As winter is ever so slightly releasing its grip, we are finally beginning to see spring in the not so distant future!  Its almost the dawn of the spring bride, those willing to risk potentially moody weather for the opportunity to have new spring life budding in the backdrop of her wedding.  Embracing Mother Nature’s push toward redecorating, a group of member from the Independent Wedding Association, wanted to put together a styled shoot highlighting all that could be wonderful and Eco-Friendly in a wedding.  Bold bright pink florals grown in the florists backyard, the transportation of choice, Nice Ride & a lovely polka dot knee length wedding dress, this sweet wedding is the perfect spring wake up call! After the gallery, photographer Katrina of Studio Laguna Photography takes us through the many steps the team made to ensure this styled shoot would be as eco-perfect as can be!

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*A Word From The Team…

So how did we stay eco-friendly?  Five Event Center is an old fire station and they used eco friendly building techniques to renovate the space.  The Cotton Bride’s gowns are made in the USA of natural fabrics. Sassafras used locally grown flowers (including some from Sarah’s own backyard!). I used antique shops to find items and repurpose them. Armato Designs had all of the paper products do double duty to minimize paper. Fabulous Catering utilized locally sourced and organic products to create their amazing menu. Another bonus with Fabulous Catering and Jessica’s Cakes is that they are only a few blocks away from Five, so we really did stay local! We also used businesses that are owner operated, which is something I hold dear…I feel it is very important to support local businesses and they in turn support the community. And I was also very proud to work with many vendors that are members of the Independent Wedding Association, a group of vendors that provides wonderful customer service and a high level of creativity and love of their craft.

We chose to feature as many eco-friendly products and ideas as possible, and decided to have Uptown as our backdrop.

Five Event Center was the location of our “reception”. The concrete floors, fun architecture, and exposed brick walls made it the perfect space. We wanted a fun and funky vibe but also wanted to keep things clean and simple. Ryan, owner of BeEvents, balanced on the edge of funky and simple perfectly with his table design featuring a blue and pewter polka dot fabric. When we found a Cotton Bride wedding dress from Posh Bridal with a polka dot pattern, we decided to embrace polka dots throughout the shoot.

Elegant gray glass vases with floating floral designs, metallic fabrics and chargers, and silver polka dot vases filled the family style table. Sassafras Floral Design brought in the bright pop of coral and a deeper tone of red to go with the bright blue, and used whites and metallics for the vase arrangements. Even with all of the layers of detail, colors, and textures, none of the elements overwhelmed each other and the overall look stayed chic.

Since the tablescape was more neutral, we brought in more color with the bridal party. A short dress and french veil were a must. It screams “city chic” to me and then you get to rock awesome shoes! Both of our models wore animal print metallic heels, and they looked great! The Maid of Honor wore a sweet Badgley Mischka coral gown and both ladies were adorned with the amazing works of JWP Jewelry Design. Sassafras’s designs for the wedding party were bright and fun, and the guys looked amazing in custom suits from Heimie’s Haberdashery!

Armato Design and Press provided custom stationery for the shoot and they were amazing! She used the coral color as the accent and utilized simple lines. There was also a subtle gray polka dot design throughout the pieces as well. It was very cohesive and fit the style perfectly.

Then came the food. Most shoots don’t include food and I feel that is such a pity since food is such an important part of the wedding day! So we brought in Fabulous Catering. They are known for their, well, FABULOUS food and creative menu. Their grilled chicken with spring sweet pea sauce and heirloom tomatoes tasted as wonderful as it looked! We also had a dessert spread created by Jessica’s Cakes. Since we were going for locally sourced, she reached into her Minnesota roots and made the most delicious bars and homemade cookies! She also made a three tier cake using our white, gray and coral color palette as well as the pattern of the bride’s gown. And she amazed us all with a sugar peony that she made, it was so detailed and beautiful! I also loved her idea of cones of mini cookies, and the variety of glass display pieces she used for her goodies. BeEvents scattered the space with polka dot metallic candle holders and Sassafras created a more playful look with gerber daisies and blue glassware. To keep up the playful vibe, Jessica made letter cookies so guests could spell out words to the couple. There were custom monogram cookies of the couple’s first names as well as other individual letters with little coral polka dots in various designs. Bottles of Izze’s Soda was the last detail we added. They are an Uptown staple and a fun addition to a dessert buffet.

Vendor Love

VenueFive Event Center | Wedding DressCotton Bride | Dress StorePosh bridal couture | Bridesmaid DressBadgley Mischka | JewelryJWP Jewelry Design | Men’s AttireHeimie’s Haberdashery | Invitation DesignerArmato Design and Press | Floral Designer: Sassafras Floral | CatererFabulous Catering | Cake DesignerJessica’s Cakes | Linens & CoveringsBeEvents | PhotographerStudio Laguna Photography