Searching for things to watch with our children over Labor Day weekend, we stumbled upon the new Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson on Netflix. What had definitely been way too scary to take them to see in the theater suddenly seemed like must-see TV and a much-needed respite from the usual lineup of Sophia The First, Elena of Avalar, and my least favorite because for some reason it’s noticeably louder than the others, Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Err, wait, what am I talking about? My kids never watch TV and play with wooden toys . . .
Anyway . . . the updated Beauty and the Beast isn’t a cartoon, which catapulted it to the top of the heap, and nestled under a blanket on the couch on a rainy summer afternoon, we clicked “purchase.” Two minutes in, and I kid you not, we were blown away. The cast! (Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey plays the Beast, and there are countless other big names.) The CGI technology! The music! The rebooted feminist storyline! (In this version, Belle is an inventor.) And, the clothes! Did we mention the clothes?! They are intricate, ornate, beautifully embellished, and well-suited for every situation.
Award-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran was the mastermind behind each look in the film, and by the time the credits were rolling, I wanted to jump into the movie and move to what Belle calls “this poor provincial town” just so I could get one of her embroidered blue jackets for fall. During the last scene, after the Beast has been transformed back into a prince (BTW, there’s no such thing as spoilers here because we all saw this movie when we were six) and everyone is dancing to “Tale As Old As Time” in the castle ballroom whilst wearing Victorian ballgowns and tails surrounded by some of the most breathtaking florals I’ve ever seen, I couldn’t help but start to think about how this moment—and the rest of the movie, to be honest—would make for the most incredible wedding inspiration. So, here is our Beauty and the Beast-inspired wedding weekend wardrobe, conjured up with the help of our favorite fashion blogger Natalie Steen of Up The Get Up. These looks could work for everything from the welcome party to the farewell breakfast—and we’ve included all of the shopping links, so be our guest (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves!), and click through the slideshow below.
