Here are a few of the amazing shots and details that didn’t make it onto the post by Classic Bride.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this shoot the success that it was! You are all appreciated so much!
and
Fifi Froelich- the wonderful owner of this home and an amazing woman indeed.
Enjoy!
We are so honored to be featured on Classic Bride for our Marie Antoinette inspired shoot. Please enjoy the post here.
I was particularly thrilled to receive this inspiration shoot as a submission for a few reasons ... this gorgeous shoot was actually shot in a small Ohio town right next to the tiny one I spent many years of my young life growing up! I also happen to know one of the interior designers, Jean Winham, who helped stage and design the lovely grounds. Her gorgeous shop is always brimming with divine finds so I was obviously super excited to see what she, her fellow shop owners/designers and several other talented designers and wedding vendors from the area came up with ... and ... wow! I still feel like I could be looking at a magazine spread that was shot in the French countryside ... Let's have a look and make sure to scroll down to hear from the talented team about the entire shoot process!
And I love this cute behind-the-scenes photo:
Wow, right??!? I think one of my favorite details is the jazzed-up deer head ... isn't that a great touch? Okay, and maybe the Louboutins, too! ;o) Seriously, everything is fabulous! I think this is a great example of taking a theme and giving it your own spin with lots of whimsical and modern touches. The Hostess cupcakes work surprisingly well amidst all the finery, don't they?
From the talented team who worked on the shoot:
Channeling Marie Antoinette and her regal beauty and the high elegance of French royalty, a collaborative effort was made to design an inspiration-to-reality shoot that would be fascinatingly gorgeous and filled with ideas appropriate for the modern bride.
The team included a wedding planner, a photographer, three interior designers, a makeup artist, a hair stylist and the chic benevolence of a Kettering, Ohio, homeowner, Deborah “Fifi” Froelich, who opened the doors to her Tudor-style home for the early fall shoot.Since Marie Antoinette was an avid equestrian and her mother adored the painting of her in her riding uniform, we were inspired to choose décor straight from the outdoors. Interior designers Debbie Basnett, Dana Hookassian and Jean Winham of Vintage Scout Interiors staged the expansive grounds, keeping scale and proportion in mind to make each scene visually pleasing and electrifying.
Our lovely bride and groom, Ashley and John Lavin, who were recently married, became the stars of the day. Alan Leonard of Square One Hair Salon & Day Spa piled the bride’s brunette lush locks in an intricate up-do, a la Marie Antoinette, that was dramatic, but ultimately flattering for her fine features. “In the up-do, I used different shades of hair extensions and a foam ball wrapped with hair, positioned it and started pinning it together,” he says. “It’s a style that can be re-created to fit anyone.” Pin Me Up Couture provided the beautiful hand beaded hair fascinators and the vintage inspired garter.
Michelle Drake Richardson, A Vogue Idea, styled the makeup to evoke feminine allure by accenting Ashley’s lips and eyes. The effect was stunning, as Michelle created custom blends of different colors, including peaches, pinks and reds.
The veritable feast set on a 24-foot rustic table included French cheeses, artisan breads, fruits, vegetables and delectable sweets. For a tongue-in-cheek nod to the famous quote often attributed to Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake,” we included Hostess cupcakes. The gorgeous springerle cookies were hand pressed and provided by Queen City Cookies.
Photographer Tracy Abston, Pictures by Tracy, used natural lighting. The late afternoon sun was magnificent. “I shoot with the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR Digital Camera. ... The key ingredients for this shoot: a gorgeous model who has worked with me before, hair and makeup, and all the beautiful styling.”
The designers pulled out some interior accents to enhance the natural setting. Fifi brought out her formidable collection of transferware and silver for the table settings. Vintage jewels provided by Vintage Scout were used to adorn parts of the table and Perez, the famous white peacock. The centerpiece was created using an old log, succulents, heads of ornamental cabbage and kale, mushrooms and moss. Vintage pewter goblets paired with thin crystal glasses adorned the place settings. The napkins were repurposed from vintage lace curtains. The effect? Rustic, handmade and decadent.
The bride’s own strapless Pronovias gown and her Christian Louboutin shoes were the perfect wardrobe for our rustic-gone-glam look. The extended A-Line gown with a sweetheart neckline, pearl-and-crystal-encrusted bodice, and a ruffled skirt instantly brought modern elegance. The bouquet was made using hypercium berries, white alstromeria and baby’s breath, with a common weed as an unexpected accent.
The invitations were designed by Kellie Daab of Hand & Hand Bridal with a nod to the outdoors by using elements of wood. The design was completely hand-cut and affixed to the wood before printing. All of the pieces rest in the gorgeous coordinating box. The beautiful flowers and logs you see affixed to the invitation were hand cut using a precision tool and lots of time and concentration. The cheese tags, too, were created using the same wood paper and were backed with the coordinating paper and antiqued.
Overall, this shoot was a huge success and so perfectly vogue. We encourage brides to constantly use images as inspiration to create something totally their own. Here we have taken something so classic and have given it a whole new unexpected twist.
Credits:
Photography: Pictures by Tracy
Models: Ashley and John Lavinhttp://www.picturesbytracy.com/
Cinematography: Impact Video Productions http://www.impactvideoproductions.org/
Flowers: Hand in Hand Bridal http://www.handinhandbridal.com/
Event Design: Vintage Scout Interiors http://www.vintagescout.com/ Hand in Hand Bridal http://www.handinhandbridal.com/
Event Planning: Hand in Hand Bridal http://www.handinhandbridal.com/
Mis en Scene: Fifi Froelich
Reception Location: Camp Ridgeway, a Private Residence in Kettering, OH
Invitations: Hand in Hand Bridal http://www.handinhandbridal.com/
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Dress: Pronovias
Sweets: Queen City Cookies https://www.queencitycookies.com/index.html
Hair Style: Alan Leonard, Square One Salon http://www.squareonesalon.com/
Makeup: Michelle Richardson, A Vogue Idea http://www.avogueidea.com/
Hair Fascinators: Pin Me Up Couture http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinmeupcouture
Who: Kellie Daab
Where: Her House in Springsboro, Ohio
How many guests: 12 (set for 22)
What time of year: Thanksgiving 2009
Reason: Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. In addition to stuffing myself with a lot of my favorite food (hello mashed potatoes!), I really enjoy getting to spend time with my family.
Of course, sitting at a beautifully festive table is pretty fabulous too. When Kellie Daab sent us pictures of her Thanksgiving, we knew we wanted to share it with all of you. Check out her festive table setting…
Kellie says:
It was my first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my new house so I wanted it to be special. The first dilemma was finding enough place settings for everyone. I actually found a great deal at the grocery store on interchangeable plates for 25 cents each and worked from there.
I found a table cover that worked perfectly and I created the centerpieces and other little details myself. I used pumpkins, leaves, and seed pods to incorporate the natural elements of the season on to my table.
It is a wonder what the simplest of things can add to your table!
The meal was a traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey and mashed potatoes.
Each member of my family always comes to bring their favorite dish and if there are new guests I try to make sure to include their favorites as well.
Before dinner we all gather around the table and share something we are thankful for and afterwards we feast.
After all the plates are wiped clean, the women search through the Black Friday ads and prepare for the next day of extreme shopping.
Typically, we exchange Black Friday gifts as well.
For example, one year I did survival kits for getting through the next day’s crowded malls.
It may sound cheesy but it’s fun and we get really into it.
For those throwing their first Thanksgiving dinners, I would advise that:
Remember, don’t try to do it all. Ask for others to bring dishes or decorative pieces. It’s a day to be thankful, not to be stressed so just enjoy!
THANK YOU THANK YOU all of you at Preston Bailey! We are so blessed and thankful!
I wanted to take an opportunity today to verbalize just some of the things Hand in Hand Bridal has to be thankful for this year.
I have been so blessed over the years to have the most wonderful clients. Many of whom I now call friend. It’s always wonderful getting to know them, learn their likes and their visions. I am so thankful for loving couples who are excited about their long futures together. I am thankful for all of you!
I have been so blessed to encounter wonderful fellow vendors who have a passion and love for the wedding industry much like myself. They work hard to provide the best service they possibly can to the brides and grooms of Southwest Ohio. We are so blessed to have many talented artists and wonderful people who do top notch work. I am thankful for all of you!
I am incredibly blessed to have family and friends who are so supportive and active in Hand in Hand Bridal. They constantly encourage me to push harder and do things I would not have imagined. It’s because of all of them that the business is where it is today. I am thankful for all of you!
What are you thankful for? Make sure you take the time to tell someone you’re thankful for them. Stop and think of all the ways you have been blessed and be thankful for those things today!
Since we’ve been on the topic of paper I just had to share this idea that’s been bopping around in my head for years. This design will make a huge bang for a smaller buck.
These are called Moravian Stars. They are typically hung and lit from above. They cast a beautiful glow over the room and would be lovely hanging from a ceiling throughout the reception area.
If you love this idea as much as I think of other ways you can incorporate this into the décor of your day. Here’s a few ideas.
So you can see there’s lots of wonderful ways to take this beautiful and affordable design element and tie it into the rest of your wedding day.
Did you know Moravian Stars are DIY able? Here’s a great site that shows how.
