Emily Bartell reached out to me about assisting her with the planning and design of a cherry blossom editorial in Richmond. Being in Charlottesville, I knew this styled shoot would be a great way to network and meet some Richmond wedding vendors. I love getting to meet new people and expand my network for the benefit of my brides, so I happily agreed!
If you’ve never heard of a styled shoot,
it is when a bunch of wedding vendors get together and collaborate to create a beautiful faux event. The benefit is that you get images of your work, are able to network, and get to be creative. There are many different types of styled shoots that cover different aspects of an event. This styled shoot covered almost every aspect of a real wedding day, and it was such an amazing experience.
Emily and I worked together in selecting the venue. After that was decided, I gathered ideas that matched her vision to pull together a cohesive design look. Once we had our plan, I reached out to vendors to share our vision and ask if they were interested in collaborating. Then, I put my planner hat on and put together a full day’s schedule for set-up and photos. I managed the day of the shoot much like a wedding day. This involved setting up the tablescape, making sure vendors arrived on time and knew what to do, and had the timeline running smoothly.
The venue we chose was The Estate at River Run and it was amazing.
This stately venue overlooks the James River, and the architecture and antique furnishings make it an exquisite setting for weddings. We knew immediately after touring it that it was the perfect location for our spring editorial. The pool patio, bridal suite, grand staircases, front lawn and Wedgewood ballroom are just a few of my favorite locations on this property and we utilized them all! The front lawn offers a beautiful backdrop of the mansion and makes a stunning photoshoot locale. We chose to include a ’53 Bentley in our shoot to highlight the couple on the drive. My favorite shot was of our elevated and lush centerpiece on the upper terrace. The texture, colors, and style was exactly what we wanted. I love when a vision comes so perfectly to life!
While I was able to plan and execute this shoot much like a wedding, there were a few things that happened that you wouldn’t find happening at an actual wedding. For example, we couldn’t get the bottle of champagne open, so we filled the glasses with pool water. Obviously no one drank it, but it worked for the shot! The models – who are actually a married couple – had done this kind of shoot before, so they were total professionals and didn’t miss a beat.
This was my smoothest shoot ever. Everyone came with their A game and I would highly recommend every vendor I worked with that day. I loved having the opportunity to meet new people and share our passion for creativity at this styled shoot. It’s one of the many reasons I love my job!
