Cleopatra & Frankenstein

A tumultuous and unique love story

Oh, this book. Like you and probably everyone else, I was drawn to it by its cover, (yes, guilty) but after reading the synopsis I wanted to learn more about Cleo and Frank. Their relationship sounded messy, juvenile, yet nuanced… I was sucked in. Classically, the two characters are complete polar opposites. She’s a painter, experiencing life as an artist in her early twenties in New York, while he’s a successful advertising exec in his forties living a lush lifestyle. Their charming encounter happens in an elevator on the first few pages, and they are off to get married on page seventeen. The author barely gives you a chance to get to know them as a couple, a deliberate choice. It should feel compulsive, because the two characters are compulsive. 

There’s so much I could pull from in this colorful debut from Coco Mellors. I love the dichotomy of grit and glamor that’s explored page after page. For our imaginary dinner party setting, I decided to lean into their wedding day. There’s so much inner dialogue in this chapter with Cleo and I’m going to dive in and map out an ethereal wedding reception for our perfectly flawed couple.

Their Drink of Choice

Cleo leaves her wedding to be planned by Santiago, their eccentric friend who’s a chef and quite over-the-top when it comes to planning parties. While Frank leans opulent, Cleo is more laissez-faire. A refreshing pet nat is a great compromise. I love the notes of this one from Echeverria Miao: “easy bubbles with smoky orchard fruit and wild herbs.” Fitting, as the aura reader mentions to Cleo, that she’s “intuitive, sensitive, stubborn, and needed to drink more herbal tea.” Pet nat counts as herbal tea, right?

What’s on their menu?

Probably any wedding planner that reads the following words I’m about to utter will have a heart attack but, I totally see a classic New York hot dog stand at their wedding reception. A hot dog bar with all the fixings. Ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, pickles… you could get pretty inventive here. It certainly matches Cleo’s overall blasé attitude.

Our couple is anything but traditional, but Cleo hoped for a wedding cake. Something from an Italian bakery on the Lower East Side to be exact. I love the thought of a nontraditional cake for this that still feels grand. I saved this shot from NYC bakery ‘From Lucie’ a few months ago of an 8ft long swiss roll adorned with roses. Cleo gets her cake while Frank still satisfies his palatial palette. It’s also kind of a nod to the hot dog theme. I’m into it. Someone have this wedding!!

The Tablescape
Vintage-inspired, casual, and minimal all at once. I think if I were to plan my wedding again, this is the exact tablescape I would have. I love the juxtaposition of the ornate fluted candle holders and the simple bistro glasses. I imagine Cleo telling her guests to use the glasses for water, liquor, wine, or as an ashtray. You do you.

1. Candlestick, Roan Iris

2. Duralex Glasses, Sur la Table

3. Vintage Napkins, Etsy

I have a sense that Cleo would be her own florist. Popping over to the NYC flower market on the day of, grabbing just a couple of palettes and sticking it all in a vase she found on her counter. I attempted to do that here, not thinking too much about how they were arranged. Keeping it all organic and effortless. I loved the idea of having a monochromatic blue arrangement as her bouquet, while the simple bud vases would trail along the table in a haphazard fashion.

Featured flowers: ranunculus, queen anne’s lace, delphiniums, & cornflowers

The Outfit 
After finishing this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about Cleo’s wedding dress. She couldn’t imagine wearing white, it felt out of character for her. The dress was the one detail on her wedding day that she seemed pleased with. It felt so quintessentially her. 

“She found the dress she did wear buried at the back of an overpriced vintage store on Perry Street, a liquid silk slip so much cheaper than everything else, she worried afterward that it might actually be a nightgown. When she slid it over her head, she felt as if she had taken a knife to the surface of the sky, skimmed a little off the bottom, and worn the peel.”

The color of the dress is merely mentioned as ‘blue,’ but I imagined it as an icy sky blue silk number that paired perfectly with her long white-blonde hair. I took the idea of her dress and elevated it just a pinch. Still keeping true to her personality, but adding that level of etherealness with the sheer detail. I sourced elegant vintage accessories that felt timeless.

Dress (it’s sold out everywhere! But it’s the Gia Dress from Shaina Mote, if you can manage to find one on Poshmark or eBay, call me), Earrings, Bag, and Shoes

The Playlist
Lust, love, heartbreak, & New York.

The Cleopatra & Frankenstein Mood Board

All photos via Pinterest

This had me reminiscing on my sad girl tumblr days. Have you read the book? Let’s discuss in the comments!