Incorporating her love of art and his love of Superman comic books, this vintage inspired affair is the perfect blending of backgrounds. From the Bride’s DIY’d Brooch bouquet, to handmade comic book boutonnieres, to the reclaimed barn wood cupcake stand, every detail played a hand in their love. Shot in a photojournalistic style, Tennison Photography was behind the lens snapping up every detail here!
From Tennison Photography… The couple, Courtney and Ryan Krumm were married at the Mulberry Art Studios September 27, 2014 in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We loved the unique blending of vintage and artistic tastes with the groom’s interest in classic comics. The community in Lancaster city provided artistic and classic motifs with venues from getting ready and hotel accommodations at the Lancaster Arts Hotel and ceremony+reception at the Mulberry Art Studios. The fun part of their day was the bridal party stroll in and through downtown Lancaster.
From the beautiful Bride… We met after college and grad school, respectively, by chance at a time when we were both making the tricky transition from the protective bubble of school life to the real adult world. We quickly discovered a bond among our distinct (and decidedly opposite) personalities. After several years of establishing ourselves in our respective fields, moving to New York City, the timing was finally right to plan the wedding we both envisioned. Once planning began, it became clear that we would have to think outside of the box in order for our differing aesthetics and interests to be equally represented. Though I initially feared the day turning into a “Superman” wedding, it was important to me for the day to represent both of us, which we accomplished through subtle and classic touches. Ryan’s intense attention to detail helped to reign me in and make choices from the seemingly endless options. We settled on a vintage inspired theme, incorporating my love of art with Ryan’s love of comic books, all tied together using gilded frames to keep the vintage feel, while elements of wood permeated throughout to balance things out with a nod to the rustic beauty of the farm-centric area.
I was blessed with a crafty family who were instrumental in helping me gather frames, brooches, and other items, not to mention putting everything together, which was a nice way to connect throughout the planning process. My sister was the main crafter, taking elements from several sets of instructions for projects to make something wholly unique. The brooch bouquet was the biggest challenge as gathering them can be very time consuming and expensive! I countered this through my savvy mother-in-law’s access to local flea markets for vintage pieces and supplemented with cheaper plastic versions, that we “antiqued” with black shoe polish. We incorporated the comic book theme visually through my sister’s handmade paper boutonnieres and cake topper, which also included brooches to tie things together. We also added it into the table assignments, where each table had a different superhero wedding comic cover. Ryan’s personal interest in graphic design helped us tremendously in saving on costs through developing our own signage (table assignments, menus, information/instructions for guests, etc.), which were all encased in eclectic frames that added to the vintage feel and now can be reused for our wedding photos. The last element of wood was found in the centerpieces and custom cupcake stand made by my father using reclaimed barn wood.
Our reliance on DIY elements was not only a way of bringing together our interests, but also a way to cut costs without sacrificing on details and classic style. Early on, we decided that photojournalistic style photography, inventive food, and a DJ who shared our musical tastes (as well as helping us end the night with karaoke!) were the elements to splurge on while saving in other areas through use of handmade projects and finding ways to trim excess expenses. I saved quite a bit on flowers through the use of the paper and brooch projects and centerpieces using bottles with less room for blooms rather than large vases that still created interest. Choosing a venue that came stocked with decorations and visual appeal (art we could customize, light fixtures and canopies) allowed us to get away with foregoing added lighting, flowers, and decor. Besides creating and printing much of our own signage, we also saved on postage weight and paper through using post cards for the RSVPs and front and back printing on the invites. Also going with a vintage style retailer for non-traditional bridesmaid dresses allowed me to keep the vintage theme and add texture when compared to my more simple gown, while also giving my girls freedom of choice on dresses they really did like and were affordable.
Lastly, it was important for me to carry over all of the themes in the visual details to the ceremony, where my love of classical music and Ryan’s movie buff nature came together better than expected. Luckily, even the Superman theme sounds classic and timeless when performed by a string trio! Overall, we were so thrilled with how everything came together and the reactions from our guests, not to mention the stunning photos, showed us that our opposite likes could come combine in a beautiful way.
Photography: TENNISON PHOTOGRAPHY | Floral Design: Florals By Heather Ann | Wedding Dress: In White | Cake: Lancaster Cupcake | Invitations: Minted | Ceremony Venue: Mulberry Art Studios | Reception Venue: Mulberry Art Studios | Bridesmaids' Dresses: ModCloth | Catering: Platinum Catering | Makeup & Hair: Platinum Salon of West Chester, PA | DJ: Klock Entertainment | Hotel Accommodations: Lancaster Arts Hotel | Music: The Stone Quartet | Nails: Onyx Salon | Rentals: Eagle Rental