The shoot I’m showing you today was actually photographed in January for Hearten Magazine, produced by the Independent Wedding Association.  Now that the magazine is out (and you should really go read through the whole thing, it is AMAZING!) I can share the shoot as well, and I’m so proud of how it turned out!

It all started with me having a dream about an image.  I wanted it to look like Vanity Fair and be a modern winter wedding with medieval elements and the groom was wearing a wolf head.  Yep, these are the dreams I have.  It just so happened, that as I started to flesh this shoot out on paper, I attended an IWA meeting where they wanted to photograph elements of Scandinavia for inspiration…including one based on Norse mythology.  So it was all meant to be!

As with all the shoots I do, I try to think like a current bride.  What elements would be in the wedding?  What would be practical vs just looking pretty?  Rather than having a themed wedding, what would a bride that likes these design elements do to keep her wedding contemporary?  And my secret weapon…I started asking some incredibly talented vendors in the area to be a part of the shoot so we could all organically design the concept.

We broke Norse Mythology down to the basics.  Moss, ferns, candles, wood, metal, strong, substantial, natural.  To modernize it, we decided to keep the color palette clean, especially since we were shooting in winter.  White and gray with touches of black and neutral browns became the color scheme.  Whenever you choose a fairly monochromatic color palette, texture comes heavily into play for visual interest, so all of the vendors focused on that.  From the subtle textures of the hand made paper and tablecloth, the natural textures of the cake and flower varieties, to the crimped texture of the model’s hair and ribbon of her bouquet, most elements had thought put into how it would fit as a whole in the design concept.

The Tree of Life is a huge part of Nordic mythology as is intricate knot work.  Loving history as I do, it was fun to go back before the Vikings left their shores, to explore the people that had these myths of Fenrir, Odin and Thor.

<Geek Moment> My intense love of Lord of the Rings, especially the people of Rohan had a lot of influence in this shoot as well.  Tolkien took the history of the ancient Norse as inspiration for the Silmarillion and it was easy for me to picture the visual elements I wanted to use because they were perfectly executed in the books and movies.  Ahem, I digress.

The Outing Lodge in Stillwater was a natural choice for the shoot.  With the dark wood interior and stone fireplace, it is one of the only venues in the Twin Cities with medieval and rustic charm.  The Outing Lodge’s chef created a perfect dish to compliment the shoot, a roasted chicken with root vegetables and a rosemary garnish.  Set on a metal plate with pewter silverware and a linen napkin with a bird’s nest ring, the dish was fit for a king.

A Day in Provence used grays and whites throughout her floral designs.  Her winter bouquet was given a very homespun feel…cotton, spanish moss and dusty miller with snowy white nerine and soft gray hues of brunia berries and kochia.  This beautiful combination of natural floral elements compliments the season.  The table was accented with rustic gray barn wood boxes adorned with black velvet ribbon.   Soft textural elements along with unexpected pops of fresh cotton and bold anemones made the designs complete.

Medieval Nordic design evokes an image of handmade beauty that isn’t fussy or overdone and shows function and structure.  Jessica’s Cakes took that aesthetic and went one step further with a completely unadorned cake.  It provided gorgeous visual texture and the warm brown color made it stand out perfectly against the white filling.  Fall and winter weddings are ideal for deeper flavors, denser textures, and richer colors. Cardamom is a spice that is found in Scandinavian baking and a favorite of Jessica’s in general.  Applesauce and sourcream add the necessary moisture retainers to the batter and the cake formula was dense enough to be stable even stacked 4 tiers high, 4 layers per tier.  And oh my goodness did it taste good!

The invitations and other paper elements were created by Red Letter Design Studio, who also did the hand calligraphy.  Red Letter teamed up with Nomadic Press to come up with the idea for the favors, which were bottles of whiskey and spices in a custom wood box.   Using an ink pen, the calligraphy on textured hand made paper with torn edges added to the medieval element.  The wax seal was another literal element of the time referenced and gave us some versatility to use in a couple different applications.  Place cards hanging from a chord of cut wood in front of a roaring fire adds to the overall aesthetic and ambiance of the Outing Lodge and invites you in for hearty comfort foods and winter cheer.

Our models are an actual husband and wife pair (and yes, their children are just as gorgeous as they are!) who happened to be celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year, it was fun to have them be a part of this shoot and get dressed to the nines.  Danielle wore one of my favorite Ian Stuart gowns from Posh that was the perfect shade of gray, that showed the structure we were looking for while still being very current.  Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios took great care crimping Dani’s long hair and styling it after the ancient goddesses.  Even the simple flower crown had a medieval feel.  Paul wore a well cut monochromatic suit from Hammer-Made, who gave him two looks for the day, one more traditional and one a bit more edgy with a gray and white striped shirt.

Want to embrace Norse Mythology in your wedding without being to literal?  Have runes on your wedding bands or knot work along the side of your wedding invitation.  Or simply choose a location or maybe a style of wedding gown that embraces elements of that time.  By breaking down what you love about a certain time in history the way we did, you can find design ideas and elements to use for your own inspiration.

Sorry for the book, I want these shoots to be educational as well as lovely!  Here are the images, enjoy!!!  When you’re done with this shoot, check out http://www.studiolaguna.com/2012/05/sunset-romance/ for some more romance and prettiness =)  And I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Near the family’s home, there is this fabulous restored farm, so we had great backdrops to work with.  And everyone was having a ton of fun, we even did a cheesy musical picture!  Here are my favorite images, enjoy!

It all started with Mestads allowing me to use a few of their delicious Claire Pettibone gowns for a shoot.  I immediately knew who I wanted to model and as luck would have it, we were able to photograph the couple right before they left for the summer.  Looking at the mix of textures and natural elements that the gowns had, and the natural beauty of our couple, it was easy to come up with a theme.  It was a good thing that Sarah from Sassafras Floral had just finished reading Little House on the Prairie because she was so in the mood to create gorgeous prairie style floral for our wedding shoot today!

I am a history lover, so I wanted to use the late 1800′s as inspiration.  Simple, romantic, natural.

I chose a Pillsbury mansion in the rolling hills outside of the subburbs for the location, and love how the granduer contrasts the simplicity.

Sassafras created stunning arrangements of pinks, neutrals and purples, with hints of twine and leather.  Sarah even included some of her home canned items!  I really love how the cotton lace of one of the gowns mimics the small white flowers the bride is holding, and can’t decide if I love the purple scabiosa or the tulips or the green grasses more, it was all so beautiful!

The delicious rhubarb tart, fruit tarts and mini lemon meringe pies were from Cocoa and Fig, and all of these desserts were common back in this time period (yep, even researched the desserts!).  We paid attention to it all, down to my vintage book collection.

I hope that you love these images as much as I do and find some inspiration!  Enjoy!

I was looking forward to seeing the differences between when the men let loose vs the women…it seems like it boils down to only a few things…

1) the women ate their vegetables and used utensils

2) the women got dessert

…otherwise, the rowdiness was still there =)

Here are a few of my favorite images, enjoy!

Since Eleanor’s new favorite thing is to sit on her brother and squish him, we made sure to capture that moment, and I adore the look of triumph on her face!  And you can tell Miles is the son of a videographer…he looked at the back of my camera and said, “that picture is too dark”.  Love it!

Here are my favorite images, enjoy!

We came up with a storyline of a couple going for a drive and picnic before their little one is born.  Jeff owns a ’54 Bel Air and was gracious enough to let us use it in the pictures to really tell the narrative.  I liked using a mid 50′s car, it seemed like something a young couple would realistically own in the early 60′s…and it was gorgeous!  I also decided to do more photoshop than I normally do and applied a vintage look to a few of the images to make them look like faded photographs from another decade.

I love how the images turned out…and love that these two fabulous people are going to bring another fabulous person into the world!   Here are my favorites!

You’ve hired your wedding photographer to capture all the moments of your day.  You’ve checked into a darling hotel to get ready in.  You’ve paid a good amount of money for stellar hair and makeup.  You look fab.

Why not clear the room for a half hour to an hour, sip a mimosa, play romantic music and do a mini boudoir session in your wedding day lingerie?  You already look like a million bucks, why not get some sweet (or sexy) light and bright images?  I’m talking fine art styled images.  Maybe some in the buff, some in your lovely skivvies, and then some as you’re putting on your dress.  It could just be a total of 5-10 poses taken in a relaxed manner and the results would be stunning.  When you’re done, have your wedding party come back in and help you get into your gown for real.

I feel that doing a little something extra like this will make you feel so amazing on your wedding day and will give you such a glow!  And you’ll have gorgeous images showing the anticipation and joy of your day.

Here are my favorite images, get ready for the cuteness!

Chris and Stacy have to be one of the nicest couples we’ve photographed.  They are so sweet together, and always smiling.  During his speech, Chris spoke about how grateful he was to have met Stacy, and you can see it in his eyes…he simply adores her and she absolutely reciprocates.

I loved Stacy’s Maggie Soterro bubble hemmed gown and the ‘maids darling eggplant cocktail dresses from The Wedding Shoppe.  They carried mostly vibrant green blooms, designed by Cole’s Flowers, which popped perfectly against the dresses.  Both colors really stood out in photographs with the soft overcast light.

The couple decided to have their wedding in Stacy’s home town of New Prague, and had quite a fete!  The ceremony took place in the lovely St Wenceslaus right on Main Street, which luckily had some beautiful interiors and a covered front portico that gave us plenty of backdrops even in the rain.  After the ceremony, the rain stopped and the wedding party were troopers and let us march them along train tracks on the hunt for cool places to shoot.   Most of the time, we were rockin away on the party bus, with a very climatic few moments navigating the round-about in town.

At The Park Ballroom, guests enjoyed a candy and snack buffet and the company of about 400 people…that’s how you throw a wedding New Prague style!  As well as the delicious home cookin’ of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fresh from the farm milk.  Patty’s Place created a fun polka dot and striped cake which everyone enjoyed.  After speeches and a slide show, Instant Request got the party started!  The most tender moment was during the anniversary dance, where everyone lined the dance floor to watch three couples that had been married for over 50 years!

Chris and Stacy, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day, it was such a blast =)  Here are our favorite images, enjoy!