I am so thrilled today to let you all know that we’ve been featured on 100 Layer Cake! The fabulous ladies over there put the sweetest piece together for my team and I and, I know I am speaking on behalf of everyone else when I say how honoured we all are. You can check it out over here but of course I had to share all of the yummy eye candy over here too. The primary inspiration for this shoot was based off a board created by the fabulous Kathryn over at Snippet and Ink. I loved the neutral colour palette and juxtaposition between rustic and elegant, and wanted to create a shoot that would be easy for brides to duplicate on a larger scale. It was also important that I created something simple, natural and organic with a touch of softness and femininity.

Naturally, picking Crooked Creek Ranch was the best decision I could have made for this to happen. This Wine Country Wedding’s venue is beyond beautiful and absolutely perfect for couples looking to treat their guests to a unique wedding reception that really showcases the beauty of Northern Michigan. Even better, the staff like Michele, the venue coordinator at CCR, are extremely accommodating, welcoming and in tune to making each and every event special and unique.

For the cake structure I combined an aesthetically beautiful and feminine cake with a masculine rugged structure created solely out of vintage crates and boxes. The idea was to give the structure different dimensions, heights and textures. Kelly, went above and beyond with the cake design combining delicate ruffles and a large sugar peony with intricate gray embroidery designs.

The guest book was a life size version of a traditional wish tree. I strung pieces of fabric, lace and ribbon from a tree on the ranch and then using a vintage vanity from the venue, set up a simple guest book station. There was a sign letting ‘guests’ know to adorn shipping tags with well wishes to the newlyweds before clipping them to the fabric and lace.

Liz from The Parsonage really outdid herself with the incredibly gorgeous floral design. I gave her a colour palette and then requested “full, fluffy, textured florals and any quirky blooms and greenery you can think of.” And she did just that exactly and more. The garden, spray rose, and peony centerpieces gave the tablescape substance and warmth. Against the red barn, the little springs of astilbe and ranunculus loosely tied into the arrangements also allowed the shoot to feel more organic and less structured. The bride’s bouquet was totally fabulous too; two peonies slightly out of out place in the hand tied bouquet allowed for a whimsical look that complimented our model perfectly.

Michelle from Papertalk, as usual, did an amazing job with the paper products. Kraft envelopes and signs complimented the rustic vision, while elegant flourishes and fonts allowed the menus, thank you tags, signage, and invitations to feel more formal. The muted blush colour included through the stationary added that hint of femininity. And the menus, which doubled as each guest’s table number card were completely brilliant.

The favors were handmade salted caramels from Nicole over at The Caramel Jar, which I wrapped in kraft paper bags, and adorned with tags made by Michelle. If there’s a caramel heaven I know now it exists that’s how delicious these treats were. I hands down will refer every one of my clients to Nicole for unique and tasty favor ideas. Lydia was on hand to do our models hair and make up and I’m always impressed with her ability to transform a person’s look. And the sweet Maggie from Renee Austin Weddings in Grand Rapids lent us the most perfect gown for the shoot which as you can tell, it absolutely to die for.

Lastly I cannot say enough great things about the three that captured the day so wonderfully. Tonya (who flew in all the way from New Mexico!) allowed the pretty Northern Michigan light to bring the images to life and really captured the softness I was going for. She was an absolute pleasure to work with. And well the video? It speaks for itself. Let’s just say I love Paul and Vanessa from Future Focus Media, so much that I’ve booked them for my own anniversary shoot this fall. They are one talented duo.

Oh and our models; are newlyweds, Jen and Nick. Who I’ve come to learn never got their own wedding photos or video. I am so thrilled they now have wedding-esque photos and a video to showcase their, undeniable love for one another!

Oh and check this out. I am obsessed with this :)

Hey Gorgeous | Style Shoot from Paul Filan on Vimeo.

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Photography: Tonya Peterson Photography / Styling and Design: Rhiannon Nicole, Hey Gorgeous Events / Venue: Crooked Creek Ranch / Florals: Liz Andre-Stotz, The Parsonage Events / Cake: Kelly Kobus, A Piece o’ Cake / Paper Products: Michelle Ellen Lee, Papertalk Press / Favors: Nicole Ebbitt,The Caramel Jar / Dress: Maggie Torongo, Renee Austin Weddings / Hair and Make Up: Lydia Terpstra / Wood links: West Elm / Videography: Paul and Vanessa Filan, Future Focus Media / Models: Real life married couple, Nick and Jen Doornbos