The Definitive Guide to
Venue
Old factory, shipyard, or other converted industrial space
Welcome to our huge guide to industrial chic themed weddings!
We hope to answer most of the questions you may have about this perennial favorite style among wedding planners and brides.
Use the quick navigation links to jump straight to a section you’re interested, or simply browse through our inspirational ideas and material.
Enjoy!
– Love & Lavender Team
What is an Industrial Chic Style?
Think forged iron, welded metal, and concrete. Tin, aluminum, or steel materials also play an important role in conveying an industrial design look.
The style is simple and clean with a focus on function, muted color palette, and a more masculine vibe.
Industrial conjures up images of days gone by when workers made things utilizing big machinery in large factories.
Architecture and a redefined space play a big part of modern day industrial chic wedding venues. Open spaces with exposed brick, steel work, and large wooden beams all work to provide a captivating visual sensation. Overhead lighting really sells the overall look.
“Chic decor has transformed the venue from lifeless into a stylish oasis for friends and family to eat, drink, and be merry!”
Industrial Chic Color Palettes
Use muted foundation colors such as whites, beige, grays, blushes, and browns. But also choose a core color that pops.
Muted Tones
The industrial theme works best when the color palette is a bit understated. Marsala, Pantone’s color of the year in 2015, works amazingly well. So does hunter green, black, navy, plum, and gold.
If dark hues aren’t really your vibe, you can definitely pull the industrial theme off with pastels – pale pink, mint, white, ivory, and sage green.
Like a punch of color? Use a single shade such as magenta, bright red, yellow or even turquoise, to add a pop.
Stationery Inspiration
Abstract Jewel
Our wedding invite pick comes from online stationer Minted. It is an amazing piece of industrial chic stationery designed by a Texas gal named Rebecca. We think she hit the nail on the head with her ‘abstract jewel’ design!
Gray palette with a hint of gold that simply screams geometric concrete shapes. What could be more enticing to set the scene for your industrial chic wedding style?
Dimensions: 7″ x 5″, 6″ x 4.25″
Format: Flat card
Colors: Amethyst, Opal, Sapphire, Emerald
Love is Abstract, but Style is Concrete
Fictional Wedding Story by L&L
Characters: Abbey Love & Ethan Lavender
Theme: Industrial Chic Wedding
Venue: Converted Factory from 1910
Abbey Love always knew she wanted a wedding that incorporated elements of her family and their working class past.
She thought, what better way to accomplish that than to hold her wedding at the factory that both her great-grandfather and grandfather toiled away at for many years of their lives in the first half of the 20th century.
Abandoned for over 30 years, the decaying factory stands on the city outskirts as a testament to its great industrial past. The locals always had an attachment to the imposing concrete structure, and could never agree to demolish it once and for all. Fond memories ran deep in their psyche, and stories told by generations of family members who worked at the factory to make a better life for their children held special meaning.
A developer wanted to bulldoze the old factory to make way for a new mega mall. Locals banded together and came up with an idea to save it — a new life as a converted industrial wedding venue!
Abbey and Ethan stand hand in hand at one end of the factory floor. In turn, they pronounce their everlasting love for each other. Abbey is a picture of radiance wearing a vintage style dress and birdcage veil, while Ethan is as handsome as could be sporting a dark gray suit and contrasting brightly colored yellow necktie.
Natural light floods through the towering window panes to fill the cavernous venue space. Once deafening sounds of machinery now give way to cheers of congratulations, and toasts to a happy marriage.
Cold, gray cement floors, inflexible metal, and an industrial atmosphere offer a bleak picture of the past. But Abbey, Ethan, and many of their guests only feel an abstract kind of love for the old place.
Abbey surveys the tablescape she created from a mixture of DIY and bought items. Laser cut metal table numbers and cement cube planters blend seamlessly with surrounding materials, while bouquets of white roses lend an elegant air to the entire space. Along one wall, giant white curtains hang 20 feet high in the air and add to the dramatic appeal of the scene.
Industrial Chic Venue Roundup
Think warehouses, lofts and urban venues. The real key to pulling off an industrial chic look at your wedding? An amazing venue!!
Look for a warehouse or loft style venue with lots of exposed brick or duct work. Shy away from ballrooms or any venue that is too ornate.
- Checkout this barn styled industrial shoot here.
- Hardwood floors, an abundance of red brick walls, and up lighting provide a wonderful setting for this featured wedding at Axis Pioneer Square in Seattle.
I’ve praised the Pittsburgh Opera and the New Hazlett Theater, but the Pittsburgh Winery, Engine House 25, and the first floor of the Heinz History Center would also make great backdrops for an industrial chic wedding. Barns, although typically decorated with a rustic vibe, could also work beautifully with this new look!
More Industrial Chic
