Styled Wedding Shoot: A Vintage Affair

I am super excited and honored that Mile High Bride published a recent styled shoot I photographed earlier this summer!! (Thank you Holly!) With the help of a few close friends, we pulled together a small team of experts who blew me away...I think I shot until the sun went down!

I really want to thank everyone involved for their patience as I sorted, edited, and submitted the images...because, well, being pregnant has upped any normal challenges of tackling my "To Do" list. =) Either way, it was worth the wait, even for me, to see them all finished.

P.S. I must point out that while I used a few professional models for this shoot, really I just have gorgeous friends. =)

The bridesmaids dresses were purchased at Nordstrom Rack believe it or not...but gray is totally my color!!

Look at these bouquets!! Yowza! =)

How cute is this little girl?

Brytny, you are gorgeous!

And a wedding wouldn't be as fun without a potato sack race, no? Love!

CREDITS & ♥:

Location: CreekSide Tree Nursery, Boulder CO

Makeup: Natosha Cooke

Hair Styling & Hair pieces: Brandice Boss

Set Design and Set-up: Cassandra Rose Events

Flowers: Fluer Decor

Cake: Intricate Icings Cake Design

Props/Antiques: Newel Post Antiques

Hand-made Cards: Pauline Peterson

Models: Brytny Marquez, Joe Freyta, Zoe Dulchinos, Holly Anderson, & little Eisley Beeson

Bridal Sneak Peek: Brytny & Joe

She is vintage fabulous, chic and pristine. He is calm and collected...with a little dose of funny.

More of this HUGE collaborative session later....

(Huge thanks to Hair and Makeup team Aphrodite Affairs and to Fleur Decor for the amazing Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere.)

Bridal Shoot: Non-Traditional Vintage, Spring, & Fashion

With my tree nursery being so busy this time of year, I feel like I've been totally slacking in the photo department...especially since I'm entirely type A, so I'm all over everything. I'm a multi-tasker, a stay-up-late-get-it-done kind of girl, and an erratically organized person. But that might have to change. Wait, nah, it's good. Haha. I have the most amazing life and this is one of my most favorite times of year! I smelt cut-grass yesterday on my drive home. I totally swooned. F'real.

I digress. I really just want to post some images I took last week of one of my favorite models, Courtney Roxanne. You'll notice every model I have is my favorite. It's totally true and I'm such a blessed photographer to work with such talented and FUN people. C and I did a non-traditional bridal shoot with a vintage twist for our first set. And we added a few bunnies so it really felt like spring. =) I have to say that I absolutely love collaborative shoots where there are tons of people involved, but for this set, it was just Courtney and I. And for me, it was magic.

But without further ado...our first set. Enjoy!

Many thanks to my mother-in-law, Amy, who provided the beautiful antique house for our backdrop. I was in love!! And to my grandfather, Roger, who allowed me to use a few of his bunnies. He's been raising and showing rabbits since I was a child, but this time, they provided me inspiration I hadn't thought of when I was a small 5-year-old. Love you guys! xo

Happy Tuesday! Which, by far, is my favorite day of the week.

Added to Note: For those of you who've asked, the white rabbit is Cherry, and the black rabbit is Griffith. =)

Bridals: Fashion & Hailey Middleton

You know everyone is going to shoot her after this, she said. I laughed...knew she was right. Natosha, my makeup artist, & I had been working together for awhile so we knew this girl was beyond GOOD! Last March, we caught a beautifully warm day and shot for hours. At least 700 pictures filled my card after only three outfits. But she was ridiculous. Better at modeling than I think she'd acknowledge. Yet it seemed like somehow she knew she was good. Hailey Middleton. I knew I wouldn't soon forget her name. And 'Tosh and I just laughed out loud. Hailey, don't forget us when you're famous. =) Lol.

Hailey makes my shoots something straight out of a fairytale. She connects with the camera--latches on and never lets go. She's somewhere between amazing and perfect, I think. Maybe it's her confidence? Maybe it's in her blood? Or yet maybe it's the adoration and support from her mother who accompanies her on shoots...who sits quietly in a corner, but beams pride Hailey turns to fuel? Nan, is someone I'm super fond of. And we've only met twice.

On a snowy day last week, Hailey showed up looking stunning as ever to help me shoot another bridal-look for my wedding portfolio. I want brides to see how gorgeous you can look! And while I feel a few heads shaking...you don't have to be Hailey or even a model to look this good! You just have to "beam." Laugh out loud like no one is listening and smile, like my friend Cassie says, as if you don't care if anything's in your teeth. =) Basically just show me your "happy." The fact that you're beautiful makes you the perfect model...and you're beautiful because you're YOU. ...and because you're in love.

You'll be the prettiest bride anyone's ever seen. Swear. But if you're still not convinced...let Hailey inspire you. And then summon up the gumption to rock it out--entirely out.

Makeup: Natosha Cooke

Hair: Brandice Rodriquez

Model: Hailey Middleton

Flowers: Yours Truly

Gowns: Alisa Benay

Location: Niwot, Colorado

Happy Tuesday! xo

Wedding: Boulder Bridal Shoot...Part 1

Today has been interesting to say the least. It's dark in my house. Freezing, freezing everywhere, and my husband is still sick. Poor guy...but I just pray I don't get it too. I'm already feeling like I'm in a bit of a funk. I think it's the weather though. Sometimes the human body can't keep up with Colorado weather insanity. It kills me.

However, that being said, it's nothing listening to a little Gregory Alan Isakov can't cure. Or Mike Snow, Bob Marley...Jack Johnson. Lol. Jason asked me today if I only listen to 3 songs on repeat all day. I said no, just the ones that keep me inspired. And for whatever reason, these guys do it for me. Crazy boys. =)

So I sit and listen. Sit and edit. And even though I could hardly contain my excitement last week about my big collab shoot, the process of sorting, editing, and organizing the images I want usually takes longer than I think! Although I did the least amount of editing ever. =) This is mostly due to shooting beautiful models all day and having a team of pros help me put it all together.

Without further ado, since obviously I talk too much, here are the images I shot that I just LOVE from our first set. (I will be posting a follow-up blog that displays all my images from the second set with Cassie!!) Apologies in advance for this being such a long post!

LensBaby.

And one for fun!

I must say many thanks to the people who helped me put this together:

*Natosha Cooke, you rock and you've become such a great friend to me. You're such a gem!

*Brandie Rodriquez is responsible for the girl's hair and it was STUNNING to say the least.

*The beautiful dresses were designed by Alisa Benay. Such attention to detail! Love.

*My models, Luccia C., Brytny M., and Austin S. Told you guys it would be fun just acting like you're in love! Lol. And Austin we all know how well that worked out with not one, but two amazing ladies as your bride. =)

*Jarrod Reanud, you're an artist and I'm so glad you found your passion. This is YOU, man.

*And our venue for this first set: The Boulderado Hotel--a beautiful venue and I hope many of my future brides book it. The people there are amazing and made the entire day easy-peasy for us.

Cheers! xo