Thanks to the most incredible team of vendors, my styled shoot dreams came alive last weekend. On June 2nd, at the Colby Hill Inn, we created pure magic! The day surpassed all of the hopes I had leading up to the big day, and we definitely had luck on our side.
When I woke up that morning and looked at the weather app on my phone, it forecasted rain and thunderstorms… all afternoon. I was biting my nails as I drove to the venue. All of our big plans were going to have to be moved around due to the impending showers. I went over every detail in my head trying to figure out how we could make this all still work.
When I arrived at the venue, I gathered my thoughts and started shooting whatever I could before the rain came. The hair stylist, makeup artists, and models arrived shortly after, and started getting ready right away. As I ran around the venue with the bride’s dress in my hand, trying to find the perfect place to photograph it, I couldn’t help but stare at the sky and pray. This styled shoot had been in the works for months. Mother Nature HAD to be on our side!
Soon enough, the florist arrived and started decorating the arbor with gorgeous flowers for the ceremony. Next, our baker came and began setting up the cake table with her fabulous creation. I ran around from vendor to vendor, in awe of the incredible contributions they all had brought. As I ran, I noticed it getting slightly brighter outside. The clouds moved away, and the sun was left with nothing but blue skies. Our styled shoot could go on!
With hair and makeup wrapping up and a quick swap within the timeline, we all headed down to the meadow to stage the first look. Dandelions and yellow buttercups filled the meadow, which only added to the whimsy and joyfulness of it all. After the first look, we stuck around for a few more portraits of the bride and groom. Our bride, Karissa, twirled in circles in her beautiful dress, and it reminded me of a Disney fairytale. The train of her dress was just so long! I even suggested that our coordinator, Lauren, toss it up in the air for a photo, and simply take a step back after the toss. Instead, Lauren tossed the train and expertly performed a backwards dive into the tick-infested bushes behind her. It sent us all into cackling laughter, and the shot was SO worth it.
Next, we headed back up towards the Inn, where an entire ceremony space was set up and waiting for us. We performed the ceremony in front of a beautifully decorated arbor. The sweetest part of it all was that our couple playing the bride and groom are actually engaged, and they are getting married in two months! This small ceremony was the perfect little practice for them. They even read vows to each other, which were made up completely on the spot and very silly! Then, at the end of the ceremony, our bridal party tossed flower petals over the bride and grooms heads while they kissed. It was probably one of my favorite shots from the entire shoot!
Right after the ceremony ended, the rain rolled in. We packed things up quickly, and headed into the barn for the reception! Our vintage decor stylist had the space already set up and ready for action. We danced to some country music, ate some cake, and took some more sweet shots. You could hear the sound of the pouring rain in the background, serving as a reminder to the incredible luck we had that day. The shoot came to a close as we took our final shots, and I can safely say we all left as new friends.
Here are some of my many favorites from this incredible day…
Details:
Getting Ready…
First Look…
Ceremony…
Reception…
I want to give thanks to the amazing team of vendors I had by my side for this styled shoot. I truly could not have done this without each and every one of them. Not only are they artistically talented in each of their own fields, but they were all extremely kind, generous, and FUN to work with! You would be lucky to work with any of these people on your wedding day. You can find them on Instagram here:
