Delicate Victorian Romance: WeddingDay's Exclusive Southwest Michigan Cover Shoot

Photos ByTrysh Jaeger Photography

Written By

Date

August 29, 2024

THE VISION

Leigha Vinson of EXL Events Co. envisioned a cover shoot inspired by the best-selling series Outlander. Set in the nineteenth century, Outlander’s style allowed this creative team to pull many timeless and elegant pieces together to design a Victorian-esque wedding scene filled to the brim with plenty of soft, pastel blooms. We love how Trysh Jaeger Photography’s soft and light-filled photography style leans even more into the elegant and romantic feel of this shoot!

THE VENUE

19 North by Froehlich’s ended up being the perfect space for our Victorian-inspired shoot! Leigha raves, “The original wood floors and columns paired with their antique-style furniture meshed perfectly with my design.” Originally built in 1910, this rustic yet industrial venue isn't far off from the time period of our shoot's theme. There are plenty of elegant flourishes, too—from the large black-paned windows to the grand chandelier!

THE DECOR

In hunting for the décor to complete her design, Leigha had a clear vision. “Since this was a spring shoot, I obviously wanted season appropriate colors, but in order to fit the vibe of the shoot, I wanted pastels, not as vibrant of hues. Every part down to the color palette, was intended to make you feel something,” Leigha shares. We love how Leigha and the team were able to mix modern and classic styles, using items from AAYS Event Rentals! While the flatware of the tablescape is modern and unique, the glassware features more classic styles. The plain table with a pastel runner is another moment where tradition meets modernity. We are also obsessed with the photo-op book wall Leigha made that represents a couple's love story through its various chapters!

THE LOOKS

Inspired by the fairytale feel of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, Leigha picked a beautiful A-line gown with plenty of soft, floral lace details. Leigha explains, I wanted something with lace and slightly modest, but nothing that felt too dated. I ended up choosing a high neck, ball gown with lace detail and overskirt illusion.” When paired with Blushing Beauty and Co.’s curled half-up, half-down hairstyle, elegant hairpiece and Jenn Martz Makeup Artistry's soft makeup, this bride looks regal and gorgeous!

THE FLORALS

With a spring shoot, flowers are front and center! There are many different textures and colors of blooms in this shoot to help make it feel like it takes place in a field of wildflowers. “I sent Sugarfield Flowers inspo pics that had muted spring tones, designed with a whimsical and organic feel,” Leigha gushes. “I wanted the underlying feeling to be like a girl in love went out, picked the prettiest flowers she saw and made an arrangement.” One of the areas to highlight is the floral meadow around the cake display, which Leigha dreamed up and created herself based on trends she was seeing.

THE DESSERTS

Instead of adding real flowers to the cake, Leigha wanted Chef Drew of Froehlich’s to show off everything he could do. The white flowers on the cake are completely made of icing and hand-placed. In addition to the two-tiered pink cake, Chef Drew provided plenty of delicate desserts—like macarons and crème brûlée—which make this shoot feel even more like a luxurious 19th century wedding!

THE STATIONERY & SIGNAGE

Because she had so much confidence that Allison from Your Little Details would pick up on the classic elegance that she envisioned for this shoot, Leigha only sent over two inspiration pictures for the stationery. Allison was able to produce exactly what Leigha had pictured from the raw edges and wax insignias to the linen menus and bar sign. We also love the elegant and timeless use of the gold mirrors for the welcome sign and table number display!