{ 1940′s Glam meets Taxidermy? : featured on Grey Likes Weddings }

I am so excited to have my work featured on one of my favorite wedding blogs today – Grey Likes Weddings!!! This is one of the most unique shoots I’ve been a part of and I’m thrilled to get to share it with you. Let me tell you a bit more about it.

When Christina Richardson of SCV Makeup artist first contacted me about her 1940′s glam shoot, I was definitely intrigued. Who doesn’t love a little 40′s glam? I immediately saw visions of lace, RED red lips, great hats, drama, curls, and maybe a vision or two of Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale from Pearl Harbor….. sorry, got distracted there for a minute. But I mean, c’mon. That was a good looking time and the fashion was exquisite (especially for us curvy girls). But Christina through me for a loop. As she told me more about the shoot and her partner in styling/concept crime (Samantha Santana of Primary Petals), one word got a little stuck in my throat.

Taxidermy.

Did you just hold your breath a little bit too? Yeah, I know. I did too. I think there was a beat of silence for a minute and then a cautious “Umm…. okay…. yeah…. okay… taxidermy….right…”. I was scared to death. Not gonna lie. I don’t exactly come from a home where there were heads mounted to walls. The only dead animals at our home growing up were what the cats killed (and one time the dog) and the only fir was the clumps the pets shed and had to be vacuumed up. And the whole truth? The only thing that comes to mind for me when I hear the word “taxidermy” is the book “Catcher in the Rye” and 10th grade honors English with Mrs. Warshaw. *shiver*

But I’ve learned something since I took up residence full time in a creative field: TRUST your fellow creatives. And I did. After an audible *gulp* I just jumped in. And I am SOOO glad I did. There are so many things I love about this shoot – for one, even though “vintage” isn’t really my main style, it was a lot of fun to play with it. Especially since the “vintage” we went for was unexpected and not the typical approach. No old suitcases and film cameras here! I also love that the location ended up being my parents’ home!! How funny is that? A HUGE thank you goes out to them for letting us use their dining room, library and the back garden. Definitely couldn’t have done it without them. I really am thrilled with how this entire shoot turned out.

The photos below represent the amazing creativity of Christina and Samantha. Their vision came to life thanks to the hard work of the following women:

Styling: Emilee Sutherland (www.tastefultatters.com), Kathy LeBackes (www.thevintagetableco.com), Samantha Santana (www.primarypetals.com)
Makeup: Christina Richardson (www.scvmakeupartist.com)
Photography: Brienne Michelle Photography (www.briennemichelle.com)
Flowers, Vintage vases, Custom Linens: Primary Petals (www.primarypetals.com)
Hair: Anna Quinn (www.annaquinndesign.com)
Furniture Rentals, Veil: Tasteful Tatters (www.tastefultatters.com)
Dinnerware: The Vintage Table Co. (www.thevintagetableco.com)
Paper goods: The Pomegranate Basket (www.thepombasket.com)
Cupcakes: Kaitlyn’s Kupcakes (www.kaitlynskupcakes.blogspot.com)
Taxidermy: Allis of Prey Taxidermy