What do you get when you have a stunning beach setting on Lake Michigan, incredible vendor colleagues, a gorgeous couple, and a super fun team of photo colleagues? Well, you get what some in the industry might call perfection. But this shoot was so much more than that! Because we somehow pulled all of this off while there were huge downpours of rain about every ten minutes!!! (You'll even see some of the storms rolling around in the background of the photos.) I will never forget this day and how in awe I was (and still am!) of the people that surrounded me.
Before we even get into the vendor list later on, we owe a special thanks to Laura Sanders Ahern and her husband Bill from Accent on Events, as well as Meghan Riley from Ashland Addison Florist! They were there from the very beginning and were potentially THE reason that this shoot actually happened. They were there as vendors, but also carried everything in and out of the rain multiple times with us.
As with each of the Photography Stylistas shoots, it's a group effort. We pull together our ideas as a group, then contact the vendors to help develop our ideas even further. When this team of my fellow wedding photography colleagues and I set out to create a beach-y shoot inspired by a mint and peach color palette we had no idea that it would turn out to be so darn lovely.
This incredible minty-peachy-beachy stunner began as an idea and grew to a beautiful shoot on a private beach front at Lake Michigan. And I'm thrilled to showcase the shoot and all of it's wonderful details today!
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The purpose of these inspiration shoots is two-fold. We pull these together for you - our couples! As you plan your own day, perhaps you'll find one detail for your day that you may not have thought of previously, or maybe you'll enjoy the color scheme, or find a new vendor to help capture your style. In addition, these shoots are another way for us to 'practice' and get geared up for wedding season as photographers! I love the opportunity to push our creativity and sometimes even try angles/ideas that I may not always have the time to try first on a wedding day. I hope you enjoy today's inspiration! We had so much fun pulling it together for you.
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Yes. I totally borrowed that driftwood for the arch from the Palisades State Park out here in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Some wired twine and everyday window sheers completed the look! It's a super rustic chic way to create your altar for an outdoor wedding.
Some of the most beautiful of wedding props can be some of the simplest in tablescapes. The concept of incorporating fruit (literal: peachy!), seashells (literal: beachy!), and florals into the design made this a truly organic space.
Our wedding couple, Nicole and Nate, are a real-life couple in the Chicago area and are engaged to be married this September. It was such a pleasure to work with them! Not only were they totally gorgeous together in front of our cameras... they're actually in love! So, you know, capturing it was pretty remarkable. Still so thankful for their beautiful smiles and their willingness to feel the sand between their toes.
In fact, Nicole's pretty gorgeous no matter what, but we were so pumped to have the Elana Darrus team on board to ensure she stayed extra fabulous rain or shine! Her incredible florals were designed by the ever-fab Meghan at Ashland Addison, too. So much pretty!
And, of course, we can't forget the groom! Nate totally rocked it in his suit from Male Fashions Co. and bowtie from The Tie Bar. I think my favorite is when it just happened to start raining as I was shooting into the sun. Happenstance and handsome-ness! What are the odds?!
If you're looking for fun ideas for the guys on your wedding day, consider a new tailored suit instead of renting a tux. Is your fella a bowtie kind of guy? We think it's super 'peachy' for this shoot!
By far, my favorite detail was the incredible cake created by Amy Beck Cake Design! Seriously... she took the shoot to the next level with this creation. I sure can't frost a cake for the life of me! So, I'm generally impressed by cakes... but when I saw the sugary goodness in the form of beautifully edible peonies on the side of the cake? I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat!
If you've thought about a nautical theme for your wedding, the rope's an incredible detail too! How are you incorporating your theme or your personal style into your own wedding cake?
As the sun began to set and the rain took another break, I was so thankful to grab a bit of time with our couple near the water. Our hosts had a beautiful sailboat on the beach and it made for another stunning prop as we captured a really incredible love story!
Remember that your theme and location can go hand in hand as you create your wedding day's moments. Tell your story with all kinds of details that reflect one another and - most importantly - show off your personality as a couple.
Ok... go! Go take your inspiration and run with it. Pin these to your wedding board to safe-guard your inspiration all in once place (just hover over a photo and click the 'P' icon). Perhaps sit down with your wedding list of lovely and figure out how you'll incorporate one of your favorite ideas found here into the line-up. Or - even better! - come up with your own that are totally you!
Want some more inspiration?! You might like seeing our last Inspiration Shoots - a Gatsby Wedding and our Rooftop Yellow and Gray delight!
Have a great weekend, Modern Lovebirds!!! Happy wedding planning! XO
