The Films "Clue" and "Marie Antoinette" Inspired Influencer Rosey Blair's Wedding at The Mason in Dallas

Rosey Blair (33 and a social media creator) and Houston Hardaway (31 and a social media manager) celebrated their marriage with an eclectic-meets-vintage wedding at The Mason in Dallas, Texas. The day showcased a blending of vintage science illustrations, Caravaggio-inspired decor arrangements and a moody jewel-tone color palette. Rosey explains that the couple "wanted to throw an immersive and fun party more than anything so we selected the venue first and then all other decisions were made to build off of and elevate that space. Our goal was to create a unique, cohesive, site-specific event. If we were to define our theme it would be “Clue (1985) by way of Marie Antoinette (2006). 

When it came to designing their dream wedding day, the couple "tried to view the space cinematically, imagining it as a house party being thrown and asking 'who would the hosts be and how would they decorate their house for a party?' Building out these imagined hosts and coming up with their lives, hobbies and interests was a major part of the creative planning process and provided us a filter for further creative decisions throughout," says Rosey. "We gave our florist a mood board of turn of the century travel brochures, sepia-tone images of ballrooms and astrological iconography. One of the early phrases we used when thinking about creative design for the event was 'a train ride to Cairo.' We wanted the flowers to make it feel like you were stepping into a still life with a Caravaggio color palette: structural and delicate and lived in and smelling faintly of dirt." Rosey goes on to note that "our wedding was definitely the most traditional we had ever been to, but I’m sure that some people might describe it as 'alternative.' I think of this as a positive in that our planning process, and what we tried to do, lived somewhere outside of any expectations or ideas of what 'needed' to be done."

To kick off their wedding day, the couple exchanged vows in a ballroom space with dramatic crystal chandeliers. "Windows as tall as the walls poured in light from the setting sun, and at the end of the room was a fireplace full of white birch underneath a large antique mirror," shares Rosey. "We did not want to do much to this space, but let the architecture do the work." The ceremony began with unique processional music selections. "We tried to make the whole thing feel cinematic and treated the song selection process like a soundtrack. We traded in traditional sweeping strings and tender pianos for lush synths and romantic, echoing snares. New Order, Tears for Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen—the original recordings, not orchestral covers."

Following the processional, the couple's officiant invited guests to observe a moment of silence as a way of centering everyone ahead of the vow exchange. "We had a really nice moment of silence in which our officiant asked everyone in attendance to take a few moments to ground themselves in the present and really take stock of the event." Then, during the vow exchange, the couple included a ring-warming unity ceremony as a way of involving their wedding guests in the event. Rosey explains that as part of the ritual, "our wedding rings were held by each of the members of our immediate family who attended, passing their love into the rings." 

Once the couple was officially announced as married, guests were invited to another part of the venue for dinner then dancing. Rosey explains that the couple chose to get more playful with the design for their reception. Notably, the seating chart made use of vintage scientific prints with illustrations like bugs and jellyfish. To complement the science illustrations, "the tables were decorated with vintage books, pomegranates, bell jars bursting with clovers, magnifying glasses, and small vertical terrariums with spidery vines feeling out from glass bulbed air planters," says Rosey. 

In addition to dancing at the reception, the couple also brought in a silhouette artist for guests to enjoy as a unique alternative to a photo booth. "Rather than opt for a photobooth for people to take pictures during the reception we employed both a silhouette artist as well as a typewriter poet to allow guests to capture their image in a more esoteric way," says Rosey. "We also wanted to provide our guests with activities to do outside of dancing or talking if at any point they felt uncomfortable or bored doing so." To bring their beautiful day to a close, Rosey and Houston opted for a private last dance to spend a few minutes together after their public last dance. "We spent the last few minutes of our wedding alone—swaying with each other and taking it all in."