Written in the Stars: A Romantic, Celestial-inspired Wedding at The Armory

Photos ByJosephiney Photography

Written By

Date

April 5, 2018

The Vision

Inspired by rich colors, the feeling of romance and industrial elements, we dreamt of creating a shoot overflowing with inspiration. To fine-tune our vision, we turned to Sarah Farthing of All in the Details, who took it to new, enchanting heights! “For this shoot, we drew on the natural, industrial chic features of the building, added hints of celestial elements and tied it all together with a great deal of romantic candlelight and extravagant, floral displays,” says Sarah. Striking a beautiful balance between classic romance and trends, the shoot fuses unique details with the allure of a revamped, historic space.

THE VENUE

Industrial venues continue to be more and more popular among brides and we, too, were drawn to the impressive openness and modern charm the newly rehabbed Armory in South Bend, Indiana offered. From the exposed brick and vintage vibes to its vaulted ceiling and different metal and wood elements, we were excited to see the space transformed. Sarah says, “After seeing this magnificent and recently renovated space, I knew I wanted to do something big. This building has so much character and history to it, that to do only one scene did not seem like a worthy tribute. In the end, our big vision of multiple sets came to life. Each scene embodied the same central theme, but then in its own way would slightly deviate to provide another highlighted trend.”

The Look

Our model wore two exquisite gowns from Leena’s Bridal in Carmel, Indiana. The ceremony look showcased a romantic, Martin Thornburg gown with hand-beaded, lace shoulder straps, while the reception look featured a stretch georgette Casablanca Bridal gown. “We also wanted to showcase how truly great a custom bustle can be and, with the help of Jennifer Stephens, owner of South Bend Seamstress, we were able to do just that,” explains Sarah.

Bridal shoulder jewelry by En Vogue Bridal Accessories complemented both looks, while Adorn jewelry included striking blue sapphire and diamond earrings, diamond dangle earrings and a vintage diamond bracelet. Impress Jewelry Creations also provided a stunning ring set for the bride and a unique ring for the groom. The groom’s handsome, dark blue ensemble was courtesy of Chicago’s The Groomsman Suit.

Inspired by modern renaissance, talented hair and makeup team members from Nicholas J. Salon & Spa perfected the bridal details by designing a voluminous and whimsical hairstyle and a fresh, clean makeup look, enhanced with a golden glow.

The DÉcor

Ultra Violet, the Pantone Color of the Year, was a hue we knew we wanted to infuse. Copper and bronze—elements that naturally existed in the space—were also added, and the overall palette was softened with white accents and light jewel tones. Sarah also wanted to draw on the celestial trend of 2018. Her interpretation lent itself to deep blue hues and gold reminiscent of the night sky.

While adequately shooting the sheer size of the space was a challenge, Burns Rent-Alls was more than willing to accommodate our large scale visions. The ceremony set consisted of a geometric hedge wall flanked by sheer, white drapery. Two wooden arches, omni glassware, copper flatware, gold beaded glass chargers, gold etched plates and chiavari chairs composed the gorgeous tablescape. Even the grand “I Do” letters marked yet another place to celebrate. All were graciously provided by Burns.

And because any celestial scene needs a little moondust, extra special details included the shimmering linens and velvet chair covers from Wildflower Linens and wisteria shantung linen napkins from BBJ Linen. Sarah says,“Lastly, A Classic Party Rental provided us with a lilac organza overlay over a rich purple classic linen in order to set the scene for the get-ready space and to tie in the color scheme.”

The Florals

Matzke Florist truly went above and beyond in making our elaborate vision a reality. Manager and floral designer Jenifer Rupnow accomplished this by creating a stunning and romantic half circle arrangement for the beautifully intimate ceremony and a bridal bouquet that was both natural and striking. Jenifer’s designs included florals such as Aranthera James Storie orchids, Kale Ksenia, Cherry Vanilla Scoop Scabiosa, Allium Gladiator, Lisianthus varieties, Pauline Violet Ranunculus, Potomac Red Snapdragons, dusty miller, beautiful Black Bacarra, Amnesia, Moody Blue and sandstone roses.

Contrasting the head table’s moody hues, a voluminous cascade of white florals was added and carried over to the balcony as well. Both sets featured a stunning array of florals such as orchids, white hybrid Delphinium El Galahad, white Playa Blanca roses and White Galaxy Dendrobium.

The Stationery

Eileen Adam of Noteworthy Expressions and Laura Reilly of Laura Reilly Calligraphy combined forces to bring exciting, high quality features to our shoot, including an eye-catching invitation suite, escort cards and place cards. Sarah says, “Laura’s personalized watercolor drawings of guests would definitely be a talked about feature at any event and could also double as a favor. It is my hope that this element, in addition to Eileen’s place cards neatly tied around the brass telescope favors at each setting, would leave a memorable impression on guests.”

The Cake

Our two-tier fondant cake, designed by Froehlich’s, was reminiscent of a night sky. Not only did it creatively depict a couple in love on the bottom tier, it featured a husband and wife custom topper piece. The artful dessert was accentuated with Violet Vintage Rentals’ Elsa cake stand and Burns Rent-Alls’ Bellini champagne flutes, sphere chandelier and drapery. A beautiful midnight blue velvet linen and a gold sequin mermaid runner by BBJ Linen covered the cake table.

The Food

To highlight the on-site catering The Armory provides, we also worked with Melissa Barenie with Navarre Hospitality Group to showcase just one of their gourmet meals. It consisted of pan seared corvina with pistachio cilantro gremolata, served with herb roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and fresh market vegetables.