Utah’s Ice Castles in Midway: a dreamy world unlike any other. And this time, it served as the enchanting, soft backdrop for a bold step in pushing Utah’s boundaries of wedding aesthetics. Focusing on maximalist florals, asymmetry, and a bold, bright red drop veil, this editorial showcased the stunning contrast between the vibrancy of the bride, Kalli, her bright red veil, a cool blue suit, and the sculptured ice.
Before we jump in, big thank you to Kalli Hofhines for being our bridal model, Andrea LaFra for being our groom model, and Hairbykayla.utah for doing Kalli’s bridal hair.
Playing with Hues: The Ice Castles as a Backdrop
The surreal beauty of the Ice Castles draws many wedding vendors and couples to take pictures here. But our goal was more than a visually striking setting. With a bold red surprise to be the focal point of the shoot, we knew we needed a way to complement the red veil and help create a dreamy feeling (instead a bold that was a little more cutting and sharp). The blue-ish, green tint of the ice complemented the bold reds and pinks, creating a captivating contrast that also softened the red veil without taking away from the color. The choice of location added a fairytale-like ambiance to the shoot, which let’s be real–none of us are going to be mad about.
Using the Location as inspiration for the groom’s suit
Andrea, our male groom model for this shoot, planned on wearing a suit to complement his model bride. The question came down to what color.
With us wanting the red to stand out against the backdrop, we also didn’t want the groom’s attire to draw away from this and instead complement it. You can do this through several methods: desaturated colors, neutral colors, matching colors.
We chose to take the route of a more neutral navy blue that matched the blue hues found in the ice castles.
Should you shoot bridals at the ice castles?
I thought it made sense to add on a little bit talking about if you should even do bridals at the ice castles. I’d say they are a gorgeous and unique winter setting that can make for unique bridals!
You can easily play with colors you normally wouldn’t, and it is a refreshing break from winter, snowy bridals with the pines (I love these too, but some people may just want something more different). As well, it is never the same every year, so although it may be similar to other pictures you’ll have unique features every year!
But quite often, I don’t see as many actual couples shooting there. Why?
Well first off, there are plenty of gorgeous locations in Utah that are free, many don’t want to pay the entrance fee.
Secondly, there are a LOT of people there so it really puts you on display (which you have to have the personalities to be okay with that). You also need to make sure your photographer is either a) good at posing and cropping in ways when there aren’t a lot of individuals or b) can photoshop out people and is willing to or c) both!
Third, which I really feel like is the biggest reason, is most people are getting married in spring and summer and so won’t green bridals! That means January into February is not the time they want bridals! And they may not want snow for their spring wedding photos they display.
None of these mean exactly you should not shoot at the ice castles, or that you need to, but rather are here to help you think about
Why Your Location Does Matter for Photos
This is related, I promise–but your location and the color hues in your location do play a role into your overall look and outcome for your bridals. If you want engagements, bridals, save the dates or other pictures that flow well with your wedding theme and decor, you need to consider the color palette and type of location. This is something you should be able to consult with your planner or photographer for color and location ideas.
The bold statement kiss: The Red Drop Veil
When I first proposed ‘red veil’ to some people… well let’s just say the look on their faces said it all. And I don’t blame them. Bright red is not really thought of as a wedding color–let alone an elegant one. Until recently that is…
The goal was to bring in a bold color that paired well with the icy blue/green of the ice castles, but still make it dreamy. This is a lot harder to do with a bold color, and so thought needed to be put into how to soften the look of the veil or tie it into the dress.
Kalli graced the icy backdrop in Wed Utah’s Barbie dress, which has ruffles and is a pure white color. I knew if we wanted a veil to flow well that had such a bold color, it needed to tie into a part of the dress–and the ruffles were just that part. A fingertip length drop veil was just enough without being too much.
Uh-Oh, Where do you find a red drop veil with a ruffle?
Well then the challenge came up– where do I even find a bright red drop veil with a ruffle trim? The easiest route (or so I thought) was to buy a premade drop veil and dye it a bright red. This wasn’t my first rodeo dying fabric–but it was my first time dying something red.
And it did not go according to plan. At all.
@wedutah should I try to save it? and this is why I recommend buying veils from vendors instead of DIY. Sometimes you don’t know what you’ll get…. #fail #dyingfails #reddye #redveil ♬ Aesthetic Vibes – Megacreate
First off, dying synthetic fabrics is always going to be somewhat of a gamble. They do not respond to dye the same way natural fabrics (particularly cotton) does. Secondly, red is such a strong color with depth, dying with red is a lot harder than it appears because of the fade and variation in the dyes.
@wedutah another day, another day I gamble pouring money down the drain 😭 #fail #wedutah #dyingpolyester #reddye #failed ♬ boondocks – L.Dre
As you can see, it did not turn out the way I wanted it to after a few attempts. So then I tried to determine what to do– my only option was to MAKE A RED VEIL.
I patterned out the veil I had and sewed a red one made out of red tulle. The problem now? It was SO STIFF. So the day of the shoot, I put it in hot water and let it hang to soften it out.
@wedutah in the finale of the red veil saga… it has been made ✨♥️✨ #redweddingveil #uniqueweddingideas #coloredveil #weddingveils #wedutah ♬ original sound – Speedy sounds
It was bright red, it was fluffy, it had ruffles, and it was a drop veil. This eye-catching accessory not only added a pop of color but also brought whimsy to the shoot just like I wanted.
colored veils: a trend in design and fashion
If you check out my review of 2023 fashion and predicted wedding trends, you can see that I predicted color veils and colored wedding dresses coming into style. As we continue to build on the maximalist mindset in 2024 trends, we see it coming more and more into play: color on color, color with texture, and just more experimentation.
I wanted people to envision what a colored veil could look like when done right.
Florals from Maximalism to Minimalism in one shoot
We wanted to show the versatility with colorful veils, and how you don’t have to go the color on maximalism route if that is too overwhelming for you. So we initially started with a maximalist bouquet, and then moved to a single stem bouquet.
Maximalist Bouquet with a Twist
The bridal bouquet leaned into the overarching theme of 2024 wedding trends– maximalism. Although we may not see this trend trickle down into the weddings we see around us for another year or two, we are seeing industry professionals leaning into it and getting creative.
Designed with maximalism in mind, this bouquet featured a dynamic blend of red and pink florals, embracing asymmetry and unique textures, including feathers. And of course, we had to include what I am calling the flower of 2024: an anthurium. The red anthurium added an exotic touch to the arrangement.
This bold bouquet showcased the prevailing trend in 2024, where brides are opting for extravagant and unconventional floral displays with lots of texture and unique fabrics/materials.
Extreme Contrasts: From Maximalism to Minimalism
The photoshoot cleverly transitioned from the maximalist bouquet to a single white lily, illustrating the extremes that bouquets are trending towards in 2024. This dramatic shift highlighted the versatility and creative possibilities in floral choices for modern brides.
Grooms Deserve Floral Love Too
Breaking stereotypes, the male model, Andrea, joined the floral extravaganza by posing with both the large bouquet and the single white lily. This inclusion emphasized the importance of acknowledging grooms’ contributions to a wedding world, encouraging more floral diversity in wedding stylings.
Hazy Dream Filter: Balancing Boldness and Softness
To capture the essence of a dreamy affair, and softening the images while preserving the vibrancy of the red veil, we used a hazy filter on our lens. Achieving the delicate balance between bold colors and softness, creates a story within the editorial– it isn’t just pretty pictures but there is a feeling to the scene and images.
Understanding color in Different lighting
One of the things we wanted to show to couples is that color can really have an impact on the mood of your images throughout the day. Color changes based off the amount of light hitting it, and so often we don’t always see that because we recently have been trending with pastel and desaturated color palettes.
Wedding planners, photographers, and other creatives in the wedding industry should know the importance of understanding color dynamics, especially with bold hues like red. Red, for example, has a very demanding draw on the eye and is very influenced by light. More light it can appear brighter and more vibrant in a way. However in lower lighting, it can appear more dark as well.
Why does this matter? Well say you wear this beautiful red veil during the ceremony during the day, but then want a more moody, darker vibe when the sunsets. The red could play well into that change with lower ambient light to make it pop. Here in the photos below, we took an opportunity to show how the versatile appearance of the red veil in different lighting situations demonstrated how a simple change in lighting or time of day could influence the mood of the entire event.
So, Can a Red Veil Really Work: Well, The Public’s Reactions Sure Seems to Be A Testament to Beauty
So can a red veil come across as wedding, bridal, and beautiful. I’d say the reaction from those standing nearby gives us the answer: YES.
With at least six people expressing awe and surprise at the stunning red veil and the uniqueness of the bridal styling, the shoot received validation from bystanders who couldn’t help but admire the unconventional yet beautiful choices. The numerous onlookers taking pictures and videos further attested to the shoot’s undeniable allure.
But really, the answer is yes it can IF it resonates with you and your personality and IF you carefully think about the color pairings and hues throughout your day.
A Red Veil, a Maximalist Bouquet, a Single Lily, and a Plum Veil Comes Together at the Striking Ice Castles
This stylized shoot in Utah successfully blended maximalism, asymmetry, and vibrant colors against the ethereal backdrop of the Ice Castles, while also showing you an alternative with a plum and single flower bouquet.
But all in all, from the striking red drop veil to the bold floral choices and the dreamy ambiance, this editorial embraced the evolving trends of 2024 while challenging traditional wedding norms.
@wedutah when you can’t find a red veil online, and dying one doesn’t work… you get… a princess ❤️✨ models: Kalli on IG @kalli.nicole @Andrea Lafra hair artist: @hairbykayla #redwedding #redveil #weddingtiktok #weddinginspiration #icecastles ♬ Can I Call You Rose? – Thee Sacred Souls
Gallery of Images from Our Red Wedding Veil Editorial:
