Summer Harsh Botanical Artistry Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Great Expectations

April 3, 2013 By katrina 1 Comment

When the inventory of items you’re bringing to a shoot includes statement jewelry, a pick axe, and taxidermy…you know it is going to be awesome.

Anyone who knows my views on the wedding industry knows that I am a huge fan of vendors that are down to earth, ethical, deliver a top notch product and are all about customer service. It seems like an elusive thing, but man, we found that magic yesterday at our photoshoot! I’m still giddy about it…how excited we all were to work together. How we collaborated over evertyhing…the fashion, the angles of the shots, the little details…we all helped each other out and had such an amazing time. I write about this because I think it is rare and also I think it is spectacular.

The brainchild of this shoot stems from our location, Aria Minneapolis. If you haven’t seen this place yet, schedule an appointment, it is gorgeous. The design inside is this fabulous mix of over the top glam, industrial, and a little bit of decay with its textured walls and rough edges. The Aria team, Brett Dorrian and I came up with a decadent rock look. Todd Pinzuti, owner of Bungalow 6 Design pulled the design together with visuals that had everything from vintage to school house industrial elements. Summer Harsh joined the team and created out of the box floral designs that were full of texture and brought in our emerald green and purple color scheme. A Milestone Paper Company designed an invitation printed on wood that was inspired by rock posters. We wanted something a little bohemian, a little over the top glamorous and just a hint of Grey Gardens as well. I still have no idea how to explain the look in just a word or two…but man, did it look GOOD. We came up with the title Great Expectations, inspired both by the book and also the mindset of having a grand wedding.

When this shoot started to materialize we really got excited. When Mestads came on board and told us they were shipping gowns in from their favorite designers, I think we all did a little girl giggle of excitement. The big day came, and everyone worked together to set things up. I ran to Patisserie 46 to pick up the most delicious assortment of pastry goodness for our dessert table. Summer and the Aria team set up the main tablescape, including a floral chandalier! Aria’s head honcho, Jessica, and Lynsie from Mestads put together some awesome outfits for our models as they arrived, and Brett did what Brett does best…make everyone look AMAZING!

Time for the pictures! Are you READY?!?!?!

Though spring is just (finally) starting in Minnesota, we decided on a fall color scheme a bit ahead of the trend. It fit the space and the mood we were going for…this is my favorite floral image of the day…

One of Aria’s signature decor items are their chandaliers…we HAD to incorporate them!

The first gown was all about texture…we incorporated texture in every part of the image, from Summers super cool fern bouquet to the walls of the Aria.

While I was photographing the bride in all her glory, John and the groom were experimenting with light. Eyob looked so dapper in his Heimie’s Haberdashery suit!

The Aria team created a set for us using some old doors (you know, they just have this cool stuff lying around!) and furniture from their collection.

A few party guests joined us…

At the table, we had an ecclectic mix of dishware, including custom designed lace plates by artist Steph Guidera. Linen Effect’s new glassware and silverware sets were used along with their emerald green napkins, and champagne linens with a lace overlay. We embraced gold in all its glory!

An industrial dessert table displayed the lovely creations of Patisserie 46…we all got to taste them at the end, it was heaven!

Now back to the table in its full glory…simply stunning!

After the dinner party, the guests went upstairs to one of Aria’s VIP rooms…things got a little crazy 😉

The models changed looks throughout the day, and John and I used every corner of the Aria to get a variety of portrait styles. This was where we were really allowed to collaborate and experiment with the whole group of vendors, it was such a blast!

I have no words for the gratitude and sappy love I feel towards everyone involved in the shoot! Enjoy the images I hope it inspires!

Unveiled Minneapolis – Spring 2012 Show

February 6, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

The Wedding Guys did it again! Not only did the Unveiled show have record ticket sales on Superbowl Sunday, but they produced a show that knocked our socks off.

Last show it was about bold lipstick red, sparkles and glam, this time, the show had a vibe that channeled retro 60’s with whimsical decor combining bold colors with unexpected elements. The Studio Laguna booth was quite busy, but I was able to walk the show and take in all the eye candy. There was even some literal candy at Sassafras Floral and Garden ‘s booth! They paired bold red blooms with lovely milk glass and vintage blue vases and then included red candies like twizzlers to make things more playful. Summer Harsh not only created the vibrant designs for the reception gallery, but also designed a gorgeous floral centerpiece that included pheasant feathers and antlers. I just loved it!

Though all the gowns on display were fabulous, the ones that caught my eye involved neutral tones with warm grays and champagne colored lace, paired with slim cuts and neat bows. Che Bella had a lovely booth that showed off their accessories as well as some of the new gowns they have introduced into their shop. I can’t wait to go see the whole collection! Tara LaTour ‘s booth was not only beautifully designed (no big surprise there) but had as the centerpiece, an original gown half way through the design process. I loved her choice of fabrics and how much care she puts into each piece, it was fun listening to her talk shop with fashion loving brides.

The belle of the ball this show was Nicollet Island Inn. They brought their A game with their booth design and teamed up with Linen Effects to show how their vintage, historic space could be paired with mod colors and layered pieces to make a completely contemporary look. They just happened to choose colors that matched the show so it was very cohesive with the overall feeling of the event, and their booth was a photographer’s dream.

Another venue that made a splash was the Historic Oldenburg House. This is a brand new venue that is located up by Jay Cooke State Park. It is a grand historic estate that has both indoor and outdoor wedding options available. One of the things I love about this venue is that they include many things with their fee so it reduces the cost of rentals. Talking with Glenn about all the plans he has for adding landscaping elements to the house was fantastic and we will be going up there sometime to tour the space, it is the perfect combination of formal meets the outdoors.

Minneapolis Unveiled Event

November 6, 2011 By katrina 5 Comments

Today was the big day. The Wedding Guys have been touring the country with their Unveiled show and today they launched their Minneapolis show.

Unveiled was more than a wedding expo. It was about inspiration and entertainment. Beautiful, trend setting vignettes and galleries featuring the latest in cake, stationary, floral design and tablescapes. In the main room, there was a stage with live music, even some ballroom dancers. Upstairs was an hourly fashion show that all the brides were talking about. In the La Boutique room, guests entered through a ceremony set up featuring reds, silvers, blacks and crystals with a GORGEOUS wall of ice designed by Ice Occasions, and lovely floral arrangements by Sassafras.

Our booth was really busy and we enjoyed getting to meet everyone. We chatted both with our current brides and potential brides, and even had a few surprise visits from friends (Kristy delivered an Izze Soda which was SO appreciated!). I was very lucky to be in the booth next to Jean of Violet’s Flowers, just hearing her giggle with her brides made me smile! Another vendor I was happy to be near was Todd of Bungalow 6 Designs. He set up a beautiful lounge in whites and silver with pops of yellow, I could have moved right into that space. Summer Harsh Botanical Artistry also went with a clean white look, but punched her booth up with bold reds, it looked fabulous.

A Milestone Paper Company had a lovely booth and it was fun seeing all of her newest creations. I made sure to take John over to Hammermade to look at the custom suits and shirts. Lime Canary Vintage Rentals had a lovely set up, and Tami from Muddy Paws went all pink and funky with her booth this year, it really showed off her personality! I had to stop by Cocoa and Fig and Jessica’s Cakes booths, they always have such delicious items to show. I really loved a new business to the wedding industry this year, Bear Fox Chalk. They create custom chalk boards for your wedding day and they look AWESOME! So many details (even photographs) and playful typography are included in each board, it was very impressive (and the owners are super sweet, too!).

So, if you can’t tell, I’m still on a bit of a high from the show. It was so much work and adrenaline to get everything ready and the day went by so fast! I was very nervous about our booth being too quirky, but people really liked our little air plant sculpture…I like being able to incorporate my interior design schooling when I can =) The lovely Carra of La Petite Fleur surprised us with two awesome floral pieces for our console table, she did such a great job! Be sure to stay tuned to the Wedding Guys to see a ton of pictures from the show. Staja Studios was working the entire time getting gorgeous images and I can’t wait to see everything! Follow The Wedding Guys and Unveiled on Facebook and Twitter for all the events coming up, including another Minneapolis show in February.

Here are a few pictures that I grabbed today, enjoy!

Circles and Squares

July 13, 2011 By katrina 1 Comment

Today I had a fun assignment. I got to go over to the Convention Center and photograph the setup for a big charity event.

Two domes of the convention center were ready for the 2,500 guests…and before anyone got there, I photographed the details. Ryan Hanson, owner of BeEvents designed the space and he used the theme of “circles and squares”. He incorporated glass spheres at the three VIP lounges, along with hanging curtains of various shapes, each branded with a sponsor’s logo. It is tough to work with a space that has such height to it, but a giant inflatable arch will do the trick, right? I loved seeing the repetition of arches throughout the design…and on such a huge scale.

Dramatic lighting was used throughout the room as well, constantly changing and playing off each other. Summer Harsh created arrangements that echoed the use of spheres and worked with the different color schemes of the three lounges. Summer and Ryan also decked out the greenrooms for that night’s entertainment, it is amazing how you can make pipe and drape rooms look homey!

Here are my favorite images!

Lia Sophia Bridal Jewelry

February 28, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

Lia Sophia is a jewelry line that is all the rage right now, and they are creating some gorgeous pieces with the focus on creative and gutsy brides that love fashion. Yesterday, I worked with a fabulous Lia Sophia advisor on a photoshoot to show off some of the ways the jewelry can be incorporated with bridal.

We decided on an urban environment, and I was so excited to use the private dining space of Spill the Wine. It is open, with a ton of windows, is the perfect mix of industrial and antique, and their metal wall made a killer backdrop! I’m a huge fan of this space, and it made the images pop with personality.

For the bridal flowers (what is a bridal photoshoot without awesome bouquets?) we were so fortunate to work with Summer Harsh Botanical Artistry. When Summer opened up the boxes filled with her designs, there was an audible gasp, we just loved them! She took notes of the types of jewelry we were photographing and the look of the space and made the perfect interpretation in her floral design. They were mod, full of texture, and just the right pop of color and style.

The final component to bring this whole shoot together was the hair styles. Danielle Peterson is one of the Twin Cities’ most talented stylists and has a great eye. Her efficiency and variety of hair styles was so appreciated at the shoot! She was able to create looks as fast as I shot! And the styles stayed perfect the whole time. She really got what we were going for, and you could tell that she loves fashion and knows how to use a hair style to complete a look.

I also appreciated the lovely veils loaned to us by Flutter Boutique. Their french veils added the final touch to the brides’ styles and helped us achieve the edgy yet classic look were were going for. Oh! And I can’t forget the lovely black gloves loaned to us by Ashley Fox Designs, she has an amazing collection and was very generous to let us use some for the shoot. We are truly thankful to have such a stellar group of people work on this shoot!

Laura and Jennifer, the Lia Sophia advisors that created the jewelry looks for this shoot, are offering a special to the readers of this blog. Any bride-to-be who books a bridal jewlery party during the month of March will be able to select any item from our jewelry line valued at up to $100 for FREE! (Really, no catch!) Additionally, any bride-to-be who schedules a show with Jennifer or Laura will be entered in a drawing to win a FREE one-hour photo session with me! If you want to learn more about the additional free and discounted jewelry benefits extended to bride-to-be hostesses, contact Laura at (651)307-3315 or lmslusarczyk@gmail.com and she can tell you more.

And without further ado, here are the pictures. Enjoy!