Shea Brianne: styled session

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Hello, friends! I am so excited to share this styled session with you. It was such a creative breath of fresh air to work on this shoot from start to finish–from concept to final product! I am obsessed with cool blue hues this winter. A little touch of ethereal goddess, a hint of winter wonderland, and a sprinkle of romance–this is my winter bridal inspiration for 2016!

The inspiration for this styled shoot came from a desire to provide inspiration for winter brides who need a fresh, lighthearted twist on your typical winter wedding; for those brides who are getting married in the winter, but don't want to incorporate the usual "Christmas-like" bold color themes of reds, burgundy, greens, and gold. The inspiration for the day of shooting was to create scenes that were icy in color, but soft and romantic in essence. We based the styling choices off of the sweetest ideas of winter: snowflakes, sugar plum fairies, and soft winter stoles. With a touch of whimsy, gobs of sea-green tulle, and happy details like teal macarons, this styled shoot provides the modern bride with a softer, creatively romantic side to cold weather weddings.

I chose Jenny as our model for this shoot because of her stellar locks. While she usually sports the on-trend look of granny chic silver hair, for this shoot, she added a lovely and subtle blue color. This gives the images a special ethereal feel that will grab the creative bride's attention! Our hair stylist, Bri of Diamonds and Do's, created a soft braid for Jenny's look that makes both a effortless and beautiful statement.

I chose an Allison Parris Heirloom Dress for this shoot for it's stunning color and soft tulle, but also because I wanted to show brides that you don't have to choose a traditional full-length white gown to look gorgeous for your bridal or engagement photos! This dress went perfectly with our cool color palette, but also popped against the wintery outdoor backdrop of pine trees and oak branches, as well as with the more neutral indoor shots. As for the details of the outfit, I chose some snowflake-inspired earrings and with it a paired a silvery-taupe faux fur stole.

For the bouquet, Charity of He Loves Me Flowers opted for an organic look to compliment the romantic feel of shoot. She chose a base of white stock and peonies and paired it with some silvery-colored filler and blue berry stems. With a silk silver ribbon tied around the base, this bouquet split up the blue elements of the shoot and added a pure feminine touch.

We decorated a wooden cake table with a simple buttercream frosted white naked cake and some teal macarons from Springfield's Elle's Patisserie, as well as with some silver tapered candles. To show off the stationery inspiration, we experimented with a silver charger and aluminum tray with some baby blue ribbon. Here and there I thew in some antique white lace pieces to give the images more of a snowflake-inspired feel. Simple, understated, and yet the different textures and similar hues pull everything together to feel varied while still cohesive.

Vendors and Credit:
Photographer: Shelby of Shea Brianne Photography
Flowers: Charity of He Loves Me Flowers
Cake: Kelly Hill
Earrings: Forever 21
Dress: Allison Parris c/o Rent The Runway
Stationery: Shelby Lung
Hair: Bri of Diamonds & Do's
Fur Stole: Forever 21
Macarons: Elle's Patisserie
Venue: Shea Brianne Studio
Makeup: Shelby Lung

Monday, November 16, 2015

Guys! I am so excited to share these images. I have to say that these are some of my favorite photos I have ever shot.

I had fawned over images produced by Jordan Brittley Photography for a couple of months; I discovered her after I had gotten engaged and was well-into my season of wedding planning. Her images are dreamy, light, and just have a pure essence of beauty. So naturally, I booked my bridal session with her a few months before my wedding! During the session, I was taken by Jordan's kind, young spirit. She was truly excited and completely loved what she was doing. In my five years of assisting local photographers, I had never watched a professional photographer shoot film before. I noticed how she put thought into each shot, taking her time and working at an easy pace. It was actually relaxing, and she made me feel very special. It wasn't just another session, but a sweet memory.

When I saw the images she produced, I couldn't believe the art she had created. The colors, the texture and softness--I wanted to know how she developed her style. I was inspired and wanted to learn how I could incorporate this style into my own work.

I began reading the business and photography resources that Jordan provides on her blog; her blog posts range from how to capture that perfect shot to how to book a wedding. I began to look at my own business, and realized that I would love to see my photography take on a milestone of growth in 2016. I began practicing shooting in film after the wedding craziness calmed down, in August, and oh man... I fell in love. There's just something about creating with beautiful light, sweet people, and thoughtful details.

I had talked to Jordan a bit about how much I wanted to learn to shoot in the film style, so of course when she informed me that she was going to start doing workshops, I said I was in!

We did a 1:1 workshop, talking about our businesses (and eating chocolate chip cookies Jordan baked) and also went through a Q & A session, discussing everything from branding to off-camera lighting to working with clients! Afterwards, Jordan did some head shots of me, which I cannot wait to see and share. In the late afternoon, Jordan planned our styled session with our models around a six-month anniversary theme. It was doused in fall glamour, total sweetness, and an organic bouquet of passionate colors. Oh, and a dog with a floral leash! We had such a great time switching off shooting and styling and I learned so much--and had a blast shooting these images!

We finished off the evening with dinner (a delicious, local Chinese buffet--this is my kind of girl!), went over culling and editing techniques, as well as blogging motivation tips (which I badly needed) and processes.

And what you see below is just the beginning of what this workshop is bringing to my business! There is exciting news and updates to come!

A big thanks to all of the amazing vendors, who are all listed at the end of the post, who made this shoot beautiful! And of course to Jordan Brittley Photography! If you're looking for a great, local 1:1 workshop, check her out!

Take some time to enjoy this sweet couple. These photos were taken for their six month wedding anniversary, and everything about the details adds the perfect sentimental touch. The passionate red and pink hues mixed with the soft rose ribbon and organic floral design gets a girl's heart thumping. If you're looking for some inspiration for your next fall-themed shoot, drizzle some of this goodness on top!