Shawn & Ivan
march - georgia room @ the freehand hotel - new york
photos by emma melin studios
this wedding was conceived as a study in tension: restraint vs. exuberance, structure vs. gesture, sincerity vs. play.
a post-modern western, in primary color
built on a primary palette of red, yellow, and blue, the design draws from post-modern references but is filtered through a more disciplined, editorial lens. moments of intensity are placed intentionally: a saturated red draped ceremony backdrop, a loose tulip stage installation featuring a grand wire-mesh skyscraper tulipiere inspired by the wedding-cake skyscraper designs of the 1920s & 1930s, sculptural floral gestures. each allowed to exist with clarity rather than excess.
tulips act as both material and metaphor throughout. their movement and ephemerality carry the design from ceremony through reception, shifting from expressive installations to tightly controlled table compositions. on long tables, paired stems in minimal vessels tied with plastic lacing quietly reference partnership and the bonded commitment of marriage, tying the knot, in its simplest form.
mechanics are left visible, reinforcing the hand of the designer. nothing is overworked. candlelight softens the space, and restraint becomes the defining gesture.
