From Inspiration to Reality: The Design

I’ve been working with Viola at chewing the cud for a long time. She is the talent behind our new logo, our header and so much more. So, although I wasn’t terribly surprised that her From Inspiration to Reality shoot turned out this spectacular, I was still completely and totally blown away. I think I actually cried a little bit. Together with vendors like Atelier Joya, Stacy McCain and Blonde Tulip, she crafted a little piece of avant garde heaven. So without further ado, here is Annie’s inspiration board transformed into one of the most beautiful shoots I have ever seen.

{if you can’t stand the wait, click here to see all of the images}

Drawing inspiration from portrait silhouettes commonly seen in weddings, we took it one step further and used animal silhouettes to create a surreal black and white fantasy. By selecting a loft space, with black steel beams and rugged brick walls as the location, we set a sophisticated, sleek stage and worked from there to infuse the feminine, whimsical elements that created the perfect balance between masculine and feminine.

The three-dimensional black on black invitations emphasized the graphic language and the various butterfly, bird and plant icons that appear later in the decor and details. The sleek yet feminine typography added a touch of glamour to the overall look.

We carried the same visual language to the 2-tiered black and white cake, by Sugarcoat it Studio, reflected the same icons as the invitations. Dimensionality was created by creating inset white butterfly outlines on the fondant, balanced with similar cutouts in black and white. This play on cascading butterfly silhouettes was also translated onto the tablescape.

Guests were invited to write their well wishes for the couple on butterfly cutouts and hang them on the perfect canvas: a blank white wall. In the process of adding their butterflies, a beautiful art installation was being created and made for the perfect event backdrop. Displayed with the butterfly cutouts was a perfect little white teacup adorned with a graphic number, black pencils with white caps, and a vintage glass dome that housed a petite nosegay of ranunculus, black painted poppy seeds and tiny strands of black butterflies fluttering about. Alongside the bouquet sat two lovely black striped knobs calligraphed with “bride” & “groom”.

Check out Design*Sponge for even more pics and deets on the butterflies!

Coordination and Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning / Event Design and Florals: Atelier Joya Event Design and Floral / Invitations and Concepts: chewing the cud / Photography: Lisa Neighbors/Blonde Tulip / Cake: Sugarcoat it Studio / Gown and Fashion accessories: Amy Kuschel / Hair Accessories: KAutumn / Jewelry: Ashley Morgan Designs / Make-up: Darlene Carlson Hair and Makeup / Hair: Jim Avila and Associates / Lighting and Piping: Got Light / Linens: Classic Party Rentals / La Tavola Linens / Chairs: Design within Reach / Model: Look Model Agency