Category: Create Styled Shoots

Fairmont Waterfront Styled Shoot

8/15/2018

For this shoot, we dodged rain drops but managed to make it through without getting soaked and of course, as is Mother Nature, the sun came out in brilliant fashion as we were packing up!

The Fairmont Waterfront provides a stunning pool side patio and garden which we set up for a city elopement. There can be a lot of misconceptions about elopements... that perhaps the couple is settling and not getting what they really want or you can't wear a wedding dress or have any decor. Not true! In this case, we chose a gorgeous setting that didn't need a lot of extra decor but we wanted to still make it look like a wedding, specifically by creating an altar and an aisle for the ceremony. We also kept things classic by doing an all-white look and against the green of the garden it really popped. Overall, it was a small amount of decor but it was a big impact.

If you are eloping and it's only going to be the two of you or a very small guest list then perhaps a wedding cake isn't the way to go but having a toast and a little bite to eat to celebrate is still great and I love the idea of having macarons as a sweet treat. Super simple in the sense that there are no plates or cutlery needed.

We also chose real touch flowers as opposed to fresh flowers, working with the idea that the decor should be as easy as possible and that these arrangements and the bouquet could be done well in advance.

If you are contemplating an elopement you have so many options! Choose a wedding that makes you and your partner happy be it big or small.

Any questions about the shoot or the vendors? Email me or comment below?

Happy planning,
Sara

Vendors:
Photography- Astral Images
Venue- Fairmont Waterfront
Decor- Jack & Jill Weddings
Florals- Decor Haus
Stationery- Cornwall Stationery
Makeup- Grist Artistry
Hair- Simply Braided
Dress- Bisou Bridal
Tux- Debonair Formal Wear
Macarons- Soirette
Modelling Agency- Numa Models
Bride- Polina Stringini
Groom- Leonard Lim

7 Comments

Redwoods Golf Course Styled Shoot

6/1/2018

8 Comments

This shoot was planned along side Joanna Moss, who also did the photography, and I love how it all turned out. The location was Redwoods Golf Course in Langley on their recently (at the time) renovated ceremony space. Joanna had shot a few weddings here already and was loving the outcome of the reno and wanted to show it off. It was early September 2017 and as you can see from the photo above we shot in the early evening and got some amazing sunset photos.

One of the other great things about this shoot was that we used one of Joanna's real couples from earlier in the summer who got married at Redwoods as well. Not only did they look look like models (even though they aren't) but it was fun to watch them get all made up again with hair and makeup and get back into some fancy clothes. They were having a great time getting some new photos in their wedding venue and it was probably way less stressful of a day since they weren't dealing with the emotions of the actual wedding. Also, a lot of British Columbia had been battling terrible forest fires all summer and the lower mainland was getting a lot of the smoke. Many days were incredibly smoky and hazy blocking out the sunsets so sunset photos weren't happening for a lot of couples (not that it's even remotely on the same level as the people leaving everything behind due to fires) but on this night we were able to recreate some shots for this couple.

We also worked with amazing vendors and were able to bring our ideas to mind. Joanna and I had worked a wedding together in the third week of July and then I was leaving town for two weeks to head to my friend's wedding but between then we met up at a coffee shop and chatted about our vision. The theme we were working with was 'Women in History' and we chose Princess Diana. Not only was she an amazing person with her work in regards to charities but her wedding was a major story and even though she got married before I was even born it was something that I knew a lot about... a lot of people remember the train on her dress or her sapphire engagement ring (that now belongs to Kate!). The ring was a major part of our theme and we chose the navy color scheme to go along with that. The wing back chairs from Bespoke Decor served as our "thrones" and the cake from Joconde Patisserie also brought in the sapphire feeling and of course the pearls that was another piece of jewelry that is something you think about in regards to Diana.

If you know me, then you know I love details (I may have mentioned it once or twice!). They might even be small details that most people don't consciously notice but I really do love that part of weddings. In this shoot, Making Memories Stationery created the suite for us and when we got them I noticed that one of the place cards was Lady Spencer as a nod to Diana. Love it! I also knew that we needed to have some crown details. I searched for weeks and couldn't find anything local so then I turned to handy dandy Amazon and found some fantastic glass crown tea light holders but if you look through the photos you will notice we used them on each place setting on top of the napkins as well as used them as place card holders. I will be eternally grateful for rush shipping so we could receive these in time to use.

Chair Decor provided the linens in the silver sequin and a textured navy that were so great for the look. Chair Decor came in to save the day with most of the decor pieces such as the glass beaded charger plates, cake stand, glassware, draping and more and the many lanterns came from Valley Weddings.

Patricia, owner of Vivio Flowers, came in with so many amazing flowers and put together gorgeous arrangements for us. The bouquet for our bride was absolutely stunning! Flowers, flowers everywhere!

The dresses and accessories were from Isabelle's Bridal including the ever important tiara. Hair and makeup was done by Alejandra Valdivia from Vancouver Makeup.

In December, the shoot was featured on the Wedluxe blog and we were able to share it with everyone. I hope you have all enjoyed the behind the scenes take and the photos.

If you have any questions about the shoot or the vendors please email or leave a comment!

Happy planning,
Sara

Vendors:
Photographer- Joanna Moss Photography
Venue- Redwoods Golf Course
Flowers- Vivio Flowers
Cake- Joconde Patisserie
Dresses & accessories- Isabelle's Bridal www.isabellesbridal.com/
Hair & makeup- Vancouver Makeup
Stationery- Making Memories with Stationery
Decor- Upright Decor
Linens- Chair Decor
Lanterns- Valley Weddings
Chairs- Bespoke Decor
Online Feature- Wedluxe

8 Comments

Maan Farms Styled Shoot

2/28/2018

4 Comments

This styled shoot has been featured on a few wedding blogs such as Real Weddings, Style Inspired Weddings, Okanagan Weddings, Strictly Weddings and The Wedding Guru in the last few months but I wanted to share it as well. This was actually my first styled shoot that I had ever taken part in and I couldn't have asked for a better group of vendors to show me the ropes!

As vendors, we had talked in the past about how Pinterest can be so great on one hand and on the other it can be a shock when couples take their favourite photos to their decorator or florist, etc. and find out that what is being featured is well above their budget. We wanted to do a shoot that showcased the same style but at two different price points. We chose the same colour scheme and some main pieces that we could then build on to take us from budget friendly to higher end.

First off, let's start with the venue. Maan Farms is a family run farm in Abbotsford, BC which has an original barn that they have made available to host weddings and events.

The flowers were a big part of this and I loved Robin, from Bootah Jardin, and her ability to keep costs low for the first look but also in line with current trends. Garlands of greenery and eucalyptus are so popular right now but even something that looks simple can end up being costly. In fact, one thing I tell clients is that if it looks simple there's a good chance it's actually not. It's the incredibly talented vendors behind it that make it look so easy... from natural looking makeup to naked cakes... how hard could it possibly be to not cover the entire cake with icing am I right?! Well, it means that you can't hide the flaws beneath mounds of icing and fondant so your cakes better be pretty perfect! No crumbs or mismatched sized layers allowed! But, back to the topic at hand... Robin created some garlands for the first look using less expensive greenery and a method which kept the labour hours down, also a money saver. She then put in cut flowers to add some colour and rather than large floral centerpieces we used candles and lanterns to add height.

The second look also included garland but the pieces were hand tied (adding labour hours) and with more greenery. Robin then put together a gorgeous centerpiece that brought in flowers that matched the bridal bouquet.

With the linens, again, we started out with a more budget friendly option by having a table linen and runner. For the second look, we added in some extra layers to give it more depth and a luxurious feeling and we added in gold plated cutlery to the place settings and brass candle sticks on either side of the centerpiece (all decor was provided by Valley Weddings). The gold chiavari chairs were from Vancouver Chiavari Chairs.

Dalana, from The Cake and The Giraffe, created some regular size and mini cupcakes for our first look and then for the second look a three tiered cake which brought in elements of the decor we had (the gold hoops that Robin decorated with the same greenery and flowers as the tables and bouquets).

For the stationery, Rintzylee Designs added in some extra elements like the Mr. and Mrs. gold cutouts for the backs of the chairs for our second look and created gorgeous invitations, reply cards and place cards that could be used for both versions.

Carrie, from Clara Couture, provided us with two gorgeous dresses which we accessorized with jewelry and veils from The Borrowed Collection (unfortunately, the Borrowed Collection has since closed but the brilliance behind it, Elise, is now focusing totally on Atelier Elise). Hair and makeup were done by Elena Tsang.

Even with all the hard work from everyone else, it wouldn't have meant anything if it couldn't be captured so beautifully by our photographer, Annie of L'Estelle Photography. She has an amazing eye for detail and her direction is fantastic. She knows exactly how to get what it is she wants for each specific photo. If you are looking for a photographer, please contact her!

Thank you so much for checking out this shoot! I hope you loved it as much as I did and can be inspired to find a way to make your look work with your budget!

If you have any questions please email me!

Happy planning,
Sara

4 Comments

Fairmont Waterfront Styled Shoot

Redwoods Golf Course Styled Shoot

Maan Farms Styled Shoot

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