a midsummer night's dream inspired garden wedding

Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing a styled bridal shoot with a team of amazing women, shot in my own garden. Sarah Worden (of Sarah Worden Natural Design) and I conceived of the idea of an ethereal garden wedding, with the bridesmaids dressed in white. We loved Pipa Middleton's epic white dress at the royal wedding and thought how beautiful it would be to have the "maids" all dressed in white. Cool fact: In Britain, it is traditional for the bridesmaids to don white dresses to match the bride (the superstition dates way back to Queen Victoria). They believe that if the maids dress like the bride it will ward off evil spirits! We knew the garden setting was the perfect backdrop for the fairytale aesthetic we were after.

A little about the details:

Most of the florals were locally sourced (some plucked right out of my garden). The cake was made by me (first try). I love the "naked" wedding cakes I have been seeing on Pinterest lately, and thought it went perfectly with the rustic/chic look we were after.  My dog, Bode, was such a ham, and kept jumping in the shots, so we decided, "why not"? He was having so much fun, and matched the ladies all in white! I am absolutely swooning over the bridesmaid's hair. Isabella Vazquez did a fantastic job of getting the look we were after with just a few key words. It has that 70's boho vibe, but with an updated and fresh look. And what about those floral crowns Sarah Worden made? The girls were all barefoot and painted their toes a light blue (even our little flower girl wanted in).

We had so much fun doing this. We hope it inspires you! See below for the full vendor list. Or click on link if you are interested in booking any of these other vendors for your own wedding or party.

Floral & table styling: Sarah Worden Natural Design //Hair: Isabella Vazquez (you can find her at Joes Hair Salon ) and follow her on twitter. // Make Up: Ashley Cruz. // Jewelry: Steinen. // Invitations: Minted // Brides dress: Sans Souci // Bridesmaid Dress's: BCBG

*A huge thank you  to the beautiful models who we couldn't have done this without, Lindsey, Ava, Phoebe, Eliza, and Madelyn (and our groom, Ray).

greenhouse florals

Let's backtrack just a bit. I wanted to post these gorgeous spring flowers before I forget. I took a quick trip to The Gardens in Woodbury, CT. As temperatures soared into the high 70's last week, I wanted to stop into my favorite garden shop to peak into the greenhouse. It was busting with spring flowers, both annuals and perennials. Consider visiting a local greenhouse for your wedding decor. All of these flowers make for fantastic wedding flowers; bouquets, table centerpieces , and event decor. Here is a great DIY tip, that really pays off in strides: pot flowering plants yourself for centerpieces in pretty containers and cover with moss. They make for great take-away table decor, and can be given to close friends and family as a thank you after the wedding. As opposed to cut flowers which wilt with-in a day or two, these are keepers! Many will bloom again and again each year.

I didn't leave empty handed, I got some of these pansies and viola for the two planters by my terrace door, because I knew temps would dip back down to the 30's and pansies are really hardy in early spring.  

up close

It seems many of the most tell-tale images for me are the ones that hint at intimacy.  It's all in the details.