Modern & Minimal Garden Wedding Styled Shoot

Modern garden styled shoot with Mandy in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This minimalist wedding shoot from Kristen Kay Photography proves that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a beautiful and meaningful celebration. Kristen describes the shoot as “a simple afternoon spent as newly husband and wife eating fresh veggies, enjoying each other’s company, laughing and being in love.” Sounds perfect, right?

I love the light, airy backdrop juxtaposed with the fresh, garden feel of the found and foraged decor. The pops of colour from the vegetables, potted plants and perfectly pink bouquet make my heart happy. And don’t get me started on the bride’s chic style – that crop, those statement brows, her tattoos and minimalist jewelry, the buttons down the back of her slinky gown…wow, just wow.

Also, it’s rare that we get to feature a model or bride with short hair (I’m not sure why!) so I hope you gorgeous short haired brides out there find inspiration in these exquisite images.

From Kristen Kay Photography

I was inspired to create something minimal, modern, unique and non-traditional. I wanted to push myself and create something beautiful with limited funds to prove that you don’t have to have money to have a beautiful wedding day. I also wanted to focus on capturing two humans in love, rather than focusing too much on all the details. Because at the end of the day, humans and love are what matter most.

The floral bouquet was foraged. Mandy, with The Potted Pansy, found the beautiful pink blooms and then added in some wispy, desert like plants that we found outside the venue. The cake by Callie Ann Cakes was a modern, asymmetrical, non-traditional cake. It was also gluten free and vegan.

Decor & Details

For the dress we wanted something sleek and modern. I didn’t want a lot of poof or beading, so this dress from Bitsy Bridal was the perfect addition to the shoot and solidified the modern look I was going for. The Groom’s attire is from Goodwill (I spent a whopping $20 on the shirt, tie and vest). I wanted to stick with the minimal theme and wanted the challenge to see if I could create something beautiful with found/cheap/free objects.

We used a potted plant for some color on the outdoor white table. I wanted a fresh, garden feel, so we added in fresh produce from my Las Vegas, backyard garden. There’s a touch of color as well in the dried florals that Mandy brought from her home.

A few of the dishes are from my travels abroad. The ceramic bowls are handmade and were a wedding gift. And the orange mug is a handmade piece from one of my college friends. I really wanted to incorporate meaningful pieces and showcase that meaningful can still be beautiful! The jewelry the bride wore was handmade by Sloane and was the perfect addition to really solidify the modern, non-traditional feel.