The Grand Staircase

The bride asked for something quieter than a ceremony scene — a single moment between her and the groom, painted at the venue's private staircase before guests filed in for the reception.

The room itself does most of the work: deep gold damask wallpaper, the curl of the wrought-iron banister, and warm tungsten light spilling from the corridor beyond. The figures are kept soft, with the bride's veil floating across the dark background as the largest area of light in the composition.

The beadwork on the gown took the longest stretch in the studio — every highlight placed individually so the dress reads correctly from across a room.