Spring Stylized Wedding Shoot
I love snow and winter. It's a time to slow down, drink hot chocolate and cuddle on the couch with my family. However, I do miss the bright sun and blooming flowers. I wanted to create a styled shoot to showcase the beauty of spring. I wanted to see the vibrant colors, bright light and colorful flowers. I had a great color scheme but now I needed other wedding vendors to join in on the fun. Could I make it happen?
Should I Cancel?
I started immediately planning the shoot. I contacted the owner of The Grand LV to find out what day and time I could book for a styled shoot. Melanie was so sweet and kind to offer her facility for the shoot. Once I had a day and time--I contacted a few other vendors to see if they would be interested. The A-team of hair and make-up, Nidia with Blushing Beauty & Co and Ashley with Ashley Urban Artistry, jumped at the chance to join. I was so excited that other vendors wanted to be a part of it. Christinae with Naomi Paperworks was another amazing vendor who volunteered to create stationery for the shoot. However, I started losing hope because I still needed decor, floral and a dress. Honestly, I thought about cancelling the shoot because I could not find available vendors. BUT I was determined to make this work.
As luck would have it.
I was about to cancel the event when I came across another bridal shop in the area. I had been searching online for wedding dress rentals, calculating the cost and how much I should invest in the shoot. I saw Greta's Bridal and Formalwear and decided to give her a call. I thought by this point it was worth a try. In about 10 minutes I heard a "yes" to borrowing a dress and a referral to a local rental and design vendor who might be willing to help. Wait, was this finally coming together? After getting off the phone with Greta, I called Lauren at Burns Rentals where again--I heard a "yes". I met both ladies later that week to pick a wedding dress and to discuss details for the table settings for the shoot.
A few more details.
After confirming a florist, rental company and wedding dress, I now needed to find a wedding cake vendor. I remember photographing a wedding where this gorgeous cake was on display. I decided to give Emily with Sweet Em's Cake Shoppe a call. I loved her work and was curious if she had time in her busy schedule to join the amazing list of local vendors. Emily agreed to join the team and prepared a beautiful sketch to go along with my inspiration.
A new dress.
A week before the shoot, I get a call from sweet Greta. She was calling to tell me that the dress we chose for the shoot was sold. A bride getting married in March fell in love with the dress and bought it on the spot. The funny thing was that blush pink dress with gold accents wasn't selling. Greta loved the uniqueness but most brides didn't want that for their wedding day. I wasn't upset because honestly I wanted a different look. I met my friend and model, Mikayla, to try on more dresses for the shoot. Mikayla and I knew the jeweled accent and lace trumpet dress with the long detailed train was the winner. We had ironed out the last minute bumps (for now) for the shoot.
The night before the snow storm.
The shoot is tomorrow and I'm so nervous. I have a babysitter for the kids, I confirmed time and place with everyone and the catering order will arrive that morning. However, there was a snowstorm heading our way that would create traveling issues for the next day. I kept watching the weather to see what I should do. I didn't want to cancel but I also didn't want to risk anyone's safety. After biting my nails for several hours--I decided to continue as planned. Every vendor who participated in this shoot was so amazing.
All is well.
Every wedding vendor made it to the wedding shoot. They drove and shoveled their way to the shoot and didn't complain once. I was blown away by all the effort and talents each person contributed. When I first started planning this shoot, I didn't know if I would be able to get more than a model, hair and makeup. It was so much fun to work with so many local wedding vendors. It allowed me to improve my portfolio and build connections. We also were blessed to have Corban Nelson, a local wedding videographer and my friend Christi join the shoot. Corban was there to capture video of all of us working hard. My friend and photography mentor, Christi, helped me bounce ideas off of her. I love having her by my side because she reminds me that I can do more than I let myself believe.
VENDOR LIST
VENUE: The Grand LV
RENTALS & FLORAL: Burns Rentals
CAKE: Sweet Em's Cake Shoppe
STATIONERY: Naomi Paperworks
HAIR: Blushing Beauty & Co
MAKEUP: Ashley Urban Artistry
DRESS: Greta's Bridal and Formalwear
VIDEO: Corban Nelson
PHOTOGRAPHY: Heather Beckham Photography
