Photoshoot | Wanderer | Behind the Scenes.
I love working with brides to create a bespoke bridal design for them, something entirely unique that fits their personality and wedding day perfectly, but I understand sometimes you need a starting point, something that you know you love but maybe you would prefer a different fabric or to add sleeves or change the silhouette. So for this reason I continue to design pieces to keep my collection up to date and to act as a spring board for ideas when brides come to visit me, I will always have a selection of fabrics we can work with to help your dream wedding dress come to life and be perfectly fitting for you. With a new collection underway I’ve been thinking about the next photoshoot I’ll be planning, so I wanted to do a recap of our shoot for the first collection, which took place back in November 2021.
I met my friend Kathryn, (Kathryn Anne Photography) at a baby group back in the summer where we bonded over the chaos of young babies. Kathryn was so supportive and interested in my budding business, her sunny disposition was refreshing and infectious, as was her endlessly cool Canadian accent. She was the perfect choice of creative partner for me to work with once I was ready to shoot and her enthusiasm for the project only helped to propel my determination to bite the bullet and organise the day. Which meant I really had to get a wriggle on, and complete the dresses I’d been sketching and re-sketching, and overthinking for a long while leading up to that point.
I had visited Braziers in Wellington a handful of times, at the recommendation of friends. Based in an old textile mill. I absolutely loved the character and the history of the building, filled with bare brick walls, wooden floors and industrial features. Rich green plants are nestled in every corner of the café, and everything is infused with the scent of coffee which is freshly roasted next door.
When Kathryn showed me some photos of Isobella, a model she had worked with previously on a shoot, I immediately knew she was the girl who needed to be wearing Solunah. Her incredible curls, equally wild as they are romantic just had me at hello. And what a sweetheart she was to work with, positively angelic and with all the elegance of the training dancer she was.
I had the absolute pleasure of having my makeup done by the incredible Amy Elizabeth Makeup at my best friends wedding last year, so she was my first call when it came to finding someone to do the makeup for our shoot. To say that woman is a wizard would be an understatement. Amy has such a talent and creates the most stunning glowy but natural makeup, focused on dewy skin and warm golden tones, definitely look her up if you’re a bride to be. Amy then recommended Hannah (Hair By Hannah) to me to create the hair looks for the shoot. She was a delight to work with, the most warm and lovely lady who really knows her stuff, I can imagine she is such a calm and kind influence to have around on your wedding morning. Hannah was as obsessed with Isobella’s curls as I was! We had some beautiful accessories to use in the hair from Eden B studio who i’ve admired since the days I was planning my own wedding, and also some stunning pieces from The Bobby Pin. We had a beautiful dried bouquet created by the very clever Sharon (Interiors and Flowers) who has a lovely shop in Wellington.
I got in touch with Tara of Tara Osborne jewellery (who is the most lovely lady) to see if we could borrow some jewellery for the shoot. Tara designed my bespoke wedding earrings when I was a bride and was such a pleasure to work with, she puts so much effort and love into each of her pieces and it shows. Each design is beautiful, sentimental and customisable which makes them even more special as gifts for loved ones.
So with a pretty awesome tribe of women around me we had the most lovely time, with coffee on tap, music playing and creativity flowing, we got some photos I am so proud of. The girls completely understood what I had in mind for the vibe of the shoot and I can’t thank them enough for helping those images come to life.
I feel so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with these talented ladies and to now call them friends who I hope to work with many more times in the future, Links to their Instagram accounts below
And here are some of my favourite final shots from the shoot…
