Modern Romance with an Air of Opulence: WeddingDay Magazine’s Exclusive 2024 Look Book Cover Shoot

Photos ByShauna Wear Photography

Written By

Date

February 13, 2024

The Vision

For our 2024 Look Book cover shoot, our planner Burns Special Events aimed to create a scene filled with modern elegance. Their main color scheme incorporated classic white, black and gold with a splash of greenery to liven up the space. We love how they were able to combine these evergreen touches with an air of modernity throughout the venue. With skillful juxtapositioning, the team was able to combine two ideas that seem diametrically opposed to create a stunning cover shoot!

The Venue

Wanting to showcase an all-inclusive destination wedding locale right here in the Midwest, we selected Saint Joseph, Michigan's The Inn at Harbor Shores for our 2024 Look Book cover shoot. This gorgeous waterfront hotel boasts a sleek classic look with contrast between the light walls and dark floors in their Harborview Ballroom. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beautiful St. Joseph River allowed plenty of light to stream in for Shauna Wear Photography to capture these stunning shots! Another perk of the main ballroom is the cozy patio area where couples can watch the sun set over the water to end their perfect day.

The Décor

There are so many opulent details included in this shoot, all provided by Burns Special Events! The stemmed glassware on the tables lend themselves to an elegant theme, along with the glass hurricane candle holders and stacked mirror box centerpieces. The champagne linens on the tables are sleek with a touch of modernity. We love the clear charger plates that are rimmed with golden accents—to match the golden silverware—and how the simple white plate separates them from the marble salad plates on top. Some other modern details include the couple’s monogram on the bar, mirror and chairs, the greenery wall and the metal cake holder which all add uniqueness to this shoot. And the full-length gold mirror allowed for some fun and creative photo opportunities!

The Florals

Playing off of the modern-elegance theme, Burns Special Events included a few different varieties of white flowers to keep the scene cohesive while still providing contrasting textures across the shoot. In the centerpiece boxes on the rectangular tablescape, they placed a bed of hydrangeas, roses and Calla lily shoots. In the array of vases, Burns divided the same three blooms to give each flower its moment to shine. But the real showstopper in this shoot is the beautiful hanging Calla lily arbor in the ceremony setup!

The Looks

The bride model—our 2023 Cover Model Search Winner—wore two stunning gowns from America’s Bride for this shoot. The first fulfilled both the elegant and modern requirements with the sleek satin material and unique, strapless neckline. For the second look, a more romantic and whimsical gown was utilized, along with a showstopping cathedral-length veil! We especially love the illusion sleeves and floral appliques adorning the bodice and skirt. BÜK Weddings fashioned the bride’s hair into an elegant bun with braided details to keep it modern. To accentuate her natural beauty, they styled her with peachy lip gloss and a light shimmery eyeshadow that complements her brown eyes perfectly! The groom looked absolutely dashing in his navy suit from SuitShop!

The Stationery

For the invitation suite, The Printed Event designed a classic black-and-white themed set. The combination of script, serif and sans-serif fonts are the perfect blend of elegance and modernity! We also love the curved detail card as well as the white wax seal to go with the black envelope. The invitation suite was a preview for the simply elegant menu on the tablescapes at the reception. Burns Special Events provided the frosted glass table numbers adorned with a white script font.

The Cake

Last but certainly not least, we have this scrumptious cake from Soulard’s! This modern three-tiered cake includes two layers of white surrounding the middle tier of green fondant with gold accents. We love the attention to detail in the accordion feature on the bottom tier and the addition of the Calla lilies to the top tier. This cake was the perfect modern touch to our elegant day!