Story: Virginia Brown | Photography: Alice McLain Photography | Modeling: Carly and Terence Allen |
Wedding designer Kait Culver adds contemporary appeal to a traditional wedding scene
When it came time for Kait Culver to wed her college sweetheart, she planned the whole affair herself. “I’ve always loved to design and I love helping people,” she says. “When I was planning my own wedding, I had so much fun with it.” Not two years after her big day, she founded wedding planning and design company Culver Creations to help others enjoy the process as much as she did.
For this styled shoot, Kait’s inspiration was a clean, classic look that would still feel approachable. “I wanted the feeling of love to come through with the photos,” she says. “That’s what I love on wedding days: that you can feel the love in the air.”
She linked up with photographer Alice McLain over coffee and they got to work brainstorming, first deciding on the venue: The Gardens at Harmony in Jonesboro. “It has that open and inviting feel,” Kait says, “balancing the industrial elements with the warmth of the greenhouse, and it has huge windows that bring in a lot of natural light.”
Kait wanted to blend a traditional black-and-white look with a few bolder, more modern elements, such as oversized, light-up marquee letters. The models, husband-and-wife duo Carly and Terrence Allen, were friends of the photographer’s. “They’re both really funny and kept us laughing the whole time,” Kait says. “I like it when you can feel the love through the pictures, and it’s easy to capture when you have a married couple.”
For the cake, a tiered design by Krystal Swiercz of Suga Sisters is wrapped in a marble fondant and painted inside with edible gold.
Going Green
To offset the classic-and-modern interplay of the menu and table settings, Kait added subtle color through the florals: Baccharis, an earthy filler flower, creates an unexpected runner. Gold candlesticks add a bit of weight and classic elegance.
The groom’s maroon suit complements the bride’s off-the-shoulder gown by Verra Valle Couture.
Modern Menu
Kait designed the menu herself. “I’ve never done something like it before, but it got my creative juices flowing,” she says. A minimal layout featuring a traditional serif font creates the balance Kait aimed for throughout the shoot.
In the Middle
“I love the challenge when the groom likes one style or the bride likes the other, or the bride doesn’t know what she likes,” Kait says. “I like to find common ground.” Here, she created this balance with a blend
of classic, elegant tastes and simple, modern accents.
Resources
Bridal gown Jessica’s Bridal & Formal Cake Suga Sisters Floral design Deep South Floral Design & Decorating Groom’s Suit Men N’ Black Tuxedos Hair and makeup Muse Beauty Photography Alice McLain Photography Planning & Design Culver Creations Rentals Artents and Blossom Events & Florist Venue The Gardens at Harmony
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