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Hi, I'm Julie ... artist, photographer, potter, etc. I am so happy you are here! I consider this blog my creative journal where I can share my recent work, ideas and dreams, and lots of little details about my life. Please make yourself at home. Whether you are a bride-to-be, a photographer, or just a visitor, I hope you will find inspiration here and even become a friend. |
This springy southern shoot was one of my favorite styled shoots I have ever done. I have been so anxious to share it all summer!!! It was the second shoot I have done like this in Lexington and I absolutely LOVED all of the vendors that collaborated with me. Without this amazing team of creative friends these kinds of projects wouldn't be possible. They work hard giving of their time and resources all for the sake of doing something creative to inspire brides out there. So I really want to honor them by including bits from interviews that I did with them throughout this post.
You can also see this shoot featured today over at Fab You Bliss. We were so thrilled and honored to be showcased on their gorgeous bridal inspiration blog!
So here's the run down of my dream team:
Location: Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate
Flowers: Carol Lynn Events
Bridal Gown: Twirl Lexington
Bridal Accessories: Anna Delphia Bridal Creations
Invitation Design: Fourth Year Studio
Bakery: Tinker's Cake Shop
Models: Caitlin and Andrew
I also have to credit my sweet husband Nick ... who provided the amazing antique books for this shoot. The initial inspiration actually came from his extensive assortment of antiques. From his treasured book collection to the vintage card catalog that sits in our attic … the idea of a “story time” styled shoot seemed so obvious. I knew these pieces would come together to create a wedding scene that was as sweet as it was sentimental.
Melissa with Anna Delphia Bridal Creations loaned me this beautiful head piece. It's actually two separate pieces (the flower clip and the head band) that you can find in her etsy shop here.
From Melissa: I love working on Hair pieces/fascinators. They can be bold and colorful or simple and elegant. I love the idea that there is no right or wrong as to what these should look like. I usually gravitate towards a romantic style with a touch of Jane Austen in most of my designs. My favorite time periods are the Edwardian/Victorian/Regency times. The dresses, hair pieces, hats, gloves, from those historic times were so elegant and made from the most beautiful pieces of fabric. And, they were all hand made!
We fell in love with this unbelievable Stella York gown from Twirl Boutique. The color is actually called moscato ... so it's just ever so slightly not white/ivory. The color in person was amazing and it inspired the touches of pink throughout the entire shoot. The lace bodice and neckline had a elegant, antique feel which was a perfect fit for our historic setting at Ashland.
This vintage card catalog came from my attic! I keep it full of art supplies ... but for our shoot it doubled as the display for our cake and the place cards. It was Dianna's idea (with Fourth Year Studio) to incorporate these love quotes as a creative way to help guests find their seats at the reception.
These super cute mini-cakes were created by Cameron at Tinker's Cake Shop. I love working with Tinkers because they are talented and eager to do exactly what you want.
A little history about Tinkers: We are Cameron and Tracie, a husband and wife team who met during our culinary school internships. At that time we worked under the pastry chef at the Westin resort on Hilton Head Island. We have owned Tinker's Cake Shop for 10 years now. Tinker's is a wedding cake and groom's cake specialty shop located in the heart of downtown Lexington.
As a photographer playing the role of designer, I was especially grateful to Ruth with Carol Lynn Events. She not only provided all of the flowers, the flatware, table, and bench … but also helped all day with set up and styling.
I knew I wanted the flowers to match the airy playfulness of the dress. Ruth is such an artist! She did an amazing job pulling together a gorgeous assortment garden roses, tulips, ranunculous, and silver dollar eucalyptus that played perfectly with the whimsy of that beautiful dress.
A little more about Ruth and Carol Lynn Events:
Why do you love what you do? My passion is bringing beautiful flowers to others in a unique way so they might experience a bit of the joy I do everyday.
Who or what has been a major influence in your work? My mother was the driving force in our store. I was so inspired by the elegant manor and personal touch she gave every customer.
If you weren't in this business what kind of work would you love to do? I would probably be in ministry. Our family is very involved in our church and ministering to our community in Lexington and in other places as well.
Where do you find inspiration? I am most inspired by God's creation. The fact that I am allowed to play with the beautiful flowers he has created everyday is an awe inspiring blessing.
Our color palette was determined by the antique blue and white tea and china set that once belonged to my husband's great grandmother. This inspired our use of blue berries on the mini-cakes by Tinker's Cake Shop, the blue Gabriele D'annunzio suit that the groom wore, and the blueberry mint julep fizz. Those adorable refreshments were a twist on a traditionally southern drink (the mint julep) and looked so beautiful with our table settings!
Our incredible venue was Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate. This venue is a perfect place for a wedding because it is so versatile ... from the incredible Estate to the formal gardens, the peony gardens, the open grounds with amazing wooded areas and wide open fields ... there are a lot of options for setting up. We included the formal gardens for the "first glance" and bridal portraits. For the rest of our shoot we used the dogwood trees in bloom to frame our table setting with the mansion as our stately back drop.
This amazing invitation suite was dreamed up and created by my friends at Fourth Year Studio. When I received this set in the mail I squeeled as I opened the package. What a little treasure ... this is a handmade book with a laser etched wooden cover AND hand painted flowers.
I asked Emily and Dianna where they find their best inspiration for their beautiful designs ...
All around us - the built environment as well as the textural, natural setting East Tennessee provides. Traveling always refreshes the design palate. I love to visit other print shops around the country and keep up with what is current in modern art and architecture. Inspiration is provided by experimentation. Combining modern technologies, such as laser cutting, with letterpress allows us the opportunity to try new things until we are happy with the result.
