When some of Pittsburgh’s finest wedding vendors ventured into the woods for this romantic wedding inspired styled shoot, literal magic happened. Inspired by the juxtaposition between a forest floor of dead leaves and crisp branches with green foliage, a vast blue sky, and a shining sun, the team went to work. Lush florals, copper, and soft fabrics against wooden elements created a organic look that could easily be recreated in any wedding venue. Varying textures, styles, and colors were mixed together in an eclectic yet refined way, and the result is one that is sure to inspire. The vibe is made so believable by Emily and Vance, the models who are a real life husband and wife duo. Love exudes from these two and it’s easy to be moved by both the photos from Veronica Varos Photography and video footage from Pictory Productions. If you don’t find your heart racing, you might want to check your pulse.
Take a few moments to watch the video footage from Pictory Productions! Soooooo incredible!
So what inspired the shoot? Here are a few of the talented vendors to tell you just that!
From Veronica of Veronica Varos Photography…
My inspiration for this styled photo shoot came from my love of the forest, specifically the look and feel of the forest on a bright sunny day. When you’re in the thick of the trees, the ground is covered in dead branches and crushed leaves. There’s a darkness to it – a moodiness. But, when you look up into the canopy of the trees, you see bright colors, lush greens, and animals happily jumping from limb to limb. The sun shines through the leaves and everything is beautiful, light, and airy. It feels alive. The darkness from the forest floor and the light and airy feeling from the canopy above mix together to create a magical, relaxing, and comforting feeling when you walk through a forest. This feeling – this incredibly powerful feeling of warmth and magic – was exactly what we tried to recreate with this shoot.
This styled elopement featured a real-life married couple made up of an actor, Emily, and an acting coach, Vance. Their genuine love for one another shines through in each and every photograph. Just try to look through the images or watch the video without feeling moved by their love.
From Erin of Glitter & Grit…
For this shoot, I wanted to select dresses that would really let all of the other details shine through; the location, flowers, hair and makeup, and even Emily herself were all too perfect to overpower with dresses. But opting for a simple dress doesn’t have to mean that it’s boring! The romantic movement in the layers of chiffon in the Judy dress by TULLE New York, the flattering pattern detail in Rebecca Schoneveld’s crochet Fallon, and the off-the-shoulder perfection of the Daughter’s of Simone Casablanca all prove this flawlessly.
From Carmel and Ashley of Mt. Lebanon Floral…
The shoot inspired us to look beyond our everyday flowers. Our inspiration came from the H0lland Auction list of florals available to us here in the states. We scrolled through and just couldn’t stop once we started with the amazing variety of hydrangeas, tulips, astrantia, protea, lilies, eremerus, globe allium, roses, garlic snipes, vibernum berries, pink baby’s breath, curcuma, ferns, foliages, and so much more. We sourced many things locally as well, like the foxglove, poke weed, smoke bush, hanging amaranthus, sweet peas, millet, and peonies. Once on-site, we scoured the property to make the flowers seem just picked from the area with mosses, oak and hemlock branches, and ferns. We created five bouquets, each with its own color palette that really showcased the dresses. A coordinating hair piece was created with feathers, metal angel wings, and vines. To achieve the cohesiveness of bringing the cooper look into the shoot and having the florals make sense, we used footed metal bowls, angle wing candle sticks, mercury glass votives, and lanterns.
Vendors
Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles | Bride’s Styling: Erin Szymanski of Glitter & Grit | Cake: Bella Christie | Coordination: Bliss Events Ltd. | Cuffs: ModEvil Studio | Dresses: Tulle NY, Daughters of Simone, and Rebecca Schoneveld from Glitter & Grit | Fabrics & Candles: Silk and Willow | Flowers: Mt. Lebanon Floral | Groom’s Shoes: Timberland | Hair & Makeup: Hannah Conard Beauty | Invitations & Menus: Parris Chic Boutique | Men’s Designers: Life/After/Denim, Descendant of Thieves, and Original Penguin | Models: Emily Shaffer, Vance Barber, and Margot the pup | Necklaces & Bracelets: Studebaker Metals | Photography: Veronica Varos Photography | Shoe Stylist: Lauren Khan | Table & Chairs: Found + Made Co. | Rings: Frost Finery | Video: Pictory Productions
Where was this shoot? I love it!
Savage River Lodge in Maryland!