Jewel Tones Styled Shoot: Casablanca Weddings & Events

In the wedding industry, we have an “off season” during the months of December through March. Most weddings happen during the spring-fall timeframe, so us industry professionals need something to do to remain creative during our time off! We also love fresh content for our websites, social media, and advertisements. A popular way to accomplish this is to set up a styled shoot, where you come up with a vision and collaborate with other industry professionals to make it happen.

In June of 2020, I went to my first styled shoot with zero experience in the wedding photography world. Less than one year later, I hosted my first styled shoot collaborating with five amazing vendors and twelve photographers. Our couple, Lauren and Jeff, were engaged at the time of the shoot and are now married. Since they are a real couple, you can feel the chemistry through the images. They did so well as our models and I was so happy to work with them!

Empowering small businesses is something I am super passionate about. All of the vendors used for this shoot are small businesses. To begin planning, I created a mood board to show vendors and see who would align with my vision. The first thing I did was find a venue, and Casablanca Weddings & Events, by Right Start Photography, was the perfect choice. Located in Coatesville Pennsylvania, their venue is an industrial “blank canvas” with exposed brick and white walls. I’ve been to their space multiple times and I knew it would be perfect for this shoot.

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Through Casablanca, I was able to find the perfect florist to help the vision come to life. The Stem’s End is located in the same building as Casablanca, so the owner Gail was able to be there for me during the entire shoot and set up process. She used my mood board to perfectly craft the floral structure, the table-scape, and bouquet & boutonnière. Gail was amazing to work with and I am so glad I had her on board with me for this shoot!

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After securing venue & florist, I was on the hunt for a stationary artist to compliment our event. I was lucky enough to work with Kimberly from Brielle Madison Papier to get the most beautiful invitations, envelopes, menus, place cards and more. Kimberly was FANTASTIC to work with, she really went above and beyond for this shoot.

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The dress worn by our model Lauren was supplied by a photographer from Utah who rents out a variety of high-end, gorgeous dresses to other photographers looking to style a shoot. Her Instagram is Raw Golden Rentals, and she did not disappoint! The dress was almost identical to the one on my mood board, and I loved how we could create interesting images using the dress.

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I had the absolute pleasure of working with Sydney, who styled Lauren’s hair and makeup. Sydney and I have known each other since middle school, we were actually on the same cheerleading team! I love working with her and promoting her work because she has come a long way in a very short amount of time. The makeup and hair look she did was incredible!!!

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Since I had so many photographers interested in attending my shoot, I knew that it would be a good idea to add as much content to photograph as possible. With that, I decided to create a table set up. I live in a town called West Chester in Pennsylvania, where we have a gem known to locals called Dishfunctional. This is an estate liquidator selling new and vintage china, glassware, artwork, and more. I browsed the extensive isles looking for the perfect china, candlesticks and glassware for my table. I was able to find the perfect items and all under $100! Even after we used these for the shoot, I was able to find a second home for the items with another photographer so they can be used again in a shoot. The plates were genuine Lennox wedding dishes, and the goblets and wine glasses were a beautiful colored glass that is retro and modern at the same time. I was so happy with how the table turned out!

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Last but most certainly not least, I wanted to thank the group of photographers that came to this shoot. They captured the scene so well and each brought their unique style to the table. Their support was absolutely crucial to the success of this shoot, and I can’t wait for my next!