Blair and I have worked on many projects together over the years, and whenever she asks me to photograph one of her visions, I’m all in right away. She’s so talented and creative and so dedicated to executing her intentions and doing it well!
She and Brielle planned a gorgeous shoot to highlight the work of our amazing vendor team, featuring rustic golds, cool dusty blues, and a hint of the warm anticipation of summer.
This was more than your run of the mill styled shoot… This was an epic tale of steadfast loyalty, the bonding of girlfriends in a tough situation, and making executive decisions in a pinch to do whatever it takes to make it happen no matter what. We almost didn’t shoot….. and here’s why……
That evening before the shoot, many areas of Maryland and south central Pennsylvania received tornado warnings. The next evening I was heading to Glen Ellen Farm for the shoot, the sky was looking wild, in a cool moody way. The clouds were billowing and the sky was a deep gray-blue. And though it wasn’t raining, the winds were like nothing I’d seen in quite some time… I mean FIERCE and strong. I made it there safely, ready to roll…
Blair and Brielle were under the grand white tent that Glen Ellen has on their property, with the tablescape set, arrangements in place, and everything ready to go. All we were waiting on was the “bride”, our model.
The vision was to photograph against the sky, just outside the tent. As we were envisioning for the perfect spot to set up, a MASSIVE and I mean gigantic gust of wind came through and almost destroyed everything we were working with… Blair’s arrangements toppled over, a couple of forks flew onto the floor, and part of the side of the tent came undone. Together, the three of us with all of our strength got the tent sides back and secured the rentals, thinking of something to do.
As Freddie Mercury would say, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
I was determined. WE were determined. With how much Blair invested in these gorgeous flowers, the hard work Brielle put in gathering all of the rentals and pieces together, the distance our model was driving, and the talent and time Voula our cake designer put into her masterpiece… We just HAD to shoot somehow.
Now as a note, we weren’t being incautious. We wouldn’t have continued on if we truly felt that our safety was at risk, it was just crazy winds we were dealing with.
After we collected ourselves after thinking that all of our efforts may have been for naught, we decided to GO for it! We carefully moved EVERYTHING from under the tent over to the old barn foundation setup on the property that would give us a bit of a barrier in the wind. Even though the lighting wasn’t ideal, re-staging everything gave us enough time for me to photograph our bride while we waited for the sun (that had finally come out, though the wind was still insane) to go fall a bit for some softer light with less contrast.
Long story short - it ended up being BETTER than we’d planned and hoped for and we felt so relieved, inspired, and proud of ourselves after the shoot was over. We did it, despite barriers and trials, and that’s what it’s all about. It made it more like a real wedding day when so much is out of our control anyway, even when things are planned as much as possible.
If you ask me, we rocked it!
So, friends… Here are a few of my favorites from the evening… I’m obsessed with the color palette… The pops of orange with the lazy tulips and kumquats are the perfect compliment to the mustard and blue-gray… Our model, Michelle, was such a trooper with my direction and ensuring to take such good care of the gown while we photographed. She’s absolutely gorgeous! And the team at JKW Beauty, my number-one referral for HMU artistry, did such an amazing job keeping her makeup light and romantic in a natural way. Instead of working against the wind, we tried to work with it and just have FUN…
After all was said and done, we packed up in the light of our SUV’s, and enjoyed Voula’s delicious cake before heading home and calling it a day - a day I’d call a complete success!
If you’re getting married or hosting an event and looking for an epic dream team of vendors for your wedding day to create the most beautiful table setting, cake design, floral arrangements, gown, hair and makeup, and rental pieces… Scroll down to the bottom where I’ve listed everyone’s contact info and give these girls a follow!
VENDOR TEAM
Florist + Vision: Blair Roberts, Sweet Blossoms LLC
Planning: Brielle Davis Events
Venue: Glen Ellen Farm
Hair/Makeup: JKW Beauty
Cake: Blue Lace Cakes
Invitation: Artisan Match Maker
Dress: Posh Bridal
Rentals: Something Vintage
Photographer: Kirsten Smith Photography