A styled photography shoot isn’t just to showcase a specific wedding style, but to showcase all of the elements that go into creating a picture perfect wedding day. From gown and floral designers to the perfect venue and everything in between, Carismas will show you what goes into a styled shoot.
Who would have thought planning a styled shoot would be as fun as planning a wedding?
Today, I wanted to give you a glimpse on how it all came together. When the Pandemic had started, I noticed an overwhelming amount of weddings on our schedule beginning to postpone or cancel in March. After postponing two months’ worth within the first 3 weeks of the state shut down, here in New Jersey, I decided to take on a new venture. Carismas Design is a wedding coordinating company that specializes in wedding management and wedding planning. Our newest venture was going to be planning our very first ever styled shoot. The process began the first week of April and we knew this was a great way to get creative with a few wedding designs concepts.
During this time, we were nervous about the current state of our economy since the Metro park area of NJ & NYC were the epicenters of the Pandemic. Having the style to focus on was a great way to stay busy during these challenging times. Choosing the vendor team was a quick and seamless process since we have worked with all of our vendors in the past and knew their skills. One of the best decisions we made was to book our venue, at Eagle Manor. Little did we know at the time that outdoor weddings were going to become the new norm for the wedding industry for the upcoming summer events and personally I believe this may stay around for a bit longer. Our styled shoot original date was supposed to take place towards the end of April, but unfortunately, we had to add that to our list of postponements due to the state shutdown. I believe there is always a brighter side to things, just like those who have had to postpone their wedding, trust me it only gets better. I used the extra time I had from postponing my styled shoot to plan more details and let me tell you, this was the best thing to come our way.
Our styled shoot had two creative design concepts that went with an individual style and color scheme for each. This included: florals, tablescape design, and dresses that complement the style. Lastly, we had a group shoot that featured 4 models showing off the up and coming trends for bridal gowns that paired beautifully with the classic look of the groom.
We had Gina Jost Makeup and Hair Artistry provide hair and makeup services for all the models. A majority of this styled shoot had every detailed planned ahead time, where the dress company Laura with Laura and Leigh Bridal sent over a list of dresses that went well with each concept, our hair and makeup company coordinated with us on selecting the best hair and makeup styles for each model per design. This took a tremendous amount of time coordinating but the outcome was well worth it. This is similar to planning a wedding when drafting each detail in advance to help make the wedding day a smoother process. During this process, we had Michele from With One Fell Swoop help collaborate on some of these details, as well.
The first design had a vibrant color scheme with free-flowing arrangements. A long, dusty rose table runner with mixed height gold taper candles. Having a walnut brown farmers table complimented the vibrant colors from the centerpiece. The cross-back wood chairs were the final touch. Ocean Tent rental also provided stunning charger plates that were clear glass with gold beaded rims, gold flatware, and glassware. This look is a great option for those looking for a natural table setting to compliment the outdoor, beautiful backdrop.
We actually used this design for a few looks on the day of the styled shoot. One of our models happened to be a bride whose wedding date was affected by the pandemic and had to postpone her wedding for the following year. She loved the idea of being a part of the styled shoot with her fiancé, and we had gained a bride and a groom for the shoot. Our model Fallon looked stunning in her Eddy K dress provided by Laura and Leigh Bridal.
We chose to have their first look in front of “Design 1”, every detail of this design was flawless. The romantic wedding gown with the Bel Aire Bridal veil and the vibrant florals within the bouquet complimented the scenery so well. Our groom for the day wore a medium blue tux from Chazmatazz formalwear. Some of our vendors’ favorite shots from the day were the first look photos from “Design 1”. It was natural, emotional, and meaningful. Our photographer Jamal with Solid Rock Photography did a great job of capturing these special moments.
For those of you planning a wedding or may have been forced to postpone, I would highly suggest looking into the first look option for your wedding day, it gives you more time for photos like these. Our Bridal party photos for this scene had two gorgeous bridesmaids, they wore a dusty pink dress by Watters. The vibrant colors of burgundy, blue, purple, hot pink & green in the bridesmaids’ bouquets had a beautiful pop against the bridesmaids’ dusty pink dresses. Stay tuned for next week’s post about “Design 2”! Until then, enjoy the beautiful list of vendors and venues that made this day as exquisite as it was.
Venue + Vendors
Carismas Design: Planning, style & coordinating
Eagle Manor: Venue
Solid Rock Photography: Photography
Laura & Leigh Bridal: Bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, veil & jewelry
Gina Jost Hair & Makeup Artistry: Hair & makeup styling
Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden: Floral bouquets & centerpieces
ChazMaTazz Formal Wear: Tux rental & shoes
Ocean Tent Rental: Table, chairs, linen, tabletop ware & candelabras
With One Fell Swoop: Assistance with design concept & mood board creation
Dress & Accessories provided by Laura & Leigh:
Bridal gown for 3 models designer: Eddy K https://eddyk.com
Bridal gown for 1 model designer: Ti Adora https://www.jlmcouture.com/Ti-Adora
Bridesmaids dresses designer: https://www.watters.com
Veils: http://www.belairebridal.com
Jewelry: https://thomasknoell.com