Drama Meets Romance: A Modern, Classic Wedding at the Empyrean

Photos ByGEM Photography

Written By

Date

January 25, 2018

The Vision

With the beautiful Empyrean event venue as our backdrop, rich with both luxurious and modern detailing, we knew our cover shoot was sure to inspire. Combining the experience of a vendor dream team led by Empyrean’s Chief Event Designer, Renee Miner, we combined several bridal looks that seamlessly married romance with a bit of drama. “The concept behind the shoot was driven by a combination of different styles and moods colliding into one rich and dramatic, almost theatrical design,” says Renee. “We have found our most successful ideas come from a team effort and this shoot was no exception. Our design team collaborated from concept to completion and created a stunning look that encompassed the exact style we were trying to achieve.”

The Venue

Flawless planning and modern design are certainly synonymous with the Empyrean, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “Our venue has a modern yet classic design which allows it to function as a chameleon for each of our events,” explains Renee. “The overall richness in the hardwood flooring and natural lighting aided in the shoot’s overall style. Knowing we were going to do a complete backdrop within the design, the venue needed to bring simple but impactful elements, and we were able to achieve that goal.”

The DÉcor

“This shoot relied heavily on rental items,” Renee explains. “The selection of charger plates was very intentional to bring together the full range of color we were looking for and the ‘wow’ piece of the shoot…that amazing chair. We were smitten. The rentals truly did pull everything together into one gorgeous design.” Other key elements included the soft yet moody color palette and an air of romance with a touch of edge.

The Florals

An abundance of florals served as a showstopper in the overall design. “One of the exciting parts of creating this design was using a variety of different floral selections,” says Renee. “One of our favorites, Blushing Bride, paired with the heavily textured Amaranthus, gorgeous garden roses and an abundance of rich greenery combined to create a gorgeous floral palette that brought our vision to life.”

The Looks

Our bride was lucky enough to wear three gorgeous looks, provided by One Fine Day. The simple Essense of Australia gown was the definition of sleek and chic and definitely embodied the “clean look” trend. Autumn Parton, owner of One Fine Day, says, “The gown allowed the Empyrean's amazing venue and view to shine and complemented all the clean lines of the windows, trim and floors. We constructed the statement bow on the back so the dress had a wow moment!”

The hand-beaded bodice on the Hayley Paige “Kenny” dress looked absolutely lovely set against all the detail of the reception décor and florals. “The softness of the organza skirt blended beautifully with the statement wall and luxurious table linens,” says Autumn.

And finally, the Hayley Paige “Reagan” dress was a perfect complement to the bold colors and fun décor. “This blush colored dress features a beautiful high neckline and fun, textured skirt with just enough sparkle,” says Autumn. “The blush color popped so beautifully against the table linens and looked stunning for this modern, colorful wedding inspiration.”

For hair and makeup, The Red Stiletto was given the direction of “steam punk glam,” a concept that matched the modern drama of the overall look. While the team still wanted to maintain a traditional bridal look, they upped the ante with dramatic touches. Emily Franks’ design included a traditional side bun but used a mohawk as inspiration. She also added texture by incorporating braids, a hot trend.

For makeup, Hope Matchett’s focus was eyes to draw readers in. She created the eye-catching vision using MAC products.

The Cake

“We believe cake design is an extension of the overall design style of a wedding, and we wanted to pull the rich color tones together with a modern yet classic look,” says Renee. The gorgeous cake and its display, designed by SassieCakes perfectly infused the shoot’s lovely mineral tones.