Pampas Grass , Peacock Chair and Pink Pumpkins ...oh my!
LIGHTBULB MOMENT: When April Ross, owner of Hera Bridal Boutique, Carmel California, had the light-bulb moment of a collaborative photo shoot in a rambling, fairly secret, wooded forest trail in the magical town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and asked me to bring some backdrop props it was a: “how fast can I say YES!” moment for sure!
Mission Trail Park, nestled in a ravine, offers gorgeous coastal oaks, fragrant pines and dappled light. Perfect.
THE CURATING PROCESS: As in any event, you want to work with the setting ~ so a natural train of thought was to go woodland and embrace the warm colors of the fall
AND bring 3 on-trend elements to set the stage for this amazing Bridal photo shoot collaboration.
SO it became a casting call here at Kiss Me in Carmel Vintage Rentals: of the hundreds of antiques we have available to choose from, who gets to come to the party? (And I have to confess for a very brief moment I was like a girl in front of a closet with nothing to wear- but thanks to local bff, Robin Fradin, who dropped everything and came over to propel the process! lol!)
The Peacock Chair, with its showy back fan is the bohemian equivalent of the throne. Our Freda Peacock chair is a showstopper with it’s unusual rattan, extra large fan back - and came from a historic seafood restaurant once on the local Monterey wharf!
Pampas Grass: the current darling of the floral world and weddings. It’s subtle hues, fluffy, flirty fronds and statuesque habit is just d r e a m y ! Tracking this down wasn’t easy. Local nurseries don’t carry it (it ‘s highly invasive as a garden plant) but luckily local Fleursdusoleil Monterey had it in stock! ( And true confessions- got a little carried away buying other amazing florals there!) #whattowatch #weddingtrends2020
Blush Coral Pink in a sumptuous, fluffy throw & pillow (Nordstrom Home) and this massive blush pumpkin to match. ( From nearby Earthbound Farm Stand ) #pantonecoloroftheyear
Rounding out the vignettes we brought in metal elements to balance the earth tones and bring a soft glow in the form of: friendly mercury glass owls, mottled silver table in a gorg Moroccan trellis pattern, bronze sunburst mirror, stunning vintage silver urn with incredible patina filled with pheasant feathers, black vintage camera to match the black in the pheasant feathers, vintage antlers, birch wood cuts, pinecones, emerald green cuttings, a stunning pure white cathedral geode in glass. A vintage book of famous love letters, bronze glittered feathers and petite succulent wreath. We further curated the collection with wood bead garland with tassel, white ceramic Moroccan Lantern and a soft pink and gold Persian rug.
COLLABORATIVE CO-CREATION at it’s BEST!
The weather could not be more perfect with the sun glowing and enter our fellow collaborators!
Our gorgeous models Gianna, fashion blogger of LifestylesbyGianna on Instagram and blogger & legacy bridal model: Christine Ueberrhein on Insta are game to model 10 gorgeous gowns from Hera Bridal Collection over the course of our afternoon. Makeup and Hair by M.U.A.H. Bridal makeup/hair team of Monterey. Floral bouquet pictured by Blue Daphne
And four rock star photographers, Kassandra Thomsen Photography, Courtney of SandandStoneMedia, Karyssa Costa Photography and Geneva Rico Photography, stage the shots, capture the moments and are jockeying for their favorite angles. There was magic in the air and I gotta tell you watching each of these women do their “thang” was mesmerizing. As we all worked to create and capture the essence of these dazzling gowns against the contrast of the forest and the sun bathed trails. I truly think I was holding my breath at several points.
It was just THAT BEAUTIFUL!
And just as beautiful was the esprit de corps of this group -
Special Thanks
To April Ross of Hera Bridal for creating this magical collab style shoot!
it was cooperation over competition- every one of us lifting each other up to shine in the light, bringing our “A game!” #bossbabes.
As the afternoon light fades
We work quickly to get a few more gowns in and get some of the best shots of the day as creative juices flow…
One of my personal favorite photos of the day…
ALL Photos by Kassandra Thomsen Photography -all rights reserved
I am still glowing after this magical day!
(And it’s not from schlepping the 11 loads up the hill back to the car!)
I cannot wait to help you style your event and create a magical, memorable setting!
Amy Bendigkeit, Founder
Kiss Me In Carmel Vintage Rentals