Styled wedding shoots turn out to be a day of dreaming, and dreams realized. They are days of pure potential, when a group of wedding and event professionals gather to create an event “that could be,” so that curious brides, grooms, and planners can not just imagine, but see the possibilities.

While there isn’t the scheduled pressure of an actual wedding day, there is the same electricity and a sense of awe through my lens. Each vendor and model who showed up at The Ruth on this day brought so much to it. Find a list of all of these wonderful pros at the end of this blog. I personally love these days.

The Venue

This particular styled wedding shoot took place at fabulous The Ruth - Beau Monde venue, and it is a heavenly spot — modern, with touches of the art deco, an incredible bar area, and indoor spaces with sumptuous decor. The Ruth is a repurposed building, a place reimagined in Wesley Heights, in Charlotte, NC. I took advantage of the natural light, textures of wood and glass and other elements brought to the party by fellow vendors.

The Vision

Our inspiration for the shoot was indoor glam with black accents, and the velvet couch was a fantastic feature for models Chann and Monny. I referenced Ariana Grande’s indoor, at-home wedding in my vision for this shoot. I also absorbed the amber, pale pink, blush and terracotta in the room where we set up a ceremony space.

The Couple

Models Chann and Monny (white and green suits, respectively) were not just models for this shoot, they are actually married. They met at an art show where Monny was presenting. Afterwards, they decided to have drinks and ended up dancing the night away.

Chann: “I knew from the moment we had our first date. When you know you know. Monny is so intentional, caring, warm, and fun, I could go on and on. I love him so much.”

Their own wedding was modern and fun — like them — with pampas grass, peacock feathers and significant art pieces displayed, since the first found each other among art. It makes sense to me that they would surround themselves with beauty and creativity. There was plenty of music and dancing thanks to their fabulous DJ Fannie Mae! These days, at home, they love to cook dinner and relax in front of favorite shows.

For this shoot, Chann and Monny were just perfect — so wonderful to work with, so down to earth, and not just great subjects, but great people. With their attire and the black and white elements, the blends of rose, bronze, mauve, and gold, the crystal, linens and florals, these two amazing humans stood out. What a pleasure!