The Elia Wedding Venue Wilmington, NC | Pizza & Pearls Styled Shoot

October 1, 2023

~ Art-deco inspired wedding photoshoot in Downtown Wilmington, NC ~

Earlier this year, I participated in a styled shoot in Wilmington at the brand-new event venue, The Elia. The venue is located downtown on Front Street in a historic building and has a glamorous art-deco aesthetic.

I was really excited by the concept of this styled shoot. The idea of blending an elevated and elegant aesthetic (the pearls) with a more casual and affordable feel (the pizza) was very intriguing to me. Recently, I’ve noticed a rising trend in wedding photography of this new kind of paparazzi editorial style, for lack of a better term, that features direct flash and candid movement. This style exudes glamour and spontaneity, and I thought it aligned nicely with the shoot concept. This shoot was the perfect opportunity for me to experiment with this style without the pressure of an actual wedding. As with any creative endeavor, some of these shots turned into successes, while others fell short of expectations. This shoot would not have been possible without all of the incredible work and participation from all the vendors. A full list of the vendors can be found at the end of this blog post.

Venue: The Elia, Downtown Wilmington, NC

The Elia is a stunning event and wedding venue space in the heart of Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The venue can host up to 175 guests with over 7,000 square feet of indoor event space, making it one of Downtown Wilmington’s largest wedding venue options. The Elia is part of a historic building contributing to its art-deco aesthetic. Unfortunately, due to the building being a historic space, there were lots of exposed piping, electrical, and ductwork, that had to be edited out in Photoshop. This tends to be the case with historic venue spaces. This venue is located in a prime location and is surrounded by many local hotels, restaurants, cafés, boutiques, bars, and the iconic Wilmington Riverwalk.

Pearls

The gorgeous bridal attire for this shoot was provided by Something Bleu Bridal House in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The pearl detailing on the veil, the matching pearl jewelry, and the white silk dress gave a luxurious and clean aesthetic to this portion of the shoot. This style of slip dress has become really popular lately, this one elevates the look with a beautiful medium length train, knee high slit, and perfectly placed cowl neckline. Some dresses in this style have the tendency to be looser in the bust because of the cowl neck, but this one had a bit more structure which minimized any possible wardrobe malfunctions. I also love a good veil, incorporating the veil in your photos can really add to the atmosphere and mood, giving a dreamy and ethereal atmosphere.

Paparazzi

Like I mentioned previously, the aesthetic for this portion of the shoot allowed me to experiment with the paparazzi editorial style I had seen trending on social media. This style of photography can be quite stunning and displays the connection between a couple. When trying to capture this aesthetic more natural and authentic poses work best. Capturing movement and realistic poses works well and helps to catch that paparazzi style.

Pizza

The delicious pizzas for this shoot were provided by Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilmington. Catering your wedding with a local pizza restaurant is a great idea to add a fun, inexpensive twist to your special day. Pizza is a classic, fan-favorite dish that most people would be pleasantly surprised to enjoy on your wedding day. This catering option is very customizable and allows for fun and creative options for your quests. Most pizza places have multiple allergen and dietary restriction options that will fit your guests’ dietary needs. A fun and quirky way to incorporate the pizza into your aesthetic is to have an “I love you with every pizza my heart” sign. This fun signage also serves as a great photo opportunity next to your catering area.

Art-Deco

The overall aesthetic of The Elia contributed to the Art-Deco vibes felt all day long. For the pizza couple, a vintage car was brought in for the couple’s arrival. This vintage touch was the perfect addition to this couple’s section of the shoot. Bringing in an old-fashioned car can allow for a fun arrival, send-off, and general photo opportunity for a couple and their guests. We chose to do the traditional champagne spray in front of the vintage car. This is such a fun activity for couples to do and helps bring their personality to life in their photos.

Solo Bride

In addition to the two couple portions of this styled shoot, we had one solo bride as well. We were able to get some amazing detail shots during this section of the day. Many brides love to choose a perfume specific to their wedding day. In addition to getting detailed shots of the perfume bottle, capturing the bride applying the fragrance can create a beautiful and meaningful moment.

View the full blog post here: https://vidrphotography.com/post/730035686760136704/pizza-and-pearls-art-deco-styled-shoot-at-the-elia