I can get on this bandwagon and I bet my bottom dollar most of you will be on board too. It’s all about the lovely blend of nuptials and giving back to the environment; an Earth Day Wedding inspired shoot to be more exact. Estoria Social infused thoughtful details from itty bitty potted succulent favors to a locally grown menu and possibly the best detail of all, Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, a local non-profit that served as a mighty fine backdrop for a wedding celebration. This is green, green love at its finest all captured by Robin Nathan Photography. See more of the shoot right here!
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From Jaimie of Estoria Social… A local non-profit with a mission to “protect and improve Atlanta’s urban forest,” Trees Atlanta plants trees in needed areas all over the the city and works to promote community involvement and provide education and conservation of existing landscapes. Its headquarters are located at the Kendeda Center in Atlanta’s historic Cabbagetown neighborhood. We imagined our bride and groom as volunteers who met while planting trees, bonding over their shared interest in conservation and greening their environment. The pair fell in love and set out to marry on Earth Day to honor their commitment to each other and to the environment. A large part of the inspiration for this shoot came from an art installation created by local Atlanta artist Brandon Ross situated at the center of the venue. The mirrored tree sculpture extends its branches over the center of the room, which, when combined with the center’s planted trees and organic greenscape, creates a perfect setting for a modern, yet natural reception theme. We focused on sourcing all of our materials, vendors, and food from local businesses and added DIY touches with a decidedly modern twist. The result was our “urban forest” theme, what we thought of as a new twist on a woodland wedding, combining symbols of the natural environment with contrasting, pizazz-worthy, modern accents.
Invitations and other paper goods were created by local stationer Becky Scheel in a “tree of love” theme. Becky created a save-the-date and invitation featuring the couple’s “Earth Day” wedding date, and an RSVP card, map, details card, program, menu, and favor tag in the same theme, along with a beautiful, hand-stamped, botanical mailing envelope. Our couple set their ceremony in front of a tree in the venue’s beautiful back courtyard, as a symbol of their growing love and a reflection of the story of their meeting. Our bride wore the Lela Rose “Secret Garden” dress, which was generously provided by local bridal boutique Kelly’s Closet. After the ceremony, guests signed a wooden plank guest book and were greeted with signature cocktails in “happy” glasses. They snacked on hor d’oeurves from beloved local eatery and caterer Sun in My Belly Catering & Neighborhood Cafe and treats from Little Tart Bakeshop, all featuring local, sustainable (and yummy) ingredients. Each guest received a locally-grown, potted succulent as a favor to plant in their home garden as a reminder of our couple’s special day.
We designed a five-sided polygonal head table around the mirrored tree sculpture, matching the metallics of the sculpture with silver dinner plates and cutlery. Sprays of pale peach garden roses, colorful succulents, bright hellebore, eucalyptus, rice flowers and lots of foraged greenery crowned each two-top portion of the head table along with tea light candles in squat, decorative mason jars. Guest tables were also set with silver dinner plates and centerpieces made from recycled bottles and cans (soda bottles, wine bottles, soup cans and other previously-used glass containers), spray painted metallic chrome to match the silver of the tree sculpture. The guest table greenery reflected the estate tables with touches of peach garden roses, deep green leaves and succulents, accented by handmade hypertufa earthenware spherical and heart-shaped sculptures and tealights perched on little round tree cuts. Smaller succulents in handmade hypertufa pots sat atop each dinner plate as place cards. Later, the couple served ice cream from the Westside Creamery truck, a local purveyor of sinfully sweet, locally-sourced chilled goods, as a satisfying late night snack. The couple also used the ice cream truck later to escape in style at the end of the evening.
Photography: Robin Nathan Photography / Venue: Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center in Atlanta, Georgia / Concept, Styling + Planning: Jaimie Cohen and Maggie Rentz of Estoria Social / Floral + Cake Design: Maggie Rentz of Estoria Social / Succulent Design + Styling: Kurt Straudt of Southeast Succulents / Invitations + Paper Goods: Becky Scheel of Pinto Bean Press / Catering: Sun in My Belly / Snacks + Desserts: Little Tart Bakeshop / Ice Cream Truck: Westside Creamery / Vintage Furniture Rental: Krista Janos of Blue Eyed Yonder / Wedding Dress: Lela Rose “Secret Garden” via Kelly’s Closet / Bride’s Shoes: Forever 21 / Hair: Salon Modello Atlanta / Makeup: Bella B / Groom’s Attire: His Own