Published Feature: Trendy Bride Magazine Styled Shoot

So excited to share our recent featured styled shoot that can be found in the new Winter/Sping 2016 edition of Trendy Bride Magazine. Pick up your copy today at your local Barnes and Noble!

Weddings are truly a form of art. Each vendor chosen can create unique elements that help celebrate the individuality of a couple as they transition to married life. Every wedding vendor searches for clients and opportunities that help them showcase their talents and embrace the creativity that comes along with being a professional in this industry. When you get the right team of vendors to collaborate together, serious magic can happen. Mostly, this means that we can have a lot of happy clients but in some cases, such as what we are sharing today, it means that we can showcase our services in a way that inspires its’ viewers.

Recently, the A Southern Soiree team collaborated with Blueberry Creative to create a concept and a team that could take our styled shoot to a new level. The setting at the Merrimon-Wynne House was the perfect backdrop for this elegant and southern affair. Inspired by the Pantone color, Radiant Orchid, we based the shoot around hues of purple—mainly keeping the lighter end of the spectrum. This color scheme gave our florist friend, Eclectic Sage, the flexibility to use unconventional floral pieces throughout all aspects of the shoot. Garland and greenery covered the alter area with purple ombre flower petals and florals framing the aisle accompanied the Tuscan chairs that were chosen for this element of the shoot. Floral table runners are a very current wedding trend that we chose to use in this shoot—the mixture of the floral runner on the farm table and our guest tables having soft lavender linens, all adorned with soft pink napkins, was exactly what our vision had been working towards. Chargers and dinner plates featured a mixture of silver and gold metals that were paired with a vintage designed dessert plate featuring our signature color for the shoot. Our team and vendors embraced both modern and vintage elements of design and rental choices to encompass the intricate setting provided by the Merrimon-Wynne House. A watercolor seating-scroll, designed by Bella Joviality, was also framed with flowers of the purple and lavender hue. Did we mention that Sarah with Bella Joviality even designed a watercolor-illustration of the venue as a Save-The-Date? We really lucked out having such talented vendors! Lastly, stemmed florals were used as a ceiling treatment with white lanterns inside of the covered tent area at the venue. We had never seen anything like our final product and we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome— the view sitting underneath these arrangements was breathtaking!

By including more models than just the bride and groom, and creating a larger wedding party, we hoped that the shoot felt more like a real wedding with meaning and purpose. The choice to include a larger number of models allowed us to showcase more flexibility with the attire worn by both bridesmaids and groomsmen. Today’s modern bride often struggles with finding one solid bridesmaids dress that fits all of those participating in her bridal party. We chose to use the many hues and shades of purple that were displayed throughout the shoot and paired them in ways that complimented each bridesmaid personally—the shape and style catered to what made each girl comfortable, yet cohesive. Bella Bridesmaid of Raleigh and their staff was extremely helpful in aiding to this vision; Kendra Scott provided all of the jewelry worn by the bridesmaids. The menswear was also very carefully decided to show modern grooms that they are not confined to standard wedding attire—play off of colors and patterns and work with multiple vendors, as we did in this shoot, to create a piece that is truly one of a kind. High Cotton Ties helped us find the perfect ties to compliment the button-down shirts we found at Target—pair these with the ash gray suits provided by Bernard’s formalwear and you’ve got a truly unique menswear look! Don’t forget to check out one of our favorite elements—the floral pocket square Eclectic Sage created to compliment the groom’s menswear style! Traditions by Anna helped find the dress that spoke to the bride in our vision: polished and poised but with a personality that complimented the light and fresh atmosphere created by our vendors and the setting at the Merrimon-Wynne.

From food (by our friends at Rocky Top Catering!) such as a shrimp and beet passed hors d’oeuvre (delicious), to our “Elizabeth Taylor” signature drink, we wanted every aspect to feel as real as the effort our vendors put into creating them. By having photos taken while the models were getting ready and by participating in elements such as the special exit or British Taxi sendoff, our vendors hoped that our viewers see how they can take aspects of “styled shoots” and transform them into elements of their own wedding days.

We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to surround ourselves with some of the best in the business as we worked on this project. The amount of time and work that our team of vendors put into this styled shoot makes the final product that much more satisfying. Thank you to all of our vendors who collaborated to make this day possible!