 2019.
Setting the Stage
A romance between two characters, Jon Snow and Daenerys, is sparking, both on screen and on Twitter. How might a marriage scene featuring this striking pair play out? To explore this, Lancaster photographer Alyssa Hannigan pulled together a dream team of vendors, and the idea quickly fired them up. Since many brides opt for pale blushes or white floralscapes; Heidi Williamson of Moss & Vine was excited to go bolder: “I was drawn to this because of the scene and the mood,” she says. “Everything about it was just gorgeous.”
Williamson bound the bridal bouquet with twine and wove in fuzzy, drooping amaranth and privet berries to set off dark, velvety roses. To suggest a just-picked bouquet, she flared the stems to splay out the blooms. The gleaming centerpiece goblet depicts the relative wealth of the lucky few during the Dark Ages.
Layering moss from Williamson on the hand-crafted table, Hannigan staged a small royal banquet. Through fellow photographer and friend Julie Floro (who painted the place cards), Hannigan gained access to some great fantasy resources. One, called Alehorn, provided great manly drinking horn tankards and giant Viking silverware. Another, Willow Whispers Artistry, designed custom cosplay, sculpting dragon eggs scale by scale, and sewing and hand-dying the fur for Jon’s cloak.
Anticipation and Intrigue
The paper designs were conceived by Cork & Chambers. This pair (Emily and Virginia) was already up to speed, since watching Game of Thrones is a weekly dinner event. Usually, Virginia creates the artwork and hands it off to Emily, who adds decorative calligraphy. But this event called for a “crafternoon.” “We work off each other’s creativity and energy while we are together,” says Emily. “It’s one of our favorite ways to work, and we love opportunities like these.” Out of this creative-fest came something moodier: deckle-edge paper, torn edges, and golden ink shimmering against a black ground. The font they created, called “Nora,” complemented the roman numerals, and the place cards fit snugly within stag antlers.
“Fans of the show may notice a little fun and intentionality to the design,” notes Virginia, with the sample invitation addressed to Cersei Lannister, who would definitely not have been invited, since she stole the throne when her husband died. The monogram ironically features stag antlers, from the former king’s House Baratheon.
Eye Candy
Hannigan created lots of visual layers for the concept shoot, mirroring the look of the show and the complexity of the relationships between characters. The enchantingly crumbling ruins at a former ironworks was ideal, with its medieval feel. She gathered antlers and other ephemera until the set resembled the show. Casting was equally on target, with a fetching Daenerys, “mother of dragons,” wearing a soft beaded gown and a triumph of braids. This Jon Snow, equally gorgeous with his crimped hair and brooding manner, easily carries off the majestic cloak. Last, Hannigan added some fog for drama, and we see magic incarnate.
Both characters, along with several others, are vying for the throne, and another complicating tie between these two is coming to light. And that’s just for starters. What’s clear is that, as these creative vendors depict, Game of Thrones as a wedding theme is one to watch for in 2019.
Videography: Zach Beidler Media, zacharybeidler.com Jewelry: Realm and Reason, etsy.com/shop/realmandreason Printed Pieces/Stationery: Cork and Chambers, corkandchambers.com Floral Design: Moss + Vine, mossandvine.com Bridal Gown: Priscilla Costa Bridal, priscillacosta.com Groom’s Attire + Dragon’s Eggs: Willow the Wisp Cosplay, courtneycressman@yahoo.com, FB and IG Hair and Makeup Artist: Bonafide Ginger, the-bonafide-ginger.com Tablescape Items/Props: AleHorn, alehorn.com Farmhouse Table & Chairs: Holmespun Co, holmespunco.com Watercolors: Watercolors by Julie, juliefloro@gmail.com and IG Models: Sarah Maher @sarah_maher7 on IG and Ed Colon @edcharm on IG