OK, so many of you know that I am not a fan of SMP. I mean, I am, but I’m totally not.
Here’s the thing. Back when I was doing my own wedding planning, I was a fucking mess. I mean, I really was. I thought a fantastic photographer would cost us about $1000. I did too think that! See how ignorant I was? I thought a $25K wedding would be Over. The. Top. Oh, how painfully wrong I was! Happily, this thirty-something bride learned quickly, read blogs, started writing a blog and I worked my budget to an inch of it’s meager life. Our original headspace was around $16K. I knew I didn’t want to spend more than $20K and we came in at $18,229.42. Booya. Anyway, when I discovered wedding blogs (thanks a lot, Beth), SMP was a go-to for a looooong time, but it drove me freakin’ CRAZY! I could NOT look away. I would think to myself, “How much would it really cost me to buy 77 antique keys to attach as cute little nothings to our favors?” or “*GASP!* I. MUST. HAVE. THAT. RANNUCULUS-FILLED. ARCH. MUST!” or even, “I can totally justify those Stuart Weitzman's.” And at the time, either I wasn’t noticing or they weren’t calling out the fact that some of the weddings were actually styled weddings. Meaning, not real. Does anyone know for sure when they changed that? All I know is that I hated them. Still kind of do. But I still cannot look away. Cannot.
So this brings me to my very first FAKE Wedding! WOOOOOT! Just so all y’all are clear. This wedding is NOT real. It’s fake (so do you get the whole “Unfake Wedding” thing now?). That’s not a real bride. There are no guests. However, the work that has gone into this shoot is the quality and the style that you can expect from these vendors. That’s what a styled shoot is for. Did you know that? It’s to showcase the event planner and the florist and the photographer and the cake designer and…..you get my drift. Could you actually have this wedding featured here today? Yes, you could. Who knows how much it would cost? I certainly don’t and of course, it all depends on head count, baby.
So please, check out the very first Fake Wedding here at The Thirty-Something Bride and get inspired. That’s what these shoots are meant to do, to inspire you and to show you the best of what these vendors can do. Make sure you show them some link love. These shoots are a total pain in the ass. I’ve done a few now for Trulu Couture and they take all day – and then some. The prep work is astounding, just as much as if it was a real wedding. A lot of folks work for free to make this sort of stuff happen, to get their name out there. As proactive brides and cool readers, I’m sure you’ll check them out….right!
So without further adieu, may I present:
Not Your Grandma’s Wedding
A Vintage Shoot
Photographer: Christy Whitehead Photography
Hair Stylist: Kristy Blake, Angel & Mi Salon
Event Planner: Tanya Hendricks, Southern Charm Weddings & Events
Flowers: Rachel Ely, Blossoms & Accents
Reception Venue: The Glen Venue
Dress: Black Tie Formals
Accents + Extras: Lauren Atwaters, Ten23 Designs
Cake Designer: Patricia Millican, Metro Custom Cakes
Make Up: Lindsey Wirht
Tuxedos: David's Tuxedos
A word from the vendors about this shoot:
"This was a stylized shoot that we did at an old sawmill. We had tails for the groom and a lacey dress for the bride. Handmade cameos are featured on the cake. We even had an actual family marriage certificate displayed in a frame on the sign in table. We loved the idea of missmatched place settings and the feel of you pulled this stuff out of your grandmother's trunk. Very much a possible do it yourself project on a budget."
Again, many thanks to all the vendors who made this lovely, inspiration shoot possible. So leave a comment and tell me what you like about this shoot! And don't forget to check out the vendors!