“I am a portrait photographer who wanted to create more opportunity, so I jumped into the world of styled shoots this year. This particular shoot sparked in August when the venue host suggested I do something with holiday content in mind. I couldn’t have agreed more. I knew I wanted to include a vintage car and eventually, it moulded into the Retro Holiday Inspired shoot. My goal was for it to feel like we stepped back into a 1950’s “modern” feeling wedding. Complete with a gorgeous couple, a sweetheart table setup, an invitation suite, an arch and a 39′ Chevy, we were able to see this vision come to life.”
“If you have an idea for what you want, start with the biggest piece and go from there. I knew I wanted a green, vintage car. Through the magic of social media, I learned a friend of mine had a green, vintage car that was built in 1939. After she graciously agreed to let me use it for the shoot, I started to research the vibe of the 40’s/50’s. I also checked out sites like pintrest, and googled “vintage weddings”. I also looked at “Holiday themed” florals and weddings during the holiday season. The internet is SO helpful for ideas. In addition, I hit my local antique shops for props and little items for details that would have been used from that time in history.”
“This particular shoot was done in a beautiful studio. I loved the openness of the space and the ability to translate it to whatever feeling you want it to be. The beauty of a studio is that it’s a blank canvas! This particular venue hosts small weddings as well as creative shoots for photographers and individuals (who are not just in the wedding industry).”
“The Gown was provided by Mia Riley Designs who has partnered with studio to showcase their gowns and giving those who host styled shoots the opportunity to use any of her designs on the model. The suit was provided by Friar Tux, a local Tuxedo and suit company to the Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. I wanted something with a bit of a sleeve for that classic look and for the male, I was thrilled when I was offered the velvet green suit jacket-as it fit perfectly with the color scheme.”
Photographer Emily Van Gorder-Pantig says; “My style is bold, editorial and always with a lot of colour. I lean towards more moody and dramatic side of an aesthetic, so I thought it was a great match to this already deep green and rich red styled look. Our female model was channelling some major Elizabeth Taylor vibes with her blue eyes, black hair and that red lip. My male model had a modern, handsome look and together, they absolutely killed the whole shoot. The car was my absolute favourite feature to shoot with the two of them because It elevated the vignettes that I had imagined in my head to a whole new level. When looking at my photos, I wanted the viewer to feel like we hopped back to a vintage era and caught some timeless moments.”
MUA Jessie Gaston says; “When I heard the words ‘retro glam’ my mind immediately went to red lipstick. That was my foundation for creating the bridal look for this retro holiday shoot. I chose a bright red lip stain to make sure it popped out in photos and to be the focal point. When researching 50’s glam, besides the red lips, it was very basic for eyeshadow and blush. I decided to do a simpler eye since the red lipstick was the main focus but did not go as simple as they would have in the 50s. I used shimmery eye shadows in the gold and copper colour families that was reminiscent of sparkly gold and bronze ornaments and Christmas colours. Add on that classic cat eye and rosy holiday cheeks and you have you retro yet modern day bridal look!”
Hair Stylist Ruby Whalen; “This shoot felt natural to me, I love classic looks. I hold the vintage / rockabilly community close to my heart. My husband and I met through that community. My personal hairstyles have been inspired from your classic 1940’s-1950’s looks. When I was approached to collaborate and create beautiful classic hair I couldn’t stay away. I feel lucky to have been selected to be part of a team who was able to execute a classic project like this one in every aspect.”
Florist Jordan Miller says; “When I first started thinking about my inspiration for this holiday shoot I wanted to think beyond the traditional poinsettia. The lively red roses first came to my mind surrounded by pine, and holly. The white roses and hydrangea made the arrangements crisp and helped the reds pop. Blue thistles are one of my favourite flowers because it adds incredible textures and colour to your arrangements. These thistles made the arrangement both calming and balanced. Although garland maybe one of the most quintessential Christmas decorations I updated it by adding different types of eucalyptus along with the pine to make it feel softer. For the bouquet I wanted to do a loose styling that was still pulled together that felt like a balance of traditional and the unexpected. The champagne roses surrounded by berries and greens create a truly unique display”
Stationer Stephanie Enojado says; “For this retro Christmas wedding theme, I was inspired by all of the different elements of Christmas, such as the colours and feeling of winter. For the hanging snowflakes, we wanted to make it feel like it was snowing. The paper snowflakes were hung at different lengths to create the snowing effect. Hanging them from the ceiling was a challenge, but well worth it! What I am most proud of are the paper flower decor for the sweetheart table! I wanted to incorporate the dark green, ruby red, and gold tones into the wall decor. What’s a better flower to use than poinsettias for Christmas? I also included holly leaves and snowflakes for an added holiday touch! For the Christmas tree, instead of decorating it with regular round ornaments, I made smaller paper poinsettia flowers and snowflakes to make it unique. I still included the red, white, hunter green, and gold colours into the ornaments.”
“Videography was provided by AnhVuStudios who did a beautiful job exploring the space and showcasing every vendor who was able to come set up for the date as well as the attending photographers who came to the shoot. Calligraphy featured on ornaments as well as the invitation suite was beautifully crafted by Isabel at Chalk_N_Ink but was unable to attend due the arrival of her 2nd baby boy! We were so happy to have her creations there, regardless. We had a retro sweetheart table and metal chairs that were provided by Jennifer at Rustic Urban Events. The table ware that decorated the top was provided by Signature Party Rentals and pieces were chosen by me. I could not have been more pleased with the turn out of this additional vignette. The best part of the whole shoot was “The Green Car”-a 39′ Forest Green Chevrolet that has been cared for with the highest amount of love and attention a vintage car could receive (provided by an old friend of mine and her husband as an “I owe you one” :).”
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