Weddingbee Blog

Four years of art education and a graphic-design degree do not play nicely with a day job that utilizes none of those talents. All of that bottled up creative energy has to go somewhere, or else I get cranky/sulky. (It’s kinda like SAD, but for creative types.) So now that I’m planning a massive art project—I mean wedding!—you can imagine what sort of trouble I’m headed for. Look out wedding-project overload!

Because I don’t have enough going on, I’ve decided it is completely sane to design and build an art installation. For the wedding. I hear all the I-can’t-draw-a-straight-line people asking, “What the heck is an art installation?” Short answer: it’s three-dimensional, site-specific art. The best way to describe is with pictures, and what better way to begin than with the motherload of inspiration: Anthropologie?

January windows at Anthropologie

Who wouldn’t love a cascade of giant poms? It reminds me a little of my gown. Don’t think this one is as executable—no tape, tacks, glue, or otherwise adhering decor to the historic mansion.

Here’s one for all you texture girls! Love the hanging ribbons/paper for our tented reception, perhaps over the sweetheart table?

Now this is nautical! We flirted with the idea of incorporating nautical elements into our reception, but felt it was such a strong statement that all of the other wonderful things that make us “us” would take a backseat. Had a marina or sailboat engagement shoot been in the cards, maybe we would have pushed more in this direction.

Summer windows at Anthropologie

When touring venues, we fell in love with several installations at the DCCA (just the art; the space—not so much). The one below had me dreaming of an art-museum reception, but the logistics of traveling exhibits brought me back to reality. I can appreciate it just as much without the big party and worry over inebriated wedding guests “interacting” with the art. (This is not the Please Touch Museum.)

Jamey Grimes, Throughfall

And if you’re still hanging in there, your reward is seeing me go art-school geeky on you. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were my introduction to 3D art installations. Talk about making a big impact! Two of my favorites:

Running Fence

Surrounded Islands

Then we were introduced to sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. The impermanence of his early work (ice melting, leaves in moving water) really struck me. More recent work has been decidedly larger scale.

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Don’t think I’ve gone off the deep end. I’m fully aware many projects will get axed in the final rush before the wedding. Treating the wedding as fantastical multi-phase art thesis does not bode well for my mental health. I don’t have the time/energy OR the wedding elves to help create a magical atmosphere, if only for one night.

What ideas did you rein in, either for the sake of time, money, or sanity?

(all personal photos unless otherwise noted)