Fine Art Wedding: A Cover Shoot at The Palladium

Photos ByCory & Jackie Wedding Photographers

Written By

Date

July 7, 2016

the VISION

Appropriately titled “Fine Art Wedding,” this cover shoot was designed to create a whimsical, painterly feel drawing inspiration from ballet dancers in classic interiors, the elements of early spring, and timeless details. Tara Steele with Tara Nicole Weddings and Autumn Keller of Isibeal Studio conceptualized the cover shoot and illustrated each detail to be elegant and graceful, drawing on the graceful postures and fluid motion of a ballet dancer to bring all of the details together seamlessly.

“We titled it ‘The Fine Art Wedding’ because of our careful curation of each element used, from hand-dyed silk table runners and hand-rolled and lettered name cards, to jewel-like spring blooms, and the delicate beauty of film photography,” says Tara.

With those elements serving as a creative foundation, the vendor team planned the entire shoot around light seasonal tones anchored by a touch of dark. The result was a fairytale cover shoot that accentuated fanciful and romantic details.

the Stationery

Custom handmade invitations were designed to reflect an heirloom feel with letterpress printing and hand-deckled edges. Tara and Autumn requested a light gray and ivory paper suite customized with the addition of the venue illustration on the details card. Old-fashioned calligraphy style by Manayunk Calligraphy, encased in slate gray envelopes and gold letterpress on light gray handmade paper offered the perfect combination.

the venue

Knowing they were after a light and airy feel for the overall look, Tara and Autumn went in search of a venue that offered tall windows and natural light because they wanted to capture film photographs along with digital photos. When they came across The Palladium in Carmel, Indiana, they knew they had found their venue. The Palladium features a domed European-style design with surround theater seating, impressively high ceilings, large windows and marble architecture. The wood floors, the pale French blue and green wall tones and natural light set the stage that was necessary for the concept.

the floral

Isibeal Studio selected flowers that were only available seasonally and accented them with open garden roses shipped from a family grower in Oregon. Delightfully fragrant little sweet peas, checkerboard fritillaria, helleborus, hyacinth, French tulips and picotee ranunculus were nestled into antique iron vessels for the table while local magnolia and pear branches formed statement arrangements in oversized garden urns. One very special rose named “Mettalina” was chosen for its complex and subtle taupe color.

the DÉcor

The decorative sketch played heavily on the spring seasonal tones and fused in slate gray tones for an accent color. The vendor team created a layered texture palette with hand-dyed silk chiffon table linens, sterling and vintage glass candelabras, other speciality textured linens, layered china textures, and engraved flatware.

“We wanted this shoot to feel as though it were from another century or a lovely dream,” says Tara. “Every element is important in this kind of approach from the architectural elements to the detailed tablescape to the tiny fritillaria in the bridal bouquet.”

the hair & Makeup

The bride’s hair was loosely pinned in a soft updo to align with the fluidity and movement of her gown. A neutral smokey eye in shades of brown and a soft, light-colored lip accented the bride’s best features.

the Dress

Tara and Autumn carefully selected the Justin Alexander gown from the Bridal Superstore. The gown’s deep tonal range, delicate detailing and fluidity harmonized effortlessly with the overall look and feel of the cover shoot.