Minimalist Wedding - Wabi Sabi Inspired // Featured on 100 Layer Cake

The inspiration for this minimalist wedding shoot was the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi –

“the Japanese art of finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay — celebrating cracks, crevices and all other marks that time, weather and love leave behind”

For years, I’ve been drawn to this Japanese idea that things get more and more beautiful with age and wear.

When I shared this idea with planner, Kellyne of Hand & Heart Events, she immediately thought of a monochromatic shoot incorporating dried florals and pampas grass (hello, pretty!). For the tabletop decor, she chose handcrafted ceramics because she wanted to incorporate the imperfection that comes with handmade goods. Each plate has its own unique marks, color, and texture — embracing the idea that beauty can be found in asymmetry and imbalance. To nod to Japanese heritage and western custom, each setting was set with chopsticks and a fork and knife. For the custom cocktails, she chose two cocktail glasses that featured the traditional Japanese “Yari” pattern. This is a common technique used in Japanese glass making and refers to the weave pattern on the glass. We were even lucky enough to have a professional bartender create a custom cocktail using traditional Japanese whiskey and ingredients!

The stationery suite and paper goods were created by the very talented Stephanie of Bowerbird Atelier, who was inspired by natural textures, and used handmade paper overlaid with vellum for a romantic effect. Classic typography was paired with illustrations of cherry blossoms to symbolize spirituality, beauty and impermanence. The menu cards were embellished with blossoms embedded in pearlescent wax for an extra touch of natural elegance. She used broken pieces of neutral ceramic pottery for the place cards, embellished with a gold edge to mimic Kintsugi (the Japanese art of highlighting broken lines with real gold when fixing ceramics). This nod to the practice of the kintsugi tradition is also reflected on the stunning cake created by Natty Cakes.

The floral creations were the genius of Carrie from Boheme Tipi Events! She created a stunning asymmetrical ceremony altar anchored by a giant dried palm. Her hanging pampas grass installation above the table made the perfect wow-moment impact on the design. One of my favorite little details of this shoot is the way the accordion silk fabric of the bride’s dress mimics the fan palms used throughout the decor! The bride wore a gorgeous champagne diamond ring from Lauren Wolf Jewelry to match the monochrome look of the minimalist wedding styled shoot. Scroll to the bottom to check out all of my talented collaborators – this was a fun one! Also head to 100 Layer Cake to see our feature!