Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot

This post is long overdue.  Like, more than a year.

Yeah, sorry…  That happened last year.

Anyway, I’m trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon.  Starting here.  With one of my favorite photo shoots I’ve done to date.  My Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot from June 2012!

This shoot grew out of the Inspired Bridal Bowl table that Desiree of Penny Blooms Floral Design and I did together.  We played with moss and wood, added in some pops of white and red, and created a fun and whimsical look.  Of course, we had to step it up once we made it a “proper” photo shoot.  So we called on a little help from our friends. 🙂

We had no less than ten wedding vendors, a fantastic venue, and a couple of amazing boutiques involved in this shoot, plus a couple of seriously gorgeous models.  Throw in perfect San Diego weather, and  I guess it’s no wonder that this shoot has been featured on Lover.ly, Every Last Detail, and San Diego Style Weddings!

Melissa Biador snapped these exquisite photographs, and Porcelain Rose Productions filmed the day (linked at the end)…  And what a day it was…

Nic.Roc.Designs created some AMAZING stationery (including this fabulous wooden invitation!).

And of course we had a sweets buffet replete with goodies, from the INSANELY beautiful cake (OMG mini frames!) by Hey There, Cupcake!…

To the apple cake pops and cake ball gems by Calculated Whisk…

To the marbled macarons by La Reine des Macarons

To the delectable (and beautiful!) apple pie pops and mini mason jar pies from Wicked Spoon!

Of course, putting it all together was fun…

Then of course there were Desiree’s florals.  Seriously, Penny Blooms Floral Design is one of my favorite vendors for a variety of reasons…  But one of the biggest is because she isn’t afraid to play around with different ideas, try different things, go out on a limb, and be downright creative.  We always talk about creativity and innovation in our business, but Desiree consistently does it.  And pushes me to, as well. 🙂

Then we have the flawless makeup and hair by Blush Makeup Artistry and Beth Whitfield:

And the ombre dress – absolute perfection – from Bliss Bride:

And our handsome groom’s suit, from A Better Deal Designer Tuxedo and Suit Rentals:

Of course, our models – Taylor and Ben – aren’t too shabby either.

Scratch that.  They are gorgeous!!!!!!

We hung frames and mirrors from the trees…

And cut slits into apples to use as place card holders…

Didn’t skimp out on details…

And even had a little play acting at the end…

Ooh, you can see the edge of her phenomenal dress in this shot! 😉

At the end of the day, we were just seriously blessed by all the stunning pieces to this photo shoot.  This is still one of my very favorite projects I’ve gotten to work on.  Ever.

We’ve been trying to get the same team back together for another round…  But due to unfortunate timing it hasn’t worked out.  Cross your fingers for a second fairy tale fabulous photo shoot!

Oh yes…  And don’t forget to check out the film!!!!

Snow White: Rustic Styled Shoot from Porcelain Rose Productions on Vimeo.

Modern Rustic Snow White Inspiration Shoot Vendor Credits:

• Planning, Design & Styling: Events by Elisa
• Florals, Design & Styling: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Photography: Melissa Biador Photography
• Videography: Porcelain Rose Productions
• Stationery: Nic.Roc. Designs
• Cake: Hey there, Cupcake!
• Sweets: Wicked Spoon Desserts, Calculated Whisk, La Reine des Macarons
• Makeup: Blush Makeup Artistry By Laura Crivello
• Hair: Beth Whitfield
• Dress: bliss bride
• Suit: A better Deal Tuxedos & Suit Rentals
  Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Hall Weddings + Events
• Details: Summer Wind Soy, Sparrow Bridal
• Venue: Villa De Flores

Where Have I Been and Other Catching Up…

Oof.  It’s been over six moths since my last post.  Yeah, that wasn’t intentional, I swear.

You may have been wondering where I’ve been (although if you follow me on Facebook – and if you don’t, you really should – you probably know).  The short answer is that I’ve been EVERYWHERE.  I’m pulled in about a zillion directions right now.  It’s fantastic, and I’ve never been happier, but it’s definitely left very little time for blogging!

The long answer, of course, is that I had a baby girl in early April.  She was an eagerly-anticipated member of our family, but any new parent will tell you that it’s a big adjustment!  Baby A has grown so much in the last several months; it’s almost impossible for me to imagine that she was ever just 7 lbs!   We used this fantastic photo from Chrystal Cienfuegos Photography for our Christmas photos last year:

Before she was born, I had some beautiful maternity pictures taken by Melissa McClure Photography, and did a Baby Wishes video with Murasaki Media.  If you or someone you know is expecting a baby, I highly recommend doing both photos and a video before the baby is born; I am so happy we did!

Once she arrived, we had more photos taken, this time by Gabrielle Fox Photography.  She’s so tiny here!!!

Most recently we had photos taken of Baby A by TWO fantastic photographers (it just sort of happened that way!), Sarah Layne Photography and flutter glass PHOTOGRAPHY:

Gah, I can hardly stand the cute!!

She sits up consistently now, is eating some solid foods, and is learning to crawl (exciting and scary at the same time) and teething (awful).  She also wants constant attention!  Baby A is quite the demanding boss, so Mommy hasn’t had much time for blogging.

In the mean time, of course, the first anniversaries came and went for Julianna + Kyle, Soila + Steven, Chris + Emma, Stacy + Tyler, Alexis + Chris, and Ana + Gina!  And next week will be the first anniversary for Cindy + Neal, followed by first anniversaries for Diana + Julian and Richelle + Matthew…  It’s hard to believe that a year has flown by!  Unfortunately I am still missing quite a few photos from the weddings above (something about last Spring, especially, and getting pictures from photographers), but here’s one of my favorites, by the lovely Stacy Alberto Photography (formerly Sunday Romance Photography):

Richelle, this is easily one of the best faces I’ve seen in a wedding photo! 😉

Fun fact; I actually had three weddings scheduled this past spring, two for fellow wedding pros.  I was thrilled to find out last summer that I was pregnant with Baby A, but sad to have to miss out on Alia, Jenna, and Liz’ weddings!

Then, of course, I’ve been working on this year’s weddings.

First, we had Megan + Mike at Condor’s Nest Ranch, with a photo by Faithfully Focused Photography:

I did all their decor/design, and boy was it gorgeous!  It was recently featured on Rustic Wedding Chic, and I love how the feature shows off all the lovely details we came up with!

Then was Damaris and Omar’s wedding at 94th Aero Squadron, with beautiful photography by Jessica Chavez.

You may recognize Damaris and Omar from their styled wedding shoot that I did back in March (yes, at 9 months pregnant) at Presidio Park with Erica of Les Amis Photography.  It was recently featured on Bisou Bride!

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten photos back from either September wedding I did, but speaking of features, the shoot I did i February with former clients Stacy + Tyler and the ladies at Chris Wojdak Photography, Penny Blooms Floral Design, Unbridled Beauty, and Mili’s Sweets at Condor’s Nest Ranch got a lot of press this summer!  It was featured on Sweet Violet Bride, Things Festive, Trendy Bride, and Storyboard Wedding!

Of course I have a busy few months ahead of me; I have two more weddings and a birthday party (or two) left this year.  And next year I’m already quite booked – I don’t have any availability until late April, and even then I’m pretty booked until the Fall!

Oh yes…  And I have not one but two big things in the works.  To be announced soon.  Stay tuned!!! 😉

Modern Rustic Snow White Shoot Featured on Lover.ly!

You know how it is when you get some momentum?  You work and work and work and suddenly your work starts to sort of take on a life of its own.  I’m not a runner, but I hear it’s tough to get started a first, and eventually just becomes a way of life.  That’s kind of how all the work I put into the first half of this year has gone.  Features just seem to keep rolling in!!  Not that it was easy, mind you.  It was a ton of work (which is why I’m taking it a bit easier until my wedding season re-starts next month).  But I’m loving how the momentum of January through July of this year has started to take on a life of its own.  Seems like every time I turn around I see another fabulous review or feature!  Today is no different.

Yup, this happened this weekend:

 

So excited to be featured on lover.ly!!!  Check out the whole post!

Boho Glam Shoot Published on Pretty My Party!!!

I can hardly believe what landed in my inbox this morning!  Our Boho Glam Shoot was published again this morning!!!!!

Yes, it’s true.  🙂  This gorgeous shoot was featured again, this time on Pretty My Party.  I am so proud of it.  Seriously, when I think about how it came together, I am amazed.  I’ve been in love with it from the moment we set it up, but seeing how much the blog world loves it, I’m just blown away!

Check out our feature on Pretty My Party and leave us some love in the comments!!!

Boho Glam Shoot Featured AGAIN!

Happy Early Birthday to me!  I had no intention of posting another blog this week (I’ve already got two lined up for next week!) but I got an e-mail this morning that the Boho Glam shoot I did back in January with Penny Blooms Floral Design, Iliana Morton Photography, Calculated Whisk, Sweeter by the Dozen Cakes, Unbridled Beauty Makeup Artistry, Classy Covers, and Abbey Party Rentals has been featured a third time – this time by a blog in the UK!  There isn’t much commentary but it made the blog owner “beam.”  Which made me beam right back. 😉

Check it out on Time to Drink Champagne!

What I’ve Been Up To Lately…

June was an extremely busy month for me (spilling into the first day of July).  I’ve got three more events happening in the next several weeks but I thought that on this beautiful holiday I might share a little taste of what I’ve been involved with over the last month!!!  Three styled shoots (including stationery for two) and two weddings (including programs for one and all the stationery for the other) meant a ton of work and very little time off.  But look at the gorgeous results!!!

I hope you have a fantastic holiday – I’m off to spend the day with friends and my husband.  Be safe!!!

Photo credits:

• Hybrid Photography
• Melissa Biador Photography
• Nicole Benitez Photography
• Porcelain Rose Productions
• We Heart Photography

Boho Glam Shoot Featured on Urban Style: The Wedding Network’s Blog!

I’m not sure if you caught it in the midst of all my posts and tweets about yesterday’s (fabulous!gorgeous!OMGamazing!) shoot, but on Saturday our Boho Glam Inspiration Shoot was featured on the blog for Urban Style: The Wedding Network!!!  This shoot is near and dear to my heart and I amthrilled that other people love it as much as those of us who actually created it!

The hardest part about designing – whether it be a shoot, a wedding, or just a party – is taking that deep breath just beforehand and trusting that everyone involved “gets” it.  It could go sideways – there’s no way I could actually be responsible for everything (I’m not a baker or florist, for example, and I’m a terrible photographer!!!).  So any time that a decent amount of design is involved in any event or photo shoot, trust is a huge factor.  Of course, it’s easy to trust when you have an excellent team – which we did! 🙂

Please head over to Urban Style: The Wedding Network’s blog, and leave us some love!  The owner, Sara, is super duper nice (and asked me to submit more! EEE!!!) and works to connect wedding vendors socially (which sounds a bit weird, but think about how often we’re asked to recommend each other…  Networking = the ability to think “Hey, I have a couple who needs XYZ…  I wonder if Awesome Vendor I Met Last Month would be able to help?”) in addition to showcasing beautiful work!  I’m so happy to have been featured! 🙂

Purple and Gold Boho Glam Inspiration Shoot 01*28*2012 Details:

• Event Design: Events by Elisa, Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Event Stationery and Styling: Events by Elisa
• Florals and Horse Statues: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Photography: Iliana Morton Photography
• Rentals: Classy Covers, Abbey Party Rentals
• Cake Pops: Calculated Whisk
• Cake: Sweeter by the Dozen Cakes
• Makeup and Hair: Unbridled Beauty Makeup Artistry
• Dress: FreePeople Clothing

Purple and Gold Boho Glam Inspiration Shoot, 01*28*2012

Warning!!!  TONS of photos in this post.  Please be patient and let it load…  I promise they’re each more gorgeous than the next, so it’s totally worth it! 🙂

I’ve already teased this wedding inspiration shoot once.  And it’s been featured already on Ceremony Blog.  And heavily on my website, along with the sites of most of the involved vendors.  But I haven’t had the chance to fully blog it.  And I’ve been wanting to.

I’m basically caught up with backlogged posts (now, two months after starting to post on a more regular basis!).  But this one has been a long time coming.

Almost a year ago, Desiree from Penny Blooms Floral Design and I decided that we wanted to do a styled shoot together.  We started discussing it in earnest in the Fall, and in December decided on a January 28th date.  We originally had a completely different idea in mind.  Eventually we’d like to see that one through, but at the time we couldn’t find all the pieces we’d hoped to use.  So a week and a half before our scheduled shoot, we made the painful decision to cancel.

Only, we already had planned to do something that day.  We’d already spoken with Iliana Morton Photography about taking pictures.  And we had a lot of other ideas in our heads.  Why not try to make something else happen?

So we sat together at one of our favorite restaurants (funnily enough, it was a favorite of both Desiree and I well before we met each other) and brainstormed.  The design flowed fast and easy, and we knew we had a good idea.

Our Boho Glam inspiration shoot was born.

In just a week and a half, we were able to organize the entire shoot, from rentals to makeup to the amazing dress provided by FreePeople…  Let’s just say that things just fell into place.  And working with Desiree was like sharing a brain with someone else.  We disagreed (ever so slightly) on one single point (out of hundreds) during the entire planning process.  And even that was only a difference of opinion and resolved quickly.  The rest of the planning went so smoothly it really did feel like ESP.  More than once one of us would say something that the other had just thought.  It really is an amazing feeling to design with someone who “gets” you!

Our original models were perfect for our original shoot idea.  But once the look of the shoot was changed so dramatically, we had to look elsewhere.  We simply didn’t have time to find a “groom,” but we were extremely lucky to find the perfect “bride.”  Of course I’ve known her for an awfully long time.  Because she’s my sister. 🙂  We started to discuss what look we wanted and I realized she fit it perfectly.  So I asked if she was available that day, for fun photos in a pretty dress with professional hair and makeup.  Who could pass up a proposition like that? 😉

Of course Desiree would provide the OMG!AMAZING! florals.

She and I also spent much of the week leading up to the shoot shopping for just the right pieces to use for the shoot itself, including the fantastic fabric we used for runner, accents, and napkins.  Desiree also found the plastic horse figurines used at each place setting, and spray painted them purple to match our colors.  I have to admit I was a bit skeptical (this was actually the point of disagreement; I voted for gold paint!), but she stuck to her guns.  And I’m SO glad she did.  They brought the perfect element of unexpected whimsy!

Since we didn’t have a lot of time to plan, it was a long shot to get any fashion.  We actually went to a few thrift stores but couldn’t find what we liked.  So I took the chance and contacted FreePeople Clothing.  It was the day before the shoot when I got an e-mail from the Director of Marketing asking if we were still interested.  WERE WE????

I drove up to the nearest store (a 40 minute drive) that evening, after grabbing a few last finds from a thrift store and stopping by Classy Covers to pick up tablecloths.  And the store manager and her staff could not have been nicer.  Seriously, what an excellent find!  The dress we chose had literally just arrived on the shelves.  It fit our shoot to a “T”, not to mention our model.  She loved it so much that she bought it!

Her fabulous shoes were another find.  After Desiree and I searched high and low for the perfect pair, our model stumbled upon them at Kohls!

The jewelry came from a variety of sources.  But the big center necklace with the purple stone belonged to my grandma Noni.  She was so stylish!  The “engagement ring” is an Alexandrite from my great aunt.

Of course, outdoor settings don’t come with rentals in place.  Since we were at Pioneer Park, we basically had an open slate.  Desiree and I had a quite a few pieces, but Abbey Party Rentals filled out the rest, including the amazing amber glass goblets.

The incredible Ashley of Unbridled Beauty (whose logo is next up on my “to-blog” list!) had no good place to work.  Without power or mirrors, she rolled up her sleeves and started doing our model’s hair and makeup – in the car and in a chair outside!  But the results?  STUNNING.

We also enlisted the services of Nicki of Calculated Whisk and Jessica of Sweeter by the Dozen, to make us cake balls and an unfrosted layer cake, respectively.  Without much direction (and both dealing with tough mental and physical weeks), they demonstrated that they truly are both artists!  (Side note: I actually designed both of their logos too!)

I spent much of our setup time perched on a ladder.  I should mention that I’m not such a big fan of heights.  But ribbons, frames, and Moroccan lanterns don’t hang themselves.  And this?  This was worth it.

Stationery was our biggest road bump.  We had actually talked with two separate up-and-coming stationery designers, both of whom agreed to design our pieces and both of whom backed out.  With just five days before the shoot, we realized that if I didn’t design the stationery, we wouldn’t have any.  So I started designing.  I stayed up late, got up early, and pretty much didn’t leave my computer.  My printer did a super-rush job for me (thank you so much Derek!).  Like every other part of the shoot, though, the design just flowed.  I have to say that I think that this is my favorite stationery set that I’ve done to date.  I adore it.  Every part.

I can’t say enough how much I love the stationery.  And I can’t believe I designed it in such a short amount of time!

The overall look of the shoot was really whimsical, incredibly gorgeous, and quite unified.  I’m extremely proud of it, and of all the fantastic vendors who worked with us to create such a magical shoot!

I can’t help it…  I need to show more photos!!!

Purple and Gold Boho Glam Inspiration Shoot 01*28*2012 Details:

• Event Design: Events by Elisa, Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Event Stationery and Styling: Events by Elisa
• Florals and Horse Statues: Penny Blooms Floral Design
• Photography: Iliana Morton Photography
• Rentals: Classy Covers, Abbey Party Rentals
• Cake Pops: Calculated Whisk
• Cake: Sweeter by the Dozen Cakes
• Makeup and Hair: Unbridled Beauty Makeup Artistry
• Dress: FreePeople Clothing

Boho Glam Shoot Featured on Ceremony Blog!

I was at Disneyland on Friday with friends when I got a phone call from Desiree at Penny Blooms Floral Design.  She didn’t leave a message, so I texted her when I saw.  And then I went on Facebook as I was waiting for my friends to get their lunches.  And I saw why she’d called.

Our Boho Glam shoot was featured on Ceremony Blog!

I’m SUPER excited about it!!!  Of course seeing the feature reminded me that I’m painfully behind with my own blogging.  Hopefully once I finish my website I can pick up where I left off.  Hopefully. 🙂

My Beautiful Boho Glam Shoot Featured on Iliana Morton Photography’s Blog NOW!

I don’t know how closely you’ve been following my Twitter or Facebook…  But if you’ve been paying attention you might have noticed some discussion of a photo shoot.  You might have even seen a teaser or two.  There will be a full post about this some time soon, but for now, some photos are up on Iliana Morton’s blog.  Seriously.  In less than two weeks.  I know, she’s amazing. 🙂

 

This was a labor of love (and, yes, like Iliana said, we ended up putting it together in about a week).  I did the print materials design and styling, and shared event design duties (including the gorgeous hanging ribbons and frames) with Desiree of Penny Blooms Floral Design.  Hair and makeup were done by the oh-so-talented Ashley of Unbridled Beauty Makeup Artistry (also, I need to blog about her logo!), with a Sweet Table featuring a cake provided by Sweeter by the Dozen and cake balls by Calculated Whisk.  And let’s not forget linens by Classy Covers (with custom runners made by Desiree and myself), rentals by Abbey Party Rentals (including those fabulous amber glasses!), and a FABULOUS Free People dress!!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who was involved in the shoot.  I’m totally in love! <3!  More photos to come very soon!