Eclectic Decor Made This Wedding at The Cheney Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Shine

After Sarah Tilden (30 and an assistant professor) and Josh Baker (27 and a medical student) met in an anatomy graduate program, fell in love over countless study dates and later got engaged, the bride used her knack for research to plan an artistic, eclectic and textural wedding. “I knew I wanted our wedding to be a reflection of our aesthetic,” Sarah says. To achieve their vibe, the pair chose a modern industrial venue, covered it in a palette of dusty blues and toffee shades reminiscent of a Michigan lake and decorated it with sculptural glass vases, bespoke furniture and eclectic florals. The pair chose simple and sustainable invitations (printed on recycled paper) to set the tone for their celebration.

Josh’s Uncle Gary officiated the pair’s intimate ceremony. “He’s played a very important role in Josh’s, and now my, life,” Sarah says. Asymmetrical gold shelves held a mix of potted plants and ceramic vases, adding to the day’s artsy appeal. At the reception, dusty blue gauze runners and an assortment of bud vases (featuring roses, lisianthus, dahlias and grasses) lined wooden tables.

Notes from guests were left on display, doubling as decor and a guest book.  Instead of serving up a traditional cake, the couple tapped a local company to pass out vanilla ice cream bars coated in chocolate and shaped like Michigan’s lower peninsula.  “We fell in love with the large windows and the grandeur of things long forgotten and made new again,” Sarah says of their venue, The Cheney Place.