Multiple Textures and Neutral Colors Collide in This Southwest Michigan Venue-Inspired Style Shoot

Nicole Bates, now of Nicole Bates Photography, worked at Watermark Solarium when the venue was first opened. To garner more attention and spread inspiration, Nicole suggested hosting a style shoot in the new venue. "1928 Planning Co. had a close relationship with the Solarium team so together we invited some of our favorite vendors to join in and showcase our latest offerings," Danielle Witucki of 1928 Planning shares. Since the successful experience with the shoot, 1928 Planning Co. has now partnered with Solarium to help with coordination at the venue.
 

"Heading into the shoot, we were ideally picturing something first and foremost—natural, not only in the color scheme but the decor style and the look of the models," Danielle explains. "Solarium can be such a blank canvas for couples, so we wanted to show them that it doesn’t take much to make a space like Solarium shine bright." The venue has so many fun textures—a greenery wall, wooden aspects and brick aspects—that the team wanted to show off and play with.

Much of the décor—including the charger plates and linens—came from 1928 Planning's personal collection. The tables and black ceremony chairs can be borrowed when booking the venue, so the team thought those would be perfect to use. Besides that, all the glassware and gold Chiavari chairs were borrowed from Taylor Rental. They also took the opportunity to light up the space. Danielle raves, "We really saw an opportunity to enhance the overhead lighting. With a black-colored ceiling, we added in cafe bistro lighting that swagged the length of the room on a black strand so it felt like it was floating." They also used lots of floral detailing to show couples that with little tweaks you can make similar flowers look unique.

Instead of just choosing one dessert, the team picked two earthy-toned cakes and some neutral-colored macarons to feed the bride and groom. They opted for tall and non-traditional cake looks as that seems to have grown in popularity. Danielle explains another popular trend, "Dessert tables with grab and go treats have been something we see more and more (and are here for!). We find that desserts are consumed more when it is not in tiered cake form." 
 

"We were hoping to select a feminine dress that still felt comfortable for the bride so she could move with ease. Ultimately something slim fitting and sophisticated was the winner and best paired with the rest of our design," Danielle admits. The style of this sheath dress matched best with the theme of the shoot and looked best with the venue, too. Her hair was styled up but made in a way to appear as if it was still down. The makeup was kept simple and bohemian with a bright pop of rust, which has become popular this year.

 

 

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