Nagham Cararah, wedding planner and stylist at Love by Lynzie  discusses the process behind the Berkeley Bicycle Club Victorian inspired shoot she designed and styled.

What lead you to your present career and what about it inspires you the most?

I started out in the fashion world as a freelance stylist working on photo shoots and backstage at fashion week. While working on all these different projects I started to realize how much I enjoy the pace and style of events. I then decided to dip my toes into the wedding industry by interning with Love by Lynzie. Half way through the internship, Lynzie offered me a job and I’ve been living the wedding planning dream ever since.

In choosing to do a style shoot reminiscent of a dutch oil paining what was involved in your research and how did you fine tune this reference and translate it to a style shoot and did you have a specific painting in mind?

I am a huge romantic and have always been fascinated by old european paintings, the vivid oil colours, and how they transport your mind to a different world. I wanted to create images that evoked the same emotions just within a tablescape rather than a painting.

The cake is so unusual and striking what was the thought process in its creation?

I wanted every aspect of the shoot to be moody, dark, and have lots of texture. A black cake was a must for me! It’s a touch sell to get brides on board with such a dark cake so I wanted to show how you can style it to create that drama.

 

What about this style shoot do you feel translates best into inspiration for a small intimate wedding?

I feel like with an intimate wedding you can add all the different elements, textures, and creativity to your tablescape. Thats what I wanted to show off with this shoot. Also, having some featured pieces like the lace garland, are totally accents that add visual interest to an intimate wedding and help frame different areas of your venue.

The style of this shoot could really serve as inspiration for a wedding or intimate party themed for any season because you chose to combine contrasting light and dark, moody and light elements. What do you think of this?

That’s really what I was going for. I love a timeless and seasonless design. Couples are getting married at every time in the year now (which makes me so excited!) and I love creating designs that can carry you from season to season. I also think mixing moods and colours palettes is a great way to create something very unique.

How was the setting of the Berkeley Bicycle Club a good choice for this styled shoot?

The Berkeley Bicycle Club was the perfect backdrop for the shoot. It provides that intimate atmosphere and has so much texture everywhere. It feels like a romantic historic mansion that you would find a dutch oil painting hanging in. I think its also an eclectic space that can be transformed into a lot of different things.

Where are some of your go to places for inspiration when you are in the planning stages of a styled shoot or a real wedding?

I look to art, fashion, different cultures, and elements of nature for inspiration. I’ve visited a lot of museums and I love to document and photograph places I’ve been to bring out new creative ideas. My ultimate goal is always to evoke emotion when designing to a shoot or a wedding. I want people to look at a photo or walk into a room and have it take their breath away (just a little bit). See I told you I’m a romantic.

The old city mailroom created some stationary for the styled shoot, in their about cation they say “I am emphatic that my artwork reflects timeless aesthetic and careful attention to detail.” what about this philosophy made their work a great fit for your styled shoot?

That was totally the goal in mind for the design as well. Staying timeless as true to ones self is something I strive for because I always want a couple to look back at their wedding still feel like its their style.

How closely did you work with the florist and the photographer to sculpt the vision of this styled shoot?

We worked very closely to make sure we all were feeling the same way about the inspiration.

Creating a tablescape is an art form that calls on a lot of different skills and is such an important element in any intimate party or wedding? How did you hone your skills and how do you continue to

Tablescapes are one of my favourite parts of my job. It totally sets the tone for the party. I make sure to see what the couple wants to the party to be like and I make sure to add elements that are personal. I also like to try to use materials that are not typical to change it up. I know the possibilities are endless and thats what motivates me to stretch my creativity and try new things.

Venue: Berkeley Bicycle Club

Design and Planning: Nagham at Love by Lynzie

Photography: Daring Wanderer and Ally and Nicholas Photography

Florals: A Fine Medley

Cake: Le Dolci

Stationery: Old City Mailroom

Rentals: The Perfect Table

Dress: Claire Pettibone

Hair/Makeup: Vanessa Garland