I’ve been letting this Enchanted Forest theme concept marinate in my mind for far too long, working on it on and off several times, in the past few years. A few days back the destiny of this concept finally emerged, when I decided to just start with the invitation, since that’s what I do for a living, and I also want to build worlds and tell stories, but how do we do both together. Well viola!
The Crystal Forest: A Sparkling Hidden World
Picture this: You’re now stepping onto an alien planet, a colourful world, scintillating crystals jutting out from the forest floor everywhere, as if inviting you to touch them and feel their magical energy amplify your joy. You have stepped into a reverie, or so you feel. You take one good look around and pinch yourself. “Is this real?” you silently wonder.
The Crystal Forest At Nightfall
The Crystal Forest During Day
A Change Of Attire
As you step further into this enchanting forest overflowing with crystals of all sizes, as well as accompanied by scattered gemstones like faithful companions, you realise your attire has changed. You’re not wearing the drab pyjamas you wore from what you can last remember. Instead you adjust a beautiful, delicate, long, soft pink gown with iris blue crystals on it, which, to your utter amazement, you’re now, somehow, donning.
Cute Stares
“What! How did I get into these?” you whisper almost a little too loudly to disturb the lovely woodland creatures who seemed to be peacefully napping there, though some, you now realise with slight trepidation, had been looking at you with a curious stare.
“Oh they’re so cute and adorable! Can I pick them up and pet them?” you wonder since you’ve never actually come across creatures like these back home. They seem more innocent and sweet than unexpected danger.
You look into their thoughtful eyes for a few seconds, and then decide to respect their boundaries and observe them for now. “They’re probably thinking the same about me,” you chuckle silently to yourself. You still have an entire new world to explore. What if there’s something more dangerous lurking just past the next large geode of crystals?
You’re used to being careful, since you don’t come from a very friendly world. These cuties, though, help you forget the chaos you left behind, at least for a little while. All you want to do is hug them.
A Search For Answers
You wander around the crystal forest in awe, with its uplifting energy juxtaposing with the thought you’ve had for a while now, “Where is this place, and how did I get here? What am I even doing here? Why am I here?” The questions won’t stop, though they get temporarily subdued when your consciousness is filled with thoughts of the beauty you find yourself in.
After many, what seem like hours, you begin to become aware of that fact that you’re thirsty and hungry, and that you’ve been so for a while now. Nothing seems edible. The forest is filled with what look like shrubs and clusters of crystal geodes and gemstones. Yes, there are trees like the ones back home, but not exactly. These trees do not have any fruits on them. Perhaps it’s the not the season for harvest. You suddenly feel like an idiot for not knowing better.
As your thirst and hunger grow, you come across what looks like a door made up of glass, set in a white marble-like stone frame with delicate etchings in, what seems like, gold. Beyond the door you can glimpse a large geode of icy blue crystals, lay tightly together. Though it looks inviting, you’re unsure whether you should open the door. You carefully weigh your options. You need to eat and drink, or you’ll faint. There’s certainly no edible substance in the forest area you just traversed. You have thoroughly checked it already. There seems to be no other way to get ahead other than this door. You have a feeling it’s unlocked, and you won’t have a problem opening it, as if it has laid there awaiting your touch. You snap yourself out of self-indulging fantasy and focus on the task at hand. “Find food and something good to drink.”
A Door Opens
You walk up to the door and press the golden handle. It turns easily, like you had anticipated. Now you’re creeped out, “How did I know? Have I been here before?”
Carefully you look inside, and walk in to the other side. Surprisingly, you find yourself not in a crystal cave, but in, what seems like, an open garden. The tables are set, as if expecting a guest.
You look around, and there’s not a soul in sight. You walk to one of the tables, and look for the smallest glass or cup to take a sip from. You’re aware you might be intruding, but you also know you’ll faint if you don’t take a sip. You hesitate and wait a few more seconds to see if there’s a host you could request permission to drink from. There was no one other than the critters occasionally peeking from behind the bushes. As you mentally mull over whether it is a trap, and if you should wait a few more minutes for the host, your hands involuntarily reach out and grab one of the glasses, and before you know it you are sipping one of the tastiest beverages you have ever tasted. It feels refreshing!
Hidden Gems
There are drinks tables, dessert tables, and meal tables. You follow the silent banquet, and turn a corner to find a small crystal cave filled with delicious looking cakes and desserts of all sizes. There’s something that looks like some kind of bread, ice cream, and to your utter amazement, your favourite, rice and noodles!
So, there are edible items in this world after all, you think heaving a sigh of mild relief. Mild, because you still don’t know if it’s safe to eat, as well as the nagging thought that such delicious cake couldn’t have just made itself.
Someone or something made it, and set the table for you, or so it appears. You sense you’re not alone. “Am I being watched? This person or thing read my thoughts too, though they might have gloriously miscalculated my appetite.” You know you’re a ravenous eater when hungry, but even you cannot gulp down tables and tables filled with desserts and elaborate meals! Still, you’re grateful for the feast on offer!
The design of the cakes seem to draw inspiration from the elements of the Crystal Forest. There are single as well as multi-tiered cakes with soft, shimmery pearl finish that give them a subtle iridescent glow. They mostly feature light pink in colour, with hints of shimmering light blue and pale lavender. The toppings are a mixture of what look like crystal rocks, with decorations seemed to be made of fondant resembling berries and flowers.
A Sumptuous Meal
Intrigued and half wondering if they’re actually edible, you take a bite from one of the cakes. As you had already guessed, the smaller rock-like crystals and geodes were indeed edible, made of sugar crystals, and the larger crystal toppings were made of jelly. These crystals appeared to be in various shapes and sizes, ranging from small, chunky pieces to larger shards, all edible.
You quickly seat yourself at a beautifully arranged dinner table, and dig into a plate of delicious noodles, bread, and incredibly satisfying desserts. Amidst the sounds of hearing your stuffed mouth exclaim, “Oooh! Aaah! This is so good! Mmmmm!” (that probably sounded, to an unsuspecting passerby if any, as someone mating than eating food), you managed to note the layers of cake seem to have been infused with a delicate blend of lavender and vanilla. In between each layer, there is a light and creamy lavender buttercream frosting that complements the subtle flavor of the cake, perfectly. You make a mental note to give your compliments to the baker and the cook, whenever you discover them!
Calling It A Day
After a good meal, which thankfully didn’t kill you, as you had first anticipated, you walk on further and explore the nearby area. You discover another large cave filled with beautiful, large, and clear crystals, as has been the nature of this forest. As dangerous as the crystal clusters seem, they’re completely static and balanced. If you fall on them and die, it’s your fault.
You sense a quick rush of air, and turn around to just about catch a glimpse of the furry little behind of a small creature dashing through the crystals. While you have probably torn some parts of your delicate gown, moving through this forest, these native creatures seem to have mastered how to move swiftly through these giant crystals without getting hurt.
You remember the cute creatures you saw earlier, and wonder if one of them managed to follow you into this cave. As you start thinking of how fluffy and soft their fur seemed to be, and that you would love to pet them, a yawn overtook you. It’s time to rest.
You find a cosy spot inside the cave, with a cave stone wall at your back (so no one can sneak up from behind) and a crystal cluster to your side, so that you have some cover, and hope you don’t wake up to a monster staring at you, ready to eat you for breakfast. Stressed at the thought, you gulp, but your body seems too tired to support your sitting weight anymore. You fall asleep to thoughts of glittering crystals, petting the adorable furry creatures, delicious cakes, and the unknown vastness of the landscape that lay beyond, which you will inevitably explore.
Loading ...Moodboard – Behind The Scenes
Images Credit: All non-stationery images in the moodboards above were individually generated by AI, based on my specific separate instructions, and then manually edited and compiled by me. Some moodboard images are direct renders with minor edits by me, and some images have been heavily edited by me to match my story and theme. | Copyright © Soumya’s Designs
I’ve been continuously working on this post for about 10 days. I mean, this was after making the main invitation design (which also took me a few days). Just working on this concept/moodboard post, thinking about and writing the actual story/article, and generating lots of concept images with the help of AI, took me many hours in the last more than a week.
I have always dreamed of doing something like this though, where instead of grabbing photos from Pinterest (and giving the Photographer/Sources credit of course), I make my own thematic photos that are consistent with my vision of the theme when I design the invitation collections. However, it’s not practically feasible to photograph all this in real life using props. I do not have the time, energy, money, resources, or team to be able to do that. So, my next best option was to create the concept images using 3D software which takes incredible amounts of time, energy, and skill to make. I mean, I have like 43 moodboard/concept images here. If I were to make all that in 3D, it would take many months of continuous work. So much energy input for something that I’m not even making any money from, is simply not feasible for me, as I have had to focus on making more finalised product designs like my invitations, welcome signs, seating charts, etc. So, when I discovered AI last year, I knew that I can finally do my thematic moodboard exactly the way I envision it, without having to depend on only what is available on the internet for pinning, but rather creating the scene itself with the help of AI.
I hope you enjoyed taking a trip through this Enchanted Crystal Forest! Would you like to bring this theme into your event?
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What Next?
Planning a Fantasy, Enchanted Forest, Crystal, Winter, or Pink and Blue themed Wedding, Prom, Birthday, Shower, or other event? Check out all my Enchanted Forest themed items, Fantasy and Fairytale themed items, Pink themed items, or Winter themed items. Not sure of your event’s theme yet? Go through all my Collections here for a variety of themes. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Feel free to contact me. If you liked this post, please consider leaving me a comment with your thoughts!
About Me
I’m Soumya, a Graphic Designer. I love all forms of design. I create graphics at www.soumyasdesigns.com/shop
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