Every once and a while, I like to do a staged photoshoot. It gives us practice to try new things, it gives brides and grooms inspiration for their weddings, it showcases local businesses that we love, and it lets everyone be creative.

This time, we hit the talent motherload. I can’t even express how grateful and excited I am to have gotten to work with some of the best in the twin cities wedding industry!

We chose to feature as many eco-friendly products and ideas as possible, and decided to have Uptown as our backdrop.

Five Event Center was the location of our “reception”. The concrete floors, fun architecture, and exposed brick walls made it the perfect space. We wanted a fun and funky vibe but also wanted to keep things clean and simple. Ryan, owner of BeEvents, balanced on the edge of funky and simple perfectly with his table design featuring a blue and pewter polka dot fabric. When we found a Cotton Bride wedding dress from Grace Bridal Boutique (now available at Posh Bridal) with a polka dot pattern, we decided to embrace polka dots throughout the shoot.

Elegant gray glass vases with floating floral designs, metallic fabrics and chargers, and silver polka dot vases filled the family style table. Sassafras Floral Design brought in the bright pop of coral and a deeper tone of red to go with the bright blue, and used whites and metallics for the vase arrangements. Even with all of the layers of detail, colors, and textures, none of the elements overwhelmed each other and the overall look stayed chic.

Since the tablescape was more neutral, we brought in more color with the bridal party. A short dress and french veil were a must. It screams “city chic” to me and then you get to rock awesome shoes!  Both of our models wore animal print metallic heels, and they looked great!  The Maid of Honor wore a sweet Badgley Mischka coral gown and both ladies were adorned with the amazing works of JWP Jewelry Design.  Sassafras’s designs for the wedding party were bright and fun, and the guys looked amazing in custom suits from Heimie’s Haberdashery! 

Armato Design and Press provided custom stationery for the shoot and they were amazing!  She used the coral color as the accent and utilized simple lines.  There was also a subtle gray polka dot design throughout the pieces as well.  It was very cohesive and fit the style perfectly. 

Then came the food.  Most shoots don’t include food and I feel that is such a pity since food is such an important part of the wedding day!  So we brought in Fabulous Catering.  They are known for their, well, FABULOUS food and creative menu.  Their grilled chicken with spring sweet pea sauce and heirloom tomatoes tasted as wonderful as it looked!  We also had a dessert spread created by Jessica’s Cakes.  Since we were going for locally sourced, she reached into her Minnesota roots and made the most delicious bars and homemade cookies!  She also made a three tier cake using our white, gray and coral color palette as well as the pattern of the bride’s gown.  And she amazed us all with a sugar peony that she made, it was so detailed and beautiful!  I also loved her idea of cones of mini cookies, and the variety of glass display pieces she used for her goodies.  BeEvents scattered the space with polka dot metallic candle holders and Sassafras created a more playful look with gerber daisies and blue glassware.  To keep up the playful vibe, Jessica made letter cookies so guests could spell out words to the couple.  There were custom monogram cookies of the couple’s first names as well as other individual letters with little coral polka dots in various designs.  Bottles of Izze’s Soda was the last detail we added.  They are an Uptown staple and a fun addition to a dessert buffet. 

So how did we stay eco-friendly?  The Cotton Bride’s gowns are made in the USA of natural fabrics.  Sassafras used locally grown flowers (including some from Sarah’s own backyard!).  I used antique shops to find items and repurpose them.  Armato Designs had all of the paper products do double duty to minimize paper.  Fabulous Catering utilized locally sourced and organic products to create their amazing menu.  Another bonus with Fabulous Catering and Jessica’s Cakes is that they are only a few blocks away from Five, so we really did stay local!  We also used businesses that are owner operated, which is something I hold dear…I feel it is very important to support local businesses and they in turn support the community. And I was also very proud to work with many vendors that are members of the Independent Wedding Association, a group of vendors that provides wonderful customer service and a high level of creativity and love of their craft. 

After much ado, here are the images!  Enjoy and let us know what you think!