Built in 1928 the historic Swan House in Atlanta made the perfect backdrop for Catherine & Michael’s glamorous wedding! Using a timeless black & white color palette alongside opulent florals that included roses and orchids, they created a celebration that Jay Gatsby himself would have been proud to host…..

Catherine & Michael lived in the same building for 2 years before being introduced by a dating app – talk about serendipity. They went on their first date in 2015 and the rest, as they say is history!

And it was back in time they looked when they came to planning their big day. I will let them explain…. “We wanted a classic Art Deco style wedding with shades of black, white, gold and peacock. The Atlanta History Center was the perfect choice for an Art Deco style with the Swan House and a large ballroom that we could transform into a party reminiscent of  that period.

We wanted the room to feel dramatic when guests walked in and we think we definitely achieved it with a 16 foot diameter high gloss round bar in the center of the ballroom. The bar had gold accents and classic Art Deco lines.

Lights were placed around the perimeter of the bar under the top edge of the bar and a dramatic fluffy white ostrich feather arrangement was used to decorate it. The room also featured a 16 feet by 20 feet black dance floor with a gold monogram placed in the center.”

THE DRESS

“I found my dress on my first trip to try on dresses. I was visiting my maid of honor in Nashville so we went to the Modern Trousseau store while I was in town. We tried on dresses on Friday and I was back at the store on Sunday to place the order! What I loved about my dress and the Modern Trousseau experience is that you can completely customize your gown. I ended up picking the top half of one dress and the bottom half of another in a thick silk fabric in diamond white. With a February wedding, I wanted the option to cover my arms and back so I also ordered a lace bolero that completed the perfect look for the ceremony. “

FAVOURITE MOMENT

“One of our favorite parts of the day was our first look. It was great to have some quality time together and to exchange gifts in-person. It was also great to have all of our photos finished before the ceremony so that we could enjoy the reception with our guests. “

THE FLOWERS

“Our florist was the fabulous Andy Beach. Our amazing planner, Brianne McMullan, recommended Andy for the job as she knew he would completely understand our Art Deco vision and would bring it to life with the décor and flowers.

Our flowers included hydrangea, garden roses, spray roses, gardenias, stephanotis, anemones and orchids – all in shades of white. Catherine’s bouquet had garden roses, gardenias. Stephanotis and phalaenopsis orchids. The bouquet was a tear drop shape and the stems of the bouquet were wrapped with white silk ribbon accented with pearls.

Our reception flowers were also used at the ceremony and included large lush mixed floral and foliage arrangements of white hydrangea, white garden roses, green foliage and gold foliage placed on top of tall stands. “

SPLURGE

“The most important thing to Catherine was to carry the Art Deco theme throughout the wedding weekend. We ended up splurging on the décor but it was totally worth it because you truly felt like you stepped back in time for a fabulous celebration in the Art Deco period.”

THE CAKE

“Our cake was fabulous. It was a round cake with 4 tiers and 2 flavors – salted caramel and triple chocolate hazelnut. It was covered in fondant and featured an Art Deco design inspired by our invitation suite.  The bottom tier was simple white with a black trim. The second and third layers were covered in black fondant and featured an intricate Art Deco design in gold. The top tier was white with a black and gold fan pattern on the trim. It was almost too pretty to eat, but we are glad we did because it was delicious!”

WORDS OF WEDDING WISDOM

“There are so many decisions to make in the planning process so try not to get overwhelmed with all of the choices and just remember that it will be a perfect day no matter what you choose because you get to marry your best friend.”

THE PHOTOGRAPHY

“Brianne also recommended our photographer, Holly Von Lanken. Not only is Holly’s work stunning, but she is one of the nicest people we have ever met. She made us feel so comfortable and was a calming presence on the wedding day. She was also very efficient and made sure that we got all of the photos that we requested. My only complaint would be that she gave us too many beautiful photos to choose from!”

VIEW THE GALLERY

Such a stunning celebration, I am head over heels with every detail – especially their venue, Swan House has always been a favourite of mine. Huge congratulations to the happy couple, Catherine & Michael, and a heartfelt thankyou to their photographer Holly Von Lanken , for not only capturing their day so perfectly, but also for allowing me to share it with you here. If you love these photographs and would like to see more of Holly’s work, do pop and take a peek at her website www.hollyvonlanken.com and be sure to find & follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Now if you love Catherine & Michael’s glamorous celebration and are looking for more Art Deco wedding ideas for your own big day, then you definitely will not want to miss Samantha & Kent’s glamorous Gatsby inspired celebration at the Biltmore Estate! You might also want to see Elizabeth & Matt’s garden wedding, or Sarah & Adem’s prohibition inspired celebration and Seana & Brian’s bright and beautiful Summer wedding, with subtle references to the era.

Amy
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Credits & Contributors

Photography – Holly Von Lanken Photography || Ceremony Venue – Swan House || Reception Venue – Atlanta History Center || Event Planning – Brianne McMullan Events || Floral Design – Andy Beach & Co.  || Stationery – Hi Note || Videography – Atlanta Pro Video || Wedding Cake – Lush Cakery || Rentals & Linens – Andy Beach & Co. || Hair & Makeup – Formal Faces || Wedding Dress – Modern Trousseau || Groom’s Attire – Hickey Freeman || Bride’s Shoes – Jimmy Choo || Bridesmaids Dresses – Adrianna Papell || Headpiece & Belt – White Orchid Bridal || Catering – Affairs to Remember || Entertainment – Amp’d Entertainment + Piedmont Strings