Old World Inspiration on the Cliffs of Palos Verdes

"This editorial was a true labor of love that I had such a joy dreaming up with the incredibly talented Taryn Leach. We took our inspiration from Saint Francis, a breathtaking chapel built from old brick and carved stone, radiated an old-worldy beauty that you might expect to find in an intimate European village. Nestled in the lush, wooded eucalyptus trees atop the plunging seaside cliffs of Palos Verdes, CA it was hard to imagine a more inspiring location for a shoot. With Old World beauty as the foundation of our design, we drew inspiration from art history and architectural movements in Europe during the medieval and renaissance time periods to create our concept. The period undertones allowed us to implement a regal element with our strong presence of golds and brass throughout the shoot, as well as the many gorgeous crowns and hair adornments that we were thrilled to feature. We incorporated couture gowns from Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, Marchesa and Watters to show the modern bride how she can draw inspiration from the Old World, but update it with modern couture. We embraced the juxtaposition of an unpredictable ocean in our moody color palette and wild, weedy florals, while portraying the natural serenity of the coastal fog at sunrise on a quiet morning." -Rebecca Yale Photography