Nostalgic 2000s Elopement at Virgin Hotel Dallas

2000’s Valentines Day Wedding

This was such a fun project for me. It was all the brainchild of Sistered States’ Sarah Wintersteen. She reached out about doing an editorial photoshoot featuring the style and feel of the late 90’s early 2000s. Having grown up in the period and loving fashion photography, this was right up my alley. To get the feel of that era, I used a combo of harsher flash digital and film photos shot with a disposable camera.

Here is more about the idea behind the photoshoot from Sarah:

Vision

When I was planning the shoot, I wanted to do something that felt different from the rest of the wedding industry. I saw the 90s coming back as a big influence in the fashion industry and among the younger generation. But I hadn’t seen it take over the wedding industry yet. I wanted to create a 90s/2000s nostalgic aesthetic to mimic what I was seeing reemerge in society.

I also wanted to bring in an edgier, more fashion editorial feel to the shoot. Again, a lot of what you see in the wedding industry are bright, airy, soft images. They are beautiful, but also overdone. I wanted the harsh flash and dinginess that comes from polaroid or disposable cameras. That played into the nostalgia/vintage feel!

Virgin Hotel Dallas

I wanted a lot of color and patterns in the shoot. The late 90s/early 2000s style was very vibrant and a little chaotic. I drew a lot of inspiration from the venue here. Virgin Hotel Dallas did a great job decorating with a mixture of patterns, textures, and colors.

The Dress

“I knew I wanted something that felt very sleek 90s. This would contrast all the crazy colors/patterns in the other elements of the shoot. We settled on a cowl neck dress with a high slit from Lovely Bride. It felt very bridal, but still sexy, which was going to help with the fashion editorial feel we were going for!

Makeup and Hair

“I wanted the hair and makeup to also be a little edgier than the soft natural glow that you see a lot in the bridal industry. I wanted lots of glitter, pops of pink, and a fun and youthful hair style!

Cake and Paper

For both the cake and paper, I wanted them to feel youthful and fun. We used cherries on both, as those were big during that time.

Photography

I knew I wanted the harsh flash/graininess that comes with older cameras. But I also wanted the poses and shots to be more out of the box as well. Besides the traditional wedding shots, we had the models take turns “smashing the cake” or doing “paparazzi shots.” This gave the feel of a young couple who “isn’t afraid to break the rules” and tap into some youthful rebellion.

Virgin Hotel Dallas white high-rise hotel man in black tuxedo with woman in white dress sitting in car smiling woman leg pink heels in white dress stepping out of red car Virgin Hotel Dallas pink, purple, and blue wedding invitation sitting with camera and heels white floral bouquet sitting on red chair Dark haired Woman in white dress standing in front of brown wall Standing woman legs in white dress pink heels laughing dark haired Woman in white dress standing in front of brown wall purple camera in martini glass next to pink heels and diamond bracelet Man in black tuxedo and untied bowtie Man in black tuxedo and bowtie Man in black tuxedo and adjusting bowtie red elevator man in black tuxedo sitting in green booth at Virgin Hotel Dallas woman legs in white dress pink heels man in black tuxedo with woman in white holding bouquet Man in black tuxedo standing with cake in hands next to woman in white dress holding flower bouquet in red elevator Man in black tuxedo and bowtie standing with cake in hands next to woman in white dress holding flower bouquet in red elevator with blue walls bride and groom smiling by red heart white cake and blue wallpaper at Virgin Hotel Dallas man and woman pouring champagne into glass bride and groom pouring champagne behind red heart white cake and blue wallpaper at Virgin Hotel Dallas red heart white two tier cake and blue wallpaper at Virgin Hotel Dallas bride and groom toasting behind red heart white cake and blue wallpaper Man in black tuxedo smiling with woman nuzzling face pink, purple, and blue wedding cocktail menu sitting with florals and martini pink and red table floral centerpiece with white stools flower cascade at Virgin Hotel Dallas pink and red table florals with white plate and gold silverware Virgin Hotel Dallas bride and groom toasting behind pink and red table floral centerpiece at Virgin Hotel Dallas man in black tuxedo with woman in white dress walking in red carpet Virgin Hotel Dallas lobby smiling Man in black tuxedo clasping arms with woman in white dress g Man in black tuxedo leaning on woman in white dress red elevator Virgin Hotel Dallas Man in black hugging woman in white dress