If you follow any wedding vendors on instagram, you've probably been hearing a lot lately about "styled shoots", but what exactly are they? For those not in the wedding biz, styled shoots are a way that creatives can come together and collaborate on a vision, network, create new content, and just generally have a fun time dreaming up beautiful scenes together.
Ivy & Aster "Secret Garden" Dress, Provided by Southern Protocol Bridal
I had been dreaming of being a part of a styled shoot for a long time, but it took a chance meeting with Jennifer Dukes of Olive & Ivory Photography to really make my dream a reality. Once Jenn and I began talking, and she mentioned recently connecting with Tracey Bates of Huspa Plantation and we realized that between the two of us we might actually be able to pull this thing off! Within a week of our meeting, while photographing her children for their 2017 Christmas card, I was chatting with designer Amy Devito about coming on board for the photoshoot.
Geode Cake by Sunny Park Cakes - Flatwear by Ann Ladson - Tablescape by Amy DeVito
The three of us immediately agreed that we wanted a darker palette of jewel tones and golds. Charleston may be the capital of pastels, but when given the chance to play, we all wanted to work on something a bit different. Huspa also isn't your typical plantation venue. While the property has countless great oak trees and the glimmering spanish moss that has come to define the lowcountry wedding aesthetic, Huspa Plantation's main house burned down decades ago and was replaced with a gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright inspired building with crisp edges and windows for days.
TRISTAN Iron and Barnwood Table and Vintage brass cups & vases provided by The French Eclectic
Amy was able to connect us with the amazing women of The French Eclectic Vintage Rentals, who graciously allowed us to have our pick of goregous pieces in their collection. And we all agreed setting dinner among the old plantation house ruins would perfectly complement the beautiful pieces that they loaned us.
Next thing we needed to tackle? The dress! Luckily, I connected with Alicia Ward of Southern Protocol Bridal at a Charleston Bridal Association event soon after, and they offered to loan us any dress of our choosing! Alicia was such a pro, we had initial chosen another dress based off sample images, but she brought along Ivy & Aster's "Secret Garden" dress just in case and we all immediately fell in love.
Southern Protocol also lent us a beautiful veil they custom made in shop, and some simple pearl earrings from Moon & Lola. Makeup by Mariah with Pampered and Pretty and Hairstyling by Lindsey Donahue (Strawberry Blonde Salon) completed the look with a laid back elegance that went hand in hand with the venue's atmosphere. And of course, there's that bouquet!
Designed by Stephanie Gibbs of Stephanie Gibbs Events/Florals the bouquet was a total showstopper that had everyone (myself included) asking what on earth that giant bloom was and where we could get one! (Truth be told, I can't remember.)
Invitation Suite by Hadley Press - Raw Emerald Ring by DeLezhen
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the BEAUTIFUL paper suite that Mollie Beach of Hadley Press created for the shoot. Of course in the rush of the day I only grabbed a few detail shots, but be sure and hop over to the Olive & Ivory blog for some gorgeous flay lay's that Jenn got of the full suite.
All of this to say, styled photoshoots are SO much fun and I cannot wait to plan another right away. But until then, a few more shots from our day at Huspa...
