It can be tricky creating a pink-infused wedding without it falling into princess birthday party territory but Hey Gorgeous, Events by Rhiannon Nicole totally nailed it with this sweet, feminine, vintage-inspired photo shoot. Heart-shaped cookies, vintage tumblers and striped barber straws are the perfect combination for a girly yet playful Valentine’s Day wedding. And pale pinks and creamy ivories paired with gray brings a fun, modern twist to the whimsical and romantic theme. We’re in love with the dreamy photography of Elizabeth In Love. You can see even more from this phenomenal team of artists in the full gallery!
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The initial inspiration I had for this shoot was from some gorgeous pink glass tumblers my mother found at the Goodwill. The textured glass and pale pink hue not only resonated with my love for all things vintage and feminine but also reminded me of one of my favourite holidays of the year, Valentines Day. Immediately I recruited a team of fabulous vendors to help bring my vision to life. The original inspiration board featured a palette of creams, ivories, pale pinks, roses and champagnes with subtle pops of red. I wanted the shoot to have a soft, dreamy and romantic feel with a quirky whimsical twist. Incorporating letterpress paper products, faded paperback books, fluffy and full florals, and subtle lace, and pearl details were important elements in making the shoot so beautiful and cohesive.
Asking Beth from Elizabeth in Love, Weddings by Elizabeth Kaye, to capture the shoot was a no brainer for me. She is one of the most talented photographers I know with an eye for beauty and attention to detail like no other. I knew having her on board would be the best option to ensure gorgeous visuals and downright stunning bridal portraits of our model, and was I ever right! Beth’s specialty is really allowing a bride to shine and look her absolute best and if you look at just one of her photos you’ll see what I mean. She is a total dream and I cannot wait to collaborate with her in the future.
The venue for the shoot was downtown Hamilton, Ontario at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The Art Gallery is such a unique spot for weddings and both Beth and I were thrilled when we were granted their reception space for the shoot. Weddings at the Gallery are held in a very large room with incredible floor to ceiling windows; the light? Simply gorgeous. The room? So awesome to work off of a blank canvas with minimal distractions. On top of all of this, we were given a fabulous piece of artwork to incorporate into the portraits as well as some spectacular jewelry for our model to show off (these pieces are sold in the Gallery’s gift shop). The staff at the Gallery were extremely kind, courteous and more than willing to accommodate our needs; three incredibly important characteristics when planning an event as pivotal as your wedding.
Olivia from I Do Wedding Cakes is the genius behind the pretty pink three-tiered cake. Olivia created my own wedding cake and I can’t say enough fabulous things about her and her business. I have ate a lot of cake in my life and nothing come close to tasting as drool-worthy as Olivia’s cakes. Paired with her impeccable design techniques, talent and incredibly affordable prices, she’s a dream come true for brides-to-be. I sent her the Inspiration Board, explained my desire for a soft, romantic cake and voila! I showed up to her bakery to pick up one beauty of a cake. For the paper products, Michelle from Paper Talk Press designed and printed an incredibly cohesive and stunning letterpress invitation suite made with hand mixed inks. The suite included a response card, map, and envelope printed on 100% cotton Crane Lettra and a bellyband printed on a translucent vellum. The envelopes were lined with the most darling cotton Crane Lettra that added a touch of whimsy to our shoot. The menus, table numbers, escort cards, favour tags and signs were printed on 110# wove paper. For the table numbers I tied the label on with lace and pearls around a vintage bottle filled with the same “Love Potion” from our drink station. I have worked with Michelle in the past and highly recommend her work to brides looking for elegant and unique paper products; after all she styled and printed the paper products I proudly used for my very own wedding. The talented and super sweet Lisa Collins, of Sweet Woodruff in Toronto, did the florals. Lisa is an up and coming vendor in the industry and was very much into helping me coordinate arrangements that not only looked stunning but didn’t break the bank. Using a blend of coloured hydrangeas, pink, pale green and white carnations, various shades of roses, pale purple wax flowers and subtle greenery, she created soft and full-looking arrangements for the tables and an absolutely lovely bridal bouquet (which I fastened with a sparkly vintage heart-shaped pin found on Etsy). On the cake table were my Anthropologie monogram mugs spelling out LOVE, which Lisa filled with white and red carnations, adding a little punch of fun to the otherwise pale hued colour and floral scheme. To help keep the shoot budget friendly, I purchased vases from the Dollar Store, which I then wrapped in lace and pale pink strands of pearls.
Last but not least, was our incredible model Jody who I know all of us vendors cannot say enough great things about. The night before the shoot, our original model called to say she couldn’t make it. In a bit of a predicament I called my most gorgeous and model-esque friend who just happened to have been a bride herself this past summer. With her dress in hand, and an eagerness to help me out she showed up to the shoot and totally knocked everyone’s socks off. Without an ounce of food in her belly and hours of posing and pouting, Jody went above and beyond our expectations and really took our shoot to the next level. The dress was her own, her stud earrings are from Aldo accessories, shoes belong to the photographer and the lace netted gloves were found by yours truly on Etsy. Sarah Smith did Jody’s utterly beautiful make up and Madelaine Griffin of Aura Salon and Spa, completely transformed Jody’s hair into three very different but all equally phenomenal styles. These two were on hand all afternoon to make sure Jody stayed beautiful, staying by her side for touch ups when needed. Both girls really outdid themselves in creating a look for our bride the worked so well with all of the other shoot elements.
Style + Concept Design: Hey Gorgeous, Events by Rhiannon Nicole / Wedding Photography: Elizabeth in Love, Weddings by Elizabeth Kaye / Cake: I Do Wedding Cakes / Florals: Sweet Woodruff / Paper: Papertalk Press / Venue: The Art Gallery of Hamilton / Bride’s vintage stud earrings: ALDO / Heart-shaped sugar cookies: Sweetness Bakery / Hair styling: Madelaine Griffin of Aura Salon and Spa / Make up artist: Sarah Smith / Bride’s floral headpiece: Mignonnne Handmade / L O V E banner: Victorian Station / Model: Jody Mifsud