After photographing a wedding at a gorgeous museum in Milwaukee, Scott and Cara Nava of Carasco Photography knew they would have to return for a styled shoot. “We fell in love with its terra cotta rooftop, quaint courtyard, panoramic terrace overlooking a hillside waterfall, and Renaissance garden,” shared the Navas. They felt inspired by the 16th century villas of Italy, and wanted to couple that stunning aesthetic with a more modern sensibility. The Carasco Photography team reached out to fellow Chicago-based Kesh Events to create a romantic garden tablescape. For the model taking the place of the bride, the creative team selected the perfect dress to act as a muse. “When we began conceptualizing the styling for the Renaissance garden look, we chose the “Julia” by Ines Di Santo that features layers of embroidered and gold pailettes tulle,” explains Carasco Photography. The beauty team then got to work, styling the models serving as the bride and groom with an aristocratic flair. “The end result was a dramatic love story and we couldn’t have been happier with this collaboration of artists,” gush Scott and Cara Nava. 

It was up to Kesh Designs to bring it all together; making sure the tablescape matched the opulence of the model bride and groom. Inspired by the architecture of the museum villa, the views, and the water stairs, the creative team elected to use all-white florals and crystal accents for the table. A row of towering vessels held the orchids aloft, while suspended glass globes, crystal droplets, and additional orchids seemed to float towards the tabletop. In addition, smaller arrangements of roses and hydrangeas were peppered along the tablescape, and a stunning floral runner cascaded down to the lawn. Elegant chairs were accented with custom sleeves specially designed for this tablescape. In fact, some of the details were pulled from the Ines Di Santo gown and the villa serving as the inspiration and venue. “Soft tulle and rosette fabric added to the soft and romantic look for the chairs,” confirms the design team. To tie everything together with a regal appearance, the place settings featured many gold details, from the rims of the stemware, the chargers, acrylic escort cards, table numbers, and flatware. “Each place setting was finished with a white orchid petal,” the design team adds. 

To fit with the sunset portion of the photo shoot, the “bride” changed into a more formfitting dress, like one might do for a reception. This time she wore a long-sleeve lace bridal gown with an elegant keyhole back. As Scott and Cara took photos around the romantic grounds, it was almost as if the models were a true bride and groom.