Dark and moody is given new life in this Dutch Still Life inspired styled shoot designed by The Baker Connection and Anne Troxel Photography. With a bold and bright floral backdrop as their muse, this talented team of Pittsburgh wedding vendors curated a wedding aesthetic that mirrored the push and pull juxtaposition of brushstrokes. Contrasting details and colors were flawlessly blended to create visual interest and endless inspiration. Dramatic colors like black, deep red, burnt orange, and navy were accented with happier hues such as purple, peach, and teal. This palette popped against the clean slate-ness of Pittsburgh’s newest wedding venue, Franklin On Penn. Speaking of popping, wait until you get a load of the tablescape. Half-moon shaped menu cards from Red Punch Designs sat atop ornate charger plates from All Occasions Party Rentals while Vintage Alley Rental’s etched glassware in funky shades added a pop of color to the neutral linens from Lendable Linens. An intricate illusion lace dress from Gemma Bridal was paired with vintage glam waves from Simply Captivating Salon and subtly glowy makeup by Julea Beauty. This shoot was all about the contrast and we can honestly say we’re here for it. Prepare yourselves – this one is a doozy, friends!

We mixed an event and design that would tend to gear towards the “dark and moody” vibe, but with the vision of Anne Troxel Photography, it was captured in a more timeless, bright way. Everything was made to be like oil paint – a push, a pull, and a blend. This shoot truly had an overload of incredible details – a getting ready lounge, House of Hackney custom ceremony arch, a first look from our real couple, hand-written love notes, happy hour-style charcuterie bites and custom cocktail menu, half-moon place cards and dinner menus, a sweetheart table, a full guest table, and even a champagne tower with a dress and shoe change. Under a finer lens, gilded raspberries, custom-printed macarons by Aychomelange to match the House of Hackney wallpapered ceremony arch, and the most perfect non-traditional diamond creations by Skelton Jewelry.

While many details were fabulously over the top, like the custom yellow-tinted diamond engagement ring and the coupe glasses from Nue Look at Home, we wanted to be sure to have plenty of inspiration for couples looking to recreate it themselves. The wallpapered arch was a budget-friendly DIY project that could be moved around to create multiple scenes, and the ceremony florals were also repurposed into the perfect bar display by Party Blooms. The wallpaper for the ceremony arch doubled as envelope liners in the invitations created by Red Punch Designs, setting the tone for the day from the moment you opened the invitation. The second dress, also from Gemma Bridal, is a completely attainable option, at just $350.

Pittsburgh hair guru Christy from Simply Captivating Hair used her magic to create a vintage glam wave. Julea Beauty brought a slightly dramatic but wearable look with a pop of color on her lips. We wanted it to be a glam moment, without it taking over the model’s natural charm.

We really wanted to share a cohesive design from start to finish and give couples a variety of things that could be adapted from our shoot. As mentioned, the wallpapered arch backdrop was a total DIY, with its entire cost being less than $500. It can be created at a fraction of the cost of a traditional installed floral arch, but still has a huge impact. In addition, it’s easily moveable to become a cocktail hour background by adding an LED sign, set behind a sweetheart table, cake display, or could even function as a drink stand if shelves were added.

Likewise, the smaller floral arrangements would easily transfer to another area, such as the sweetheart table, cocktail display (as we chose), or even around a telephone guest book. Having easily movable statement pieces allows you to stretch not just your budget but also your entire theme throughout the event. The same wallpaper we used for the backdrop was able to be cut into liners for the invitations. It took a little time and DIYing but using the same pattern in multiple ways truly created such a cohesive look.

While we all love the wedding robe trend, we also wanted to feature garments and items that could be usable 365 instead of just on a wedding day. Investing in quality pieces is one of the many ethos that all of the vendors on this team share, so we wanted to use colorful items to prove that no, it doesn’t have to be white, ivory, or any shade between to be bridal! Go for the bright floral robe or the incredible color slippers. Wear the blue shoe with the faux feathers. We love reminding wedding clients that this is a celebration of who they are so they should choose items that speak to them!