1. Real Weddings

A Modern Summer Wedding at the Scarab Club in Detroit, Michigan

Elaine Strutz (29 and a film and TV editor) and Tim Young (29 and a filmmaker) both moved to New York City to attend NYU's film program, but they didn

Elaine Strutz (29 and a film and TV editor) and Tim Young (29 and a filmmaker) both moved to New York City to attend NYU's film program, but they didn't officially meet until a karaoke party three years later. Elaine's song of choice was "All By Myself." "It was love at first sight--a super magical moment for two cynical transplant New Yorkers," they say. After dating for a little while, Tim proposed under the Brooklyn-Queens expressway in the exact same location where they had their first kiss. When searching for the perfect wedding venue, they immediately fell in love with the historical Scarab Club, an art society built in the 1920s in Detroit, Michigan. Not only does it have incredible architecture and rich cultural history, but the Scarab Club is also a non-profit and therefore a tremendously affordable event space with both indoor and outdoor options. Along with the venue itself, many of the wedding details were cost-friendly, including the homemade invitations (made with a woodblock print) and programs, desserts and a wedding cake from Costco, and centerpieces created from flowers from a local market. Elaine's bouquet, designed by Blumz by JRDesigns, reflected the flowers in the venue's garden in a bright color palette of red, yellow, blue, and green. The wedding fashion matched the color scheme with bridesmaids in short red dresses and groomsmen in blue ties with yellow billy ball boutonnieres. Keeping up with the theme of summery flowers, Elaine and Tim gave their guests pouches of sunflower seeds as wedding favors, along with care packages in the hotel rooms with suggestions of things to do in Detroit for out of town guests. The couple even had a Motown cover band at the reception to welcome guests to the city. Overall, Elaine and Tim had the wedding of their dreams, saying, "What reflected us most was our involvement in the whole day to make it feel so unique and special to us. The little touches are what made it feel like it wasn't just an event made by a wedding factory."

Elaine made all of the brown paper programs herself with subtle colorful flower designs modeled after the flowers in her bouquet. She also designed the invitations from a wood block print.
The wedding color palette incorporated mostly primary colors with pops of green and pink. Inspired by the garden's wildflowers, Elaine carried a colorful assortment of roses, billy balls, dahlias, and other eclectic flowers.
Classic White and Silver Bridal Peep-Toes, Clutch, and Bracelet
Elaine picked out a classic sleeveless, V-neck sheath dress from Theia (model 890051) for a timeless wedding look. She wore her hair up to show off her neckline and completed the look with a traditional, fingertip-length veil.
Bridal Party Getting Ready in Blue Robes and Sunglasses
V-Neck, Sleeveless, Sheath Theia Wedding Dress and Bracelet Ring Chain
Bride in Sleeveless, V-Neck, Sheath Wedding Dress and Veil
Time wore a fitted light gray suit with a yellow billy ball boutonniere and a blue striped tie from J. Crew to match the groomsmen. The groomsmen were allowed to pick out their own dark suits. As the couple explains, "No baggy rented suits or making your loved ones look like props!"
The bridesmaids wore short J. Crew dresses in the same bright red shade of "vivd poppy." The groomsmen were able to wear their own suits but were each given a blue tie and yellow billy ball boutonniere to match the primary color scheme.
Garden Wedding Ceremony at the Scarab Club
The Scarab Club is a historic art society that originated in the early 1900s to encourage local artists and art education. As a non-profit, the venue is certainly a budget-friendly (but certainly no less elegant!) modern wedding and event space.
The Scarab Club has three main rooms for events: the outdoor garden, an upstairs lounge filled with antique furniture, and a main gallery for a formal reception. "We loved that our venue felt like a classy house party," they say.
The budget-friendly dessert table included an assortment of sweets purchased from Costco, including the simple but elegant wedding cake. Since the venue had plenty of gorgeous artwork, the couple hardly had to decorate, simply accenting the table with a typographic "I do" table runner.
Elaine and Tim incorporated more bright, summery flowers from the garden and bouquets into the venue for small and simple table arrangements, including the vibrant sunflowers on the guest book table. Guests could even take home packets of sunflower seeds for wedding favors.
Elaine kept her wedding jewelry to a minimum with a beautiful pair of silver drop earrings and a delicate bracelet ring for a modern look. The bride and groom danced to music by a Motown cover band (Motor City Beat) to give their guests a proper Detroit welcome.
Outdoor Garden Reception at Scarab Club
Groom and Bride in Sheath Wedding Dress Outside Scarab Club