Winslow Homer Inspired Wedding at Historic Boston Mansion

Winer weekends make us want to curl up with a good book, a cup of hot tea, and a dream of simpler times. Today’s styled shoot might not be particularly simple, but it is reminiscent of days gone by! This Winslow Homer inspired styled shoot is all things vintage and beautiful and we’re in love.

In 1859, American painter Winslow Homer moved to New York and founded his famous painting studio. Prior to that, he lived in and around Boston and spent a great deal of time at his uncle’s mansion in Belmont, Massachusetts, a place that served as inspiration for many of his famous paintings. In 1923, several women from the community banded together to purchase and preserve the house, which had been scheduled for destruction. Now, nearly a century later, as the Belmont Woman’s Club continues to restore the home, the beautiful historical mansion is open to the public and available for hosting events.

For this styled shoot, the team leaned heavily into the connection to Winslow Homer for inspiration. Libby, of All the Little Stories Photography, designed the invitation suite which was printed on heavyweight satin paper with a rose gold foil. Integrating graphic florals and a modern calligraphy font as a basis for the suite, the invitations recall the relaxed formality of a bygone era, with a modern update. In a nod to the history of the venue, recreations of some of Homer’s paintings acted as table identifiers and escort cards, printed in custom size torn edge prints by Loktah. Several of Winslow Homer’s famous paintings were painted while he stayed in this house with his uncle, so the team integrated the framed prints of the paintings hanging around the house as backdrops to further this historical theme.

Freelance makeup artist Veronica Nunes strove to enhance the bride’s statuesque bone structure, natural freckles, and skin tone while showcasing her crystal blue eyes. The pop of color on the lip captured the vintage vibe of the location, without taking away from the bride’s natural beauty. When hair stylist Andrea Bergstrom, of Hair Images Salon, saw the Tadashi Shoji dress from BHLDN, with its tiers of scalloped lace and dramatic cape, combined with all of the incredible antiques in the venue, she knew immediately that she wanted to create a “modern twist on vintage” style, to match the overall inspiration vibe. She elected for a whimsical, loose half up french twist for the bride’s long bob, with gentle curls alluding to the popular finger wave of the time. She also included a vintage broach pinned into her hair at the clasp.

For the tablescape, Kathleen Cowing of the Belmont Woman’s Club pulled several sets of vintage china from the Homer House storage. Together with Libby Nelson, they worked to mix and match the various pieces within the sets for a fresh take on a vintage china place setting. Isabella Bergstrom of the Belmont Flower Shop created a lemon leaf runner with cream roses tucked in for added lightness in both the ceremony space and the table. A cascading pedestal centerpiece of cream roses and eucalyptus was placed upon the grand piano for added drama. For the bouquet, Isabella opted for simple & bright elegance, to enhance (but not compete with) the detailing in the dress, by blending dahlias, cream roses, eucalyptus leaves, and snowberries.