The Sentimentalist Wedding

The inspiration for The Sentimentalist Wedding shoot is all about the dress. This mother/daughter collaboration means the bride gets married in what Gabi and Krista describe as comfortable and beautiful. They say The Sentimentalist Bride wants a timeless dress but an individual one, too.

These wedding dresses are treasures from vintage shops and other unique locales, perfectly special just like your wedding day!

Wedding Invitations for The Sentimentalist Wedding

The Sentimentalist is a highly romantic style of wedding dress store so if this is the vibe and aesthetic that you’re wanting to carry throughout your wedding theme then you’re going to want to keep it fairly classic and traditional in every aspect of your big day.

With your wedding invitations, go with a nice heavy stock, nicely textured and weighted white card with beautiful scripted lettering. Hint to your sentimentalist theme with romantic accents such as pastel brushstrokes or edging. The word we’d repeatedly use here is classic: weddings are fundamentally elegant and romantic affairs, keep this in mind with your wedding invitation designs.

What to Look for in a Venue for The Sentimentalist Wedding

When it comes to finding a wedding venue that’s suitable and works with your sentimentalist wedding theme, consider the romantic cultural references that you enjoy such as films and books and draw inspiration from those specific, meaningful settings.

It might be that a sentimentalist theme for you is a big stately home from a Jane Austen novel, it might be that it’s more of a rustic but cozy and romantic woodland setting like Midsummers Nights Dream. The thing about a sentimentalist theme is that you have to feel personally sentimental about it. What says romance to you and your groom?

Bouquets & Boutonnieres for The Sentimentalist Wedding

What says romance, elegance and classic taste more than stunning floral arrangements? With The Sentimentalist Wedding theme, you want the bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces to be light and airy like they’re up on cloud nine alongside you and your groom.

Classic accompaniments for The Sentimentalist Wedding include baby’s breath, roses and lilies in pastel pinks and creams to bring a hint of color to what is otherwise a classically clean looking white wedding theme. When it comes to boutonnieres, think about small and dainty looking selections in a lighter hue to help bring together the look in a cohesive way.

Dresses & Accessories for The Sentimentalist Wedding

Now when it comes to the dream wedding dress for The Sentimentalist Wedding it’s entirely up to the bride, but romance is the key word to lead with when you’re on your search. Think about lace backs, flowy trains, floral accents to your accessories and classic shoes to effortlessly glide down the aisle in. As with the wedding dresses in this spectacular photo shoot, vintage and softness, lace and ivory – whatever makes you feel beautiful is the way to go.

In terms of accessories, keep it light and traditional and avoid any chunky statement pieces that might weigh down the overall look. Think drop earrings or studs, small pendant necklaces and an unfussy veil. Besides, that new ring is going to be the main accessory by the end of the ceremony!

Wedding Photo Shoot Ideas for The Sentimentalist Wedding

With The Sentimentalist Wedding theme being quite traditional and romantic with an elegant edge, your wedding photo shoot is definitely going to follow suit. Think about a lot of soft angles and edges to your photos with you and your new spouse and the background slightly blurred as if the world is just falling away and there’s nothing else but each other.

For this kind of wedding photo shoot, outdoor settings with lots of soft florals, such as the garden grounds of a big stately house, often help to provide a sentimental memento of your big day. You chose your wedding venue for a reason, use the wedding photo shoot as an opportunity to show it off!

Portrait Props for The Sentimentalist Wedding

As romance and elegance are key reference points here, that's the kind of idea you want to have in mind when looking for portrait props. Keep it classic with flowers, top hats and water features. All those firm wedding photo favorites that have stood the test of time are ideal.

Alternatively, you can lean into your sentimental side and use props that really mean something to you and your new spouse. This can be stuff like the books that you’ve bonded over and have inspired the setting and style of the wedding or something relating to the way you met – get personal and meaningful with it.

Ceremony Decor for The Sentimentalist Wedding

When you’re looking at decor for the main part of your wedding ceremony, the key with The Sentimentalist Wedding is to keep it classy with your pastel hues and different shades of white to bring a soft texture to your wedding venue.

With that in mind, think about long romantic looking draped fabrics along the aisle and covering the chairs with a long and slightly raised aisle to give all your guests the view of the happy couple they crave so much. Perhaps consider having smaller bouquets along the pathway to tie the floral arrangements in across your The Sentimentalist Wedding scheme.

Wedding Reception Music and Entertainment for The Sentimentalist Wedding

The great thing about The Sentimentalist Wedding theme is that it’s massively open for interpretation and the personal preference of you and your new spouse. This is apparent with aspects like the wedding reception music and entertainment, where you can choose from cover bands, string quartets, DJs, playlists and more.

To keep that romantic, elegant theme continuing, you can opt for a string quartet cover band that can play modern songs in a more sophisticated way. Think about the entirety of the Bridgerton soundtrack. This way your wedding music choices appeal to all generations and stay on The Sentimentalist Wedding theme.

Favors & Gifts for The Sentimentalist Wedding

When it comes to wedding favors for The Sentimentalist Wedding, as with the rest of the theme, the easiest way to pull it off is to stick with the romantic classics. Things like hangover kits or sugared almonds in soft little pouches are a quick and easy way to give your guests a small memento of the big day.

For the gifts for the bridal party, you can go a little bit more heartfelt with it and dig into The Sentimentalist Wedding plan and find a present that really means something to both of you. Maybe it’s a nicely bound version of a book you both love or a necklace with a charm that references something special.

Outdoor Wedding Ideas for The Sentimentalist Wedding

The Sentimentalist Wedding theme is a beautifully romantic and elegant inspiration that lends itself well to either an indoor or outdoor wedding, or one that straddles the two. For example, if you’re using a big stately home then you can often strike a deal to have some use of the expansive grounds or gardens where you can put up a marquee for your reception.

If you want a romantic wedding completely outdoors there are plenty of wedding venues and locations that would work from beaches to gardens to woodlands. The key here is to pair back your decor and arrangements so that the focus is on your and your other half as it well should be!

The Sentimentalist

The Sentimentalist is a mother / daughter run designer and vintage bridal boutique in Atlanta, Georgia, and it’s absolutely darling!

For this newest installment in the inside the boutique series, I sent Gabi my interview questions and she turned around and interviewed her mother & business partner, Krista. Isn’t that the sweetest? And it’s all paired with a fantastic shoot of The Sentimentalist from Rustic White Photography. Enjoy!

Gabi (daughter) –  How did you come to find yourself in the wedding industry?

Krista (mother) – My daughter worked for a wedding dress designer in Portland and introduced me to the wonderful world of wedding shops. We always wanted to do some type of business together and this seemed to be the perfect fit.

What new trends and styles do you think are going to be big this year?

I think anything vintage inspired will continue to appeal to our brides, it’s classic. Sleeves seem to be recently popular as well as flowing skirts.

Where do you source your vintage gowns?

There are several different places that we find our gowns, from estate sales, antique shoes, and even Ebay. My favorite place to source gowns has been from some sweet clients of our old-fashioned hair salon next door. One lady brought her gown and headpiece to us from when she got married in 1950 in New York. I feel proud that she entrusted us with her memories (and gave us photos!).

How did you choose to style and design your boutique?

It was truly a collaborative effort between my daughter, husband, and myself with plenty of help from close friends and family. We used many of my daughter’s antiques that were passed down to her from my mother. My husband worked on the renovations and I brought snacks to everyone. My daughter had a clear vision of what she wanted the shop to look like and we have a good time shopping for our treasures.

How would you describe a ‘Sentimentalist Bride?’

A Sentimentalist Bride is a bride who wants a beautiful, comfortable dress to get married in, but not something that everyone else has. She is looking for a dress that is timeless and that expresses her personality.

What is your #1 tip for brides who are looking for their wedding dress right now?

Do not bring an entourage with you. Bring your mother if you are fortunate enough to have one, and maybe your maid of honor or sister. The fewer opinions, besides your own, that you have to filter through – the better.

I feel like you must be a fan of Downton Abbey – who is your favorite character?

Mr. Bates, hands down. He has a mysterious history, is honorable and kind, but knows how to handle those who have crossed him.

Credits: The Sentimentalist designer and vintage bridal boutique in Atlanta from Rustic White Photography.