How to Watercolor Your Wedding
Watercolors and weddings: Could there be a more perfect match?
This vintage medium, whether printed on dresses or hand-painted on cakes, gives traditional wedding elements a fresh, lively feel. Here’s how to incorporate the trend into your day.
Dresses: Wash and Wear
After several seasons of wedding gowns in soft pastels that cheerfully ignored the directive that brides must walk down the aisle in white, watercolor-themed dresses are the latest rule-breaker. Fashion designers are having a Monet moment and painting everything from delicate florals to wide brush strokes on silhouettes like sheaths and ball gowns.
While couture designs often feature hand-painted details, brides on a more modest budget can get in on the color-wash craze by wearing a dress fabricated with a silk-screened print.
For whom is a watercolor-inspired gown intended?
“The look works for a bride who has an edge and isn’t afraid to use color,” says Lisa Fuhrman, a stylist and bridal consultant at New York-based retailer Kleinfeld Bridal. “She’s confident and wants to make a statement but in a soft, romantic way.”
While many of the dresses are fitting for a garden or afternoon affair, like Lazaro’s sherbet-colored floral print ball gown and Elizabeth Fillmore’s long-sleeved lace top and A-line skirt, others are black-tie ready, says Fuhrman. Dress in point: Mark Zunino for Kleinfeld’s dramatic sheath with hand-painted black abstract shapes.
Cakes: Picture This
From fabric to fondant, the watercolor trend is giving an artful edge to wedding cakes, too.
Bakers like Jenna Johnson of Gateaux, a bakery in Plymouth, Minnesota, are treating each frosted tier of a cake to a different watercolor hue, or painting pretty wildflowers or stained glass panes on fondant. Brides’ favorite shades? Pink and green with a pop of gold.
The theme works with different wedding vibes. “People associate watercolor cakes with the boho-chic trend that is going strong right now,” says Paloma Efron of Coco Paloma Desserts in Austin, Texas, “but you could create a romantic look, as well, with watercolor flowers.”
To stay on budget, artwork should be kept simple: Order a cake painted in a watercolor wash and add fresh flowers or metallic accents. “Once you get into hand-painted designs and flowers, the cost goes up, since that requires more skill and time,” Efron says. Or DIY the cake: Through its Evil Cake Genius line, Gateaux offers a stencil kit that allows you to create your own edible watercolor work of art, like their elegant Painted Rose cake.
Invitations: A Colorful Way With Words
Why are watercolor invitations so trendy?
“Watercolor is naturally a very romantic art form, with its loose feel and blended colors, making it a perfect fit for wedding invitations,” says Ashley Austin of Fine Day Press in Austin, Texas. Graphics can be anything from lush florals to washes of color to detailed illustrations.
This versatility means it can work for different wedding styles – formal occasions to casual backyard weddings, says Allison Krosnick of Hand-Painted Weddings.
Pastels – soft pinks, peaches, sky blues and minty greens – are favorites, but according to Austin, brighter tones like saturated hot pinks and deeper indigo blues are edging their way in.
“A more graphic take on the watercolor trend is black and white,” she says, “and this typically has a more modern feel – think elegant, art gallery reception – and is usually paired with minimal designs like lines and dots.”
Predesigned styles are more affordable than custom designs, and many stationers offer a variety of graphics, colors and prices.
Couples who want a one-of-a-kind invitation are often inspired by their wedding’s venue, location or season. “Or if the couple is open to it, I love incorporating aspects of their personality, hobbies, or even their engagement story,” Krosnick says. “Paper is a fun way to include personality in your wedding.”
Live Event Artist:
Paintings Come to Life
The hot new reception trend? Hiring a live-event watercolor artist to paint a special wedding moment like the first dance or cake cutting while it’s happening. Philadelphia artist Lisa Howell-Baxter says it takes her about four hours to sketch the surroundings then paint the scene. Guests watch her every brush stroke.
“There is a fascination among the guests to witnessing a work being created live during the event,” she says. “It adds to the entertainment.”
Watercolor is often the medium of choice because it’s quicker to use than oil or acrylic, but there are challenges, too. Says Howell-Baxter: “There is no ‘erasing’ of paint or ‘covering up’ once the paint is on the paper.” Some artists finish and frame the painting before the last song is played, while others make final touch ups back at their studio before delivering it to the bride and groom.
Some artists also do quickie (5 to 10 minute) portraits of guests, which they take home as a memento. It beats scented soap as a favor by a long shot!
© Brides 365