A Dutch Painting Style Shoot

We have all fallen in love with a piece of artwork at some point in our lives. For Sarah Kriner, of Sarah Kriner Photography, she fell in love with a whole genre—Golden Age Dutch painters. She says,“Their use of dramatic light and magically opulent settings have captivated me for as long as I can remember. I wanted to take the overall feeling of these paintings (the floral ones in particular) and translate them into modern day wedding inspiration.” From this obsession, stemmed Sarah’s idea for a “Dutch Still Life Wedding” and she decided to bring this vision to life in the middle of January! Sarah teamed up with Jodie Stansbury of Aisle Ready Events to make this idea come to life.
 

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The location of this shoot was critical to Sarah’s vision. She ended up choosing Laurel Hall, which provided a subtle wooden look that was not overstated, yet timeless. Sarah says, “Laurel Hall is so completely different than anything you’d think to find in the Indy area. It’s straight out of the old world, and the contrast between the dark wood rooms and staircase and the brightness of the solarium is just what I wanted.”

 

 

The dress for this style shoot was also an important choice to make. The team was thinking about going for an older, Dutch look—a style that would match their concept. In the end, they decided that by going with a chiffon ball gown, the other elements of the style shoot would better bring out the style. The dress was simple enough to not take over the style shoot, while the loose skirt would add movement to the shoot.

 

 

The other elements of the shoot included the stationery, which the team at Blu3 created with some inspiration from Sarah. Sarah says, “I sent Katie and Renick a couple of paintings I was drawing inspiration from (mostly sea-related, storms, and really moody), and they totally blew me away with the final result.”
 

 

Another vendor that had the chance to create something totally new was Erica, who designed the cake. She put various colors of buttercreams together that made a sensational statement. The most difficult part of the style shoot was the florals, though. Sarah says, “We shot this in January, so the weather and the flower selection available were definitely not so much in our favor.” Despite this, Autumn Keller of Isibeal Studios, was able to create striking florals that did not disappoint Sarah’s vision. “Autumn completely blew me away, being able to work so beautifully with what she was given," says Sarah.

 

 

The finishing touches of the style shoot were the model’s hair and makeup. Sarah wanted the model to look like she belonged in a painting as well. Luckily, the model had the perfect hair to create a seamless look. Sarah wanted the model’s hair to be in braids, so the team put her hair into a braided crown with side bun—a very Dutch look!

 

 

Overall, the shoot ended up capturing the still life mood the team wanted. It was a truly a painting come to life and highlighted how simple elements can create a dreamland.

 

 

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