Ashley and Grant turned their wedding into a Baroque painting. Burgundy velvet, gold cherubs, candlelight, fresh fruit and arrangements of flowers filled the reception, while guests arrived dressed in jewel tones, floral prints and painterly textures. The couples called the concept Still Life in Real Life, bringing the drama of historic art into their celebration.

“Planning our wedding felt less like traditional wedding planning and more like one big art project,” said Ashley. “It was a celebration of dark romance, old-world opulence, and unapologetic glamour. Inspired by the drama of the Baroque era, we created a wedding that felt like a still life brought to life. Every element was intentionally chosen to feel decadent, intimate, and a little unconventional, creating a celebration that was equal parts dark fairytale, timeless romance, and rock ‘n’ roll attitude.”

The ceremony took place inside the tiny, one-room church where Ashley’s parents were also married. Its bright red carpet brought an unexpected hit of colour. “Our ceremony was deeply personal and rooted in family history”, she continued. “We wanted the chapel to feel romantic and cinematic, which was easy with the bright red carpet. We even restored the front steps ourselves, bringing new life to a meaningful piece of the building.”

Her dress was the first one she tried on. She even added a few new tattoos to complement it. Yet finding Grant’s suit was decidedly more difficult. “The part of wedding planning we found the most challenging was finding the perfect suit! My dress was the very first dress I tried on, so naturally, I assumed the suit would be just as easy. We went to three different suit shops before finally finding something that felt right, and choosing options for the groomsmen was its own challenge. We wanted everyone to look cohesive while still feeling comfortable and like themselves, but finding suits, colours, cuts, and styles that worked for everyone was surprisingly complicated keeping budget in mind. In the end, finding the perfect suit became far more of an adventure than finding my dress ever was!”

The reception was held in a local hotel, and Ashley and Grant spent months collecting the pieces that would fill the space. They hunted through antique shops and second-hand stores for gold candelabras, angels, cherubs and curious objects. They poured their own plaster vases, painted them gold and filled them with floral arrangements inspired by Baroque paintings. Ashley’s mum hand-sewed the floral napkins, then folded them into apples and hearts. A plush The Millers banner was sewn and stuffed by hand.

Guests also created a collaborative still-life painting during cocktail hour and left messages on a vintage pink telephone in place of signing a guest book. These details allowed people to contribute to the artwork instead of simply looking at it.

“Your wedding doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else; it just has to feel like home to you”, Ashley concluded. “I hope our wedding reminds other couples that they are allowed to make their wedding a reflection of themselves. Still Life in Real Life began as an artistic idea inspired by Baroque paintings, but it became so much more than a theme. It became a way for us to tell our story through colour, flowers, family, history, art, and all of the little things we created with our own hands.”