A Seaside Occasion: A Serendipitous Style Shoot in South Haven

Photos ByKatie Whitcomb Photographers

Written By

Date

January 5, 2016

the VISION

Lake Michigan lends its natural beauty for all kinds of artistic expression. For this particular style shoot, Katie of Katie Whitcomb Photography imagined a nautical-meets-tropical-paradise theme that paired bold, sunset orange colors with shades of watery blue.

the location

South Haven, Michigan isn’t just a destination. It’s an experience. And one that Katie wanted to bring to life using the shorelines of Lake Michigan, sailboat vessels and the Maritime Museum of Michigan. The shoot began on the beloved sailboat of a family friend of Katie’s. The sailboat is harbored at the Maritime Museum, an institution that celebrates the rich culture, research, preservation and education of maritime history. From there, the team went in search of a beach for the remainder of the shoot. Instead, they stumbled upon a scenic cliff overlooking the lake from a private estate. It wasn’t what Katie had originally envisioned, but it was so much more.

the stationery

Christina from Clould Nine Invitations & Designs was not to be outdone. The favor boxes and the escort cards were anchored to starfish ornaments, which sat on broken sea glass. The stationery read: “In high or low tide, I will be by your side.”

the floral

The flowers fused seamlessly into the décor concept as they were reminiscent of natural, coastline floral. Pincushion Protea, Birds of Paradise, Cattleya, and Phalaenopsis Orchids were blended with succulents, Airplants and lush greens. These were interlaced with textural ghost wood in an effort to create the almost-forgotten beauty of the shores that anchor Lake Michigan.

the DÉcor

When Katie set out to execute her stylistic shoot, she had a general idea of what she wanted for the décor. She knew that she wanted orange and teal and some variation of nautical-inspired décor. She also knew just the people to hire. Katie reached out to MichaelAngelos Events and presented her concept. “The only guideline I gave Laura and her team at MichaelAngelos Events was that I wanted orange, teal and navy/white stripes. I had no idea she would give me paradise!” said Katie.

Using a beach blanket, thick nautical ropes, glass lanterns filled with seashells and floral, MichaelAngelos breathed life into Katie’s vision. “When we walked up (to the cliff), I could’ve cried. I could imagine it was the same feeling a bride gets when she finally gets to see her reception after months/years of planning and decision making. I was in complete awe of the oranges, teals and navy/white stripes. It was everything I ever wanted,” said Katie.

the Cake

C’est La Vie Cakes has a reputation for bringing artistry to its cake designs. This three-tiered beauty featured white icing on two tiers with a navy striped fashionable bow in the middle tier. A fondant-braided nautical rope was adhered to a nautical ornament. Seashells and sea glass were scattered across the table for additional décor.

the hair

The model’s long, brunette hair was pulled back from her face to accommodate the breezy lakeshore conditions. MichaelAngelos designed a hair comb made of sea shells and adorned it with coral flowers.

the dresses

The dress photographed in the sailboat portion of the shoot came from Target and the cliffside segment featured a Charlotte Russe dress. The light, casual feel of the shoot was reflected in the dresses, both which hugged the bodice and then cascaded into a looser skirt that danced in the wind.