Going for Baroque

As seen in Today’s Bride 2025 Romance Guide.

This styled shoot was inspired by Baroque Portraiture and Still Life paintings. I was invited to visit a new Inn that opened in Gananoque, ON over the summer of 2023 as they are interested in hosting small weddings and events. While I was there I was inspired by the light and colour in the space. It took me back to my art history studies, in particular the Baroque period. Having just spent most of my season working on a lot of white, light, and airy weddings, I was excited at the opportunity to showcase the use of rich colours and dramatic light in this styled shoot. I wanted this shoot to show how we shouldn't be afraid to use lots of colour and a moodier atmosphere in wedding design.

Baroque portraiture is characterized by its focus on capturing the personality, status, and emotions of the sitter. Artists often employed dramatic lighting, elaborate costumes, and rich details to convey the wealth and power of their subjects. Portraits from this period often feature dynamic poses, expressive faces, and intricate backgrounds. We selected a beautiful black lace ball gown and luxurious red velvet suit for our models and adorned them with gold crowns to accentuate extravagance and grandeur. We played with light and movement with not only the models, but also the table setting and centerpieces.

Baroque still life painting emerged as a distinct genre during the 17th century, reflecting the era's fascination with symbolism, materialism, and the transience of life. Still life paintings typically depicted arrangements of inanimate objects such as flowers, fruits, food, and household items. Artists infused these compositions with symbolic meaning, using objects to convey themes of mortality, vanitas (the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures), and the passage of time. You can see references to this by the use of fruit, the hourglass, the skull, etc. in the decor and centerpieces.