At the beginning of September I sat down with Megan of Milk and Honey Photography Co. and we chatted about life, work, and doing a shoot together. Then we decided, why wait? Let's do it now. And with that impulsive decision in a Starbucks, we decided that during the height of wedding season we were going to put together a styled shoot on a mountain top in Asheville because... why not?
Megan and her husband had gone on a hike to Craggy Pinnacle in the Blue Ridge near Asheville over the summer, and looking at the view, she knew she had to get her camera back up there again. But what would make it so much better would be a whole wedding shoot at the top of the mountain. We had to make sure it was the right time of year, the right weather, and we had to find the right people who would be willing to work with us (the shoot would involve hiking up a mountain after all!) In the end, we hit the jackpot.
With less than a month to plan in the middle of busy season, we made it work. The shoot took place on Sunday, Oct 2 and although it was a bit overcast, it didn't rain on us. (we dodged a bullet there!) Hair and makeup began early in Charlotte at Salon de Coiffure. Jey masterfully styled, Satahi, our model's hair and Anne-Marie Mitchell applied flawless makeup. It's worth mentioning that the hair and makeup you see not only survived the morning, a drive to Asheville, AND a hike up the mountain before the photos were taken, but still looked AMAZING.
After hair and makeup were complete, the crew (in various cars) headed towards the mountains with rentals, a cake, florals, and more all packed precisely in the back of our cars. When we arrived at the right spot, I began set up of the rentals, cake table, place settings, etc.. as Megan began taking the detail shots of our one of a kind handmade paper goods from Kristan Henderson Calligraphy with Champagne Maker's watercolors. Once we finished up with those, we began our hike up to the peak of the mountain where our models (who are a real couple getting married in June!) changed into a gorgeous wedding gown from Dar Lynn's Bridal and stunning tuxedo from The Black Tux before Megan started working her magic with the camera.
What a stunning spot! The shoot was full of funny moments, amazing views, and then quickly finished as we realized it was getting dark and we still needed to hike back down to the bottom. With the chilly night air creeping up on us, we jumped into our cars and started our journey back to the Queen City. I couldn't wait to see how the photos turned out!!
It may have taken me 5 months to finally write about this beauty, but the photos and experience are no less of a beautiful adventure today than they were the day they were taken. And while these photos may be from a shoot, the way we put together a shoot and the way we put together a wedding aren't so different after all (location and date + vendors + a plan/logistics + execution). With styled shoots, we as vendors aim to be creative and play with new and different ideas that may be a little more off beat than a traditional wedding. We hope to inspire couples when we do styled shoots. And I hope that when you look at these photos, or work from styled shoots in general, that you feel a spark of inspiration and get a little excited about a new possibility for your big day.
Happy Planning,
Libby
Thanks to these fantastic vendors for making this shoot wonderful:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Megan Burnett Cantrell, MILK + HONEY photography co. | www.milkandhoneyphotography.co | @milkandhoneyphotographyco PLANNER: Libby Sarver, Details Wedding Planning | www.detailsweddingplanning.com | @detailsweddingplanning MODELS: Satahi Bevels and Kyle Roedersheimer CAKE: Lei Cristine, Wow Factor Cakes | www.charlotteweddingcakes.com | @thewowfactorcakes VIDEOGRAPHER: Sean David, Fenix Visuals | www.fenixvisuals.com CONSULTANT: Therese Brooks SUIT: Rosie Spindel, The Black Tux | www.theblacktux.com | @theblacktux GOWN: Pam Funderburk, Dar-Lynn’s Bridal & Formal Wear | www.darlynnsbridalformal.com | @darlynnsbridal FLORAL DESIGN: Aubrey Rich, Willow Floral Boutique | www.willowdelivered.com | @willowfloralboutique CALLIGRAPHY: Kristen Henderson, Kristen Henderson Calligraphy | www.kristenhendersoncalligraphy.com | @kristenhendersoncalligraphy WATERCOLOR SUITE: Champagne Maker | www.champagnemaker.com | @champagnemaker RENTALS: Kelcie Johnson, Cooke Rentals | www.cookerentals.com | @cookerentals MAKEUP: Anne-Marie Mitchell, Anne-Marie Mitchell Makeup Artistry | www.annemariemitchell.com | @annemariemitchellmakeup HAIR: Jey Ramone, Salon de Coiffure | www.facebook.com/TheNewSalondeCoiffure | @salon_de_coiffure STYLIST: Jennifer Grano, Charlotte Shop Girl | www.charlotteshopgirl.com | @charlotteshopgirl SHOES: CJ Bostrom, J Major’s Bridal Boutique | www.jmajors.com | @jmajorsbridal GLASSWARE: Hayden Dakota Wilson, Hayden Dakota Wilson Glass | www.haydendakotawilson.com | @haydenwilsonglass