Gothic chic styled shoot with a moody color palette, crystal elements and boho décor on Roan Mountain in North Carolina

On a warm summer day, the North Carolina mountains set the scene for a gothic chic styled shoot with its lush, dense forest and breathtaking vistas. To add to the dramatic deep greens and browns, the creative team added pops of gray, cream, gold and quartz accents.

In organizing this styled shoot, the team knew from the beginning that they wanted to pay homage to their roots. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the space is home to the purest quartz in the world and an iconic slice of the Appalachian Trail.

“With two world wonders, we drew inspiration right from our own backyard,” said the photographer.

In pursuing the theme of gothic chic, the team’s end goal was to support local... all the way down to the invitation suite. For this display, they incorporated the theme of rocks and minerals that make this area a true treasure. The paper featured a gold leaf trim with beautiful handwritten calligraphy, and a quartz pattern on the inside of the envelope.

For the bride’s look, they went full on boho, opting for soft lace details in the dress with an illusion neckline, mermaid silhouette and tulle train. She wore her hair in a fishtail braid styled half-up, half-down, and completed the look with a gorgeous quartz headpiece and veil.

“The mid-length veil accents the quartz crystal headpiece while keeping it traditional enough to appeal to many kinds of brides,” said the photographer.

Her groom wore a sleek black windowpane suit, paired with a silver and white polka dot tie. His boutonniere was made of lush greenery and a quartz crystal, which perfectly complemented the bride’s bouquet of fern leaves, sprigs of eucalyptus, modern proteas and anemone.

The florals in the bouquet and the table arrangements brought together elements from the setting itself, through a heavy use of greenery and abundant fern foliage covering the forest floor. Modern florals, including lush white proteas and anemones, added a dramatic touch and brown pincushion flowers added some warmth.

With the initial inspiration for the shoot being gothic chic, the team was aiming for the moodiness and elements of magic that gothic brings to mind, yet they wanted to maintain a certain kind of lightness and cheeriness. They placed lanterns at the foot of pine trees, and there was an abundant amount of ferns covering the forest floor.

“The setting of the shoot was incredibly beautiful in itself, and we wanted the décor to add to the beauty without being a distraction,” the photographer said.

When choosing the area for the table scene, the team wanted to explore a different area of the mountain that was especially intimate.

“We wanted our inspiration to come from our location instead of bringing in things to make it work,” said the photographer. “Everything we brought just worked together so effortlessly because it was right back where it came from.”

They spread out a lush faux fur rug over the forest floor and placed a dark wood baroque-style table with two acrylic ghost chairs complete with white sheepskin throws and brown knit pillows. The table was decorated with a moody gray fabric runner, black candlesticks in vintage gold holders, a large floral arrangement and more crystal elements.

At each place setting, there were black chargers and marble patterned plates, a set of antique gold flatware, ivory linens and crystal goblets. The two place settings also had a personalized quartz slab with “bride” and “groom” in gold handwritten calligraphy.

Following the tablescape shoot, the couple waltzed through the woods to another whimsical setup. The bride sunk into a navy-blue tufted armchair, with a gray faux fur thrown over the back. Next to the armchair, there was a white end table with moody gray fabric, black candlesticks and champagne in a vintage copper bucket. There were two matching vintage copper goblets, filled with small bundles of greenery and crystals.

For the final shot, the couple walked hand-in-hand through the forest’s lush greenery to a quiet and cozy setup. After a full day of smiles and laughter, it was the perfect way to wrap up the styled shoot.

On a cream-colored, velvet tufted loveseat, the couple nestled together for an intimate moment. The setup was enhanced by lush navy, cream and gray knit pillows, white faux sheepskin throws, and the abundant surrounding greenery.

Reflecting on the day, the quartz pieces and overall theme of crystals was one of the team’s favorite creative elements.

“The recurring crystal theme was my particular favorite in the shoot,” said the photographer. “From the gorgeous crystal headpiece the bride was wearing, to the quartz candlestick holders, to the crystals in the groom's boutonniere, to the elements of crystals beautifully brought the magic element to life.”

Every bit of this shoot came from the inspiration of the area. From the locally sourced quartz and geodes to the gold wedding favors, the magic of the forest truly brought their vision to life.

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