From Here to Eternity | Sneak Peek
Today’s post is a bit of a collaboration. I had the absolute pleasure of working with some amazing wedding vendors to create a beautiful styled shoot a couple of months ago, and we’re excited to share it here. Read on for part one of a three part series co-hosted by my fellow collaborators.
Where do you start on planning a wedding? That was one of the first questions we asked ourselves for our inspiration photo shoot. We, meaning our merry band of photographer (Anna, Anna Wu Photography), event planner (Vera, Va de Vie Events) and floral designer (Ellen, Gingerleaf Floral).
We wanted to inspire couples with a visual story, and we created the theme From Here to Eternity to show how one particular wedding look could come together. While a theme isn’t always necessary for a wedding, it can really help you focus on what elements to incorporate, and more importantly, what not to include. Our “love is eternal” theme naturally lent itself to time-related props– think clocks, pocket watches, sandglasses, metronomes…you get the idea!
The photo shoot took place in March at the Hamilton Ballroom in San Francisco, a beautiful Art Deco venue recalling the roaring 1920’s and glamorous 1930’s. The historic venue allowed us to incorporate a romantic and retro vibe while still evoking a modern feel.
We also wanted to provide a behind-the-scenes profile at what’s involved in pulling the look together. Each wedding vendor is working hard to create an amazing experience for your wedding day! Knowing what’s involved on their end can help you make better decisions about planning your own wedding.
This is the first in a series of blog posts about this project from start to finish. Part Two will be Inspiration to Creation, where you’ll get the perspective from each of us on how we went from design concept to the final look.
Part Three will be How to Get this Look on 2 Different Budgets. We’ll show you 2 different setups using moderate and luxury budgets, with budget breakdowns on how each look was achieved. We’ll also have do-it-yourself options, and tips on how you can personalize your own wedding.
In the meantime, enjoy the first look at From Here to Eternity!
Cheers,
Anna, Vera, and Ellen
Michelle rocked her role as our bride for the shoot. She was just recently a real bride last year.
All of the floral design was done by Ellen of Gingerleaf Floral, with much creative design input from Vera of Va de Vie Events.
A major part of our shoot was to create tables on two different budgets. Below is a sneak peek at two of the more modest tables that utilize a bright pop of coral-red in the tablecloth.
One more frame of Michelle shot (in film) on the Hamilton Ballroom‘s gorgeous roof deck.
Also, take a look behind the scenes with this beautiful highlight film created by Seaglass Cinema!
Styled Shoot Highlights | 03.13.11 from Seaglass Cinema on Vimeo.
Anna Wu, Anna Wu Photography
Vera Devera, Va de Vie Events
Ellen Kim, Gingerleaf Floral
Big thanks go to:
Michelle Biba Hall for playing our beautiful bride
Penny Do for an amazing job on Michelle’s hair and make-up
Kevin Yau of Seaglass Cinema for capturing video and bringing the shoot to life
Hamilton Ballroom for graciously opening up their Art Deco digs
Urban Indigo for lending their fantastic timepieces, sandglasses and coral
Stay tuned for more to come!