Toward the end of June, I worked with some amazing wedding vendors to create an uber-fun editorial shoot.
At the time, my sister asked "What is the point of this?" .... the short answer is that this is F-U-N for us. We wedding people want to let loose every once in awhile, do something creative, fun and a bit out of the box. We wanted to select a dress, settings and accessories that might not be "traditional" but are highly visual. To give us a bit of creative license, and also to serve as an inspiration to brides and grooms out there .... to do what you want, even if it's unexpected. :)
Let's start with the location: The Kanopolis Drive In in Kanopolis, Kansas.
This is the BACK side of the movie screen. Actually, the wedding coordinator, Faith, who I was working with pointed this out to me as a possible location. It's fun to do these creative types of shoots where multiple people are coordinating creatively. It was AWESOME! :)
Next, let's talk about our amazing models, Toni and her boyfriend Andy. While not engaged or married (yet!), they were willing to don wedding attire and let us get our creative groove on. Having never met either before the shoot, we could not have hand-picked a better couple to model for this shoot. Toni and Andy are both carefree, and head-over-heels for one another.
The "Love" sign. Let's talk about this. The paper products are created by Gretchen at P.ink Creative. I'll share more of her fabulous work in a bit.
I started with the location: the drive in. And then immediately enlisted the help of my friend and uber-awesome wedding coordinator, Faith from Bel Amour Events.
Faith is creative, energetic and loves organization and lists more than I do. A woman after my own heart. :) She came up with the idea that the shoot would be a bit bohemian. I threw loose the reigns and let her run with it. Faith brought at least half a dozen headbands to the shoot for us to play with, and almost as many earring options.
The lesson to take away from this: pearls are beautiful (especially if they're your grandmother's!), but not an essential wedding item. If you want to wear big, bold earrings, DO IT! Tiaras and crystals are NOT required for bridal headgear. An awesome patterned headband that goes with your color/theme can be just as cool ... and more uniquely you!
Gosh I love this photo!
Oh! This would be the time to tell you Toni is modeling a stunning dress from Simplistic Bride in Derby. Diane and her staff are fabulous!
At this time, I want to insert a tiny tip: a groom is not REQUIRED to wear a black tux. If your personality is a linen suit or even a different colored suit, GO FOR IT! Seriously, don't feel required to go with the black tux. Doesn't Andy look awesome? We dig his look!
I gave this one a vintage treatment. It almost reminds me of a tin type photo.
Also, I want to be sure to mention that Toni's hair and makeup were done by Amber at Thiessen-Elise Salon.
Let's take a short break from our hottie models to show you some more killer details! Gretchen TOTALLY knocked these table settings and menus out of the park. The menus are wrapped in leather with lace. LOVE them!
The cupcakes are not only cute, but they are tasty. :) Alissa at Cups & Cookies did the baking (her website is still under construction, so be patient with that link, please!)/
I didn't have too many concrete ideas about this shoot other than the location. And the fact that I wanted rock candy. Tags by Gretchen.
(Editor's note: you'll notice we have some 'collaged' detail shots here ... Mike and I are toying around with how we are going to format blog posts ... in a way that will involve more photos ... so leave a comment if you love this format or hate it! Inquiring minds want to know!)
We opted to have a more funky ring for this shoot. Toni actually brought it to the table; it felt more "Bohemian" to us.
Faith has seriously done a million things in her life. Not only is she an insanely talented coordinator, other wedding experience includes working as a hairstylist and as a floral assistant. As is evident by her handiwork in creating the bouquet.
One note to add here. On the bouquet, we added a big jewel. It's actually a necklace we were toying with and just loved. If you had a special family necklace/broach or even a cameo, it would be a fabulous addition to your flowers. You just want to be sure your florist anchors it onto the bouquet ... while they're lovely, they can sometimes take a beating on the wedding day because they're handled A_LOT.
More great styling. The head table name was all Faith. Since we were shooting at a Drive In, she wanted it to tie into the movies. Great choice! :)
In addition to a "sweetheart table," we set up a dessert/champagne area. Even though I was at the Drive In, I didn't want to over-use the screen. Ya know?
Smoldering shot of Toni. For reals. Rawr.
A little fun here. Some screen action, and of course, the concession stand. :)
Another lovely bridal. If I were to name this one, it'd be "stranded at the Drive In" ... but check out the look in Toni's eyes ... strong.
Sometimes, I have an idea of a photo I want to take before starting a shoot. Other times, I fall into these happy accidents by just going with the flow. This photo is a perfect example of a "going with the flow" moment. I might have actually screamed a bit when I saw them walk in front of the screen on the way somewhere ... and wanted to play with their silhouettes on the lit-up screen. To the left of the frame is the decor from the sweetheart table.
PHEW! What a monster blog post. I was able to share 25+ photos .... I've waited so long to share these because they will be published somewhere very special in a few short days. Stay tuned to find out where! :)
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