A Dreamy Indie Style Shoot

When Katie Skinner of Kiss Me Kate Photography set out to prove to herself that she could bring to life and capture an idea she held so dearly and that only existed in her mind’s eye, she certainly did just that. "In my heart I wanted to prove to myself that I could do exactly what I was visualizing, that I was good enough to pull right from my imagination and capture it in real life," she says. "I put myself to the test and, to say the least, I think I passed." Her ultimate vision for this shoot was to create a dreamy, boho bride that would leave people swooning. (Well, we say, check, check and check!)  
 

When asked about her vision, she says,“The photography industry is a tough one. It’s very easy to bring yourself down when you see so many other talented photographers. You truly need to believe in yourself and just go for it. If your ideas and dreams don’t scare you then they aren’t big enough. This shoot was a breath of fresh air for me, literally, it was 35 degrees out and my bride was a trooper!” Trying to shoot with frozen fingers wasn’t the only obstacle to contend with, however. Carrying the bridal gown’s train up and down the sand dunes so that she wasn’t engulfed was another feat in itself!
 

In order to achieve the stunning Indie/Boho look that Katie was going for, she knew she needed a “killer dress” that wasn’t overwhelming. “I went with a statement two-piece wedding gown provided by the best shop in Kalamazoo (Memories Bridal & Evening Wear) and I’m not just saying that,” Katie says. “They were so welcoming when I first approached them and the generosity of letting me borrow their masterpiece of a wedding dress was overwhelming.” She adds, “One of the owners of Memories Bridal, Adrienne Wissner, walked me up to the top floor of their shop (the top floor is all bridal) and it was the second dress I saw. I knew it was the one. It brought the wow factor.” The two piece Calla Blanche gown has a long sleeved top, open back and tiny, intricate beading. The satin skirt features a five foot long train with buttons down the length. “It followed the concept of ‘less is more',” Katie says. To complete the look, she added a floral crown.

What better way to accentuate a white dress than with warm, natural colors? Katie did exactly that and knew it would also highlight the bride’s beautiful features. For makeup, Katie used a very rich scheme of blacks, browns, dark reds, nudes, golds and oranges. The bouquet was made out of wheat and dyed eucalyptus. “I felt that it was very earthy and boho,” she says. “It fit really well with this style. The floral crown was actually made from leftover faux flowers from my wedding this past August. I chose to use those because it was a part of me and a part of my style.”
 

So how was the perfect backdrop discovered? Provin Trails Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan is versatile and served as the ideal wide open and mountain-esque location Katie has used before in family and engagement sessions. Hearing clients gasp at its' beauty, Katie guessed that it would only achieve the same result in this shoot. Katie says, “In one area you have dunes, hills, fluffy pine trees, and in the next area you have a scene from Twilight, perfect, tall, mystical woods.”
 

What we love

Trends come and go, but we are loving that two-piece gowns have arrived and are clearly holding their own, especially when paired with a boho look. “I’ve started to see two-piece gowns make their way into the wedding world, and floral crowns are a super-hot trend right now,” Katie says. “I’ve also noticed that bridal bouquets are evolving. I see giant bouquets and bouquets made of one type of floral/greenery. So, I thought I would keep the one I made simple. I liked the contrast and texture of the two pieces together.”
 

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