All Hallows Elopement Style Shoot

Do you ever get so into a season that it completely envelops and overtakes you? We definitely know the feeling! In the wedding industry, inspiration can really be drawn from anything. However, a seasonal change can present the perfect opportunity to let your creative juices shine, and how you interpret it is, well...in any way your heart desires!
 

For Rachel Whitehurst of Adventure Photo Stories, Halloween was quickly approaching and served as the perfect catalyst for pushing the boundaries with this unique style shoot. “The leaves were falling, and the air was heavy and sweet with the smell of ready-to-harvest grapes,” recalls Rachel. “I wanted the images to feel like that. Intimate, moody, sweet like wine. We built a story about an eclectic couple that elopes in a vineyard at dusk, alone in the spooky evening and light by their VW Westfalia van. The bride is nomadic and witchy–definitely not your white wedding dress kind of lady.”
 

Rachel discovered the bride’s very unique ensemble at Savvy Bridal & Formal Exchange in Portage, Michigan. “It just screamed moody and pretty,” Rachel says. “The black lace paired with the blush skirt balanced the lovely and dark themes.” Alicia Ritchie from Hive Salon added a boho vibe to the bride’s overall look with an undone, half-up hairstyle, complete with a braid detail, dark makeup hues and a deep wine lip.

As for the moody, grape-scented backdrop, warmed by the setting sun? A local vineyard just felt right. Rachel says, “We chose Holly and Robert's vineyard because of the mood and the ease of having a home base to work out of.”

The team aimed for an effortless feel and palette of seasonal colors. Rachel says, “The plan was to choose warm tones that played off the pumpkins and balance them with pops of turquoise and blue. We didn’t do matchy-matchy. We wanted it to feel organic.” Because her florist of choice was busy, she tried her hand at being one herself for this shoot! With help from Pinterest, Horrock’s Market and gorgeous blue thistles, her creations were a great fit for the moody, nontraditional vibe.

While the van was the shining star in the shoot’s decor, a few World Market items were added. “It needed very little decorating,” explains Rachel. “We just grabbed some pumpkins and candles and local craft beer to put on the counter. I think they helped tell the story of who the couple is and the kind of elopement they wanted.”

When imaging the kind of cake this couple would want, Rachel knew a traditional cake wasn't an option. “Since autumn in Michigan is prime donut season, we grabbed a dozen from Sweetwaters,” Rachel explains. “It’s a local favorite, and I was just as excited to eat them after the shoot as I was to take pictures of them.”

What We Love

For this out-of-the box style shoot, we appreciate the risks the team took to make their vision come to life. Rachel says, “We took the non-white dress trend to the extreme. We took the alternative dessert trend to the extreme. We just wanted to push the boundaries and have fun with something very different.”
 

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