Modern, Refined Wedding Inspired by Tadao Ando

Contemporary Jewish Museum
As Seen on Once Wed

“The essence of minimalism is simplicity, but simplicity without depth is merely cheap. It is not enough.” – Tadao Ando

Having always been captivated by architecture, the inspiration behind this shoot came from one of my favorite Japanese architects, Tadao Ando. Ando’s work is characterized by his use of minimalistic shapes with clean lines, and the simplicity of his buildings made primarily of concrete and glass. He is able to take a severe material like concrete, and smooth and soften it to create spaces of serenity. We wanted to similarly emphasize the beauty that can be found in simplicity and included many elements of Japanese influence throughout our shoot. Sammy from Lambert Floral Studio created ikebana style floral arrangements for our table, which were situated in Japanese ceramic bowls, and our Japanese model was accessorized with geometric gold pieces by Japanese jewelry designer Satomi Kawakita. Our beautiful invitation suite designed by Brylo Wed featured letterpress details and included the names of Tadao Ando and his wife, Yukiko.

I imagined our bride as a girl with refined, sophisticated style who was confident, strong, and a little flirty. We styled her in modern gowns by THE NEWHITE that were simple in design and featured clean lines, paired with a sleek updo, bold brows, and a flirty red lip. Modern tableware from Chairs + Cups and thin tapered candles composed our tablescape, a balance of bold and delicate details. Amanda of Just Bakecause crafted a two-tiered “concrete” cake, influenced by Ando’s preferred building material. Through these elements, we sought to create inspiration that is strong yet delicate, simple yet has depth.