Just like
Dorothy, there's no need to look any further than your own back yard for
beautiful handmade wedding accessories. Photographing
these modern knits for our Columbus based client Hearten Hand Knits, we collaborated with local wedding
dress designer Ghinda, local floral artist Natural Designs and the Dublin Arts Center
wedding venue.
Laura
Berry, owner of Hearten Hand Knits and LilBear, is a talented knitwear designer with a purpose. In
2005, she began knitting shawls she sweetly named “Hugs” for loved ones with
cancer, leaving them on doorsteps. She extended her “Hugs” to embrace women
struggling with poverty all over the world, by buying 100% fair trade yarn and
partnering with U.S. knitters in impoverished areas, providing untethered
income. One small glimpse into Laura’s home studio and it’s obvious how
passionate and talented she is.
This new
bridal knit collection, Hearten Hand Knits, will be available soon, this is
your first sneak peek at the beautiful designs. Every item is handmade. The
knits are custom made for each individual and offered in 100’s of different
colors to create the perfect accents. The best part is they can be worn
after the wedding day, easily paired with a little black dress or a cute pair
of jeans. In fact, don’t bother getting married at all, treat yourself to these
beautiful designs anyday--which is exactly what I plan to do the moment they’re
available.
Make sure you take a peek at LilBear's other handmade wraps, shawls, scarflace (a cross between a scarf and a necklace-my personal favorite), scarflettes, and pins.
Our gracious hosts, the Dublin Arts Center. I always call it The Castle.
The vine scarf below wasn't created with weddings in mind, yet how cute is it paired with a simple white dress and a bright bouquet of green and peach flowers?
I wasn't immediately sold on this purple piece being worn by brides until I saw it in action. WOW. How much better is this bright and sparkly sweater when compared to the overused colored ribbon around the waist?
Our two lovely models did an amazing job on a really hot day, they took it all in stride AND looked incredible.
The Dublin Arts Center is my favorite wedding location. It's intimate with lots of light streaming in, a spiral staircase, tons of lawn and shaded areas, a staircase out back, and hello, it's a castle. Well, not technically, but still. Not to mention all the beautiful art exhibits they host. Check it out on a normal weekday, there's always something amazing on display.
These soft and fluffy sweaters immediately reminded me of cotton candy, I got the pairing stuck in my head and had to bring them together. Luckily we were able to find cotton candy at 9am on a Thursday morning at Giant Eagle Market District. Besides, I couldn't call myself Photo Kitchen without having SOME food make an appearance on set.
All of the beautiful flowers you see were designed by another one of my favorite clients, Regina of Natural Designs. Everything she creates is clean and fresh. She sources flowers from all over--local farms, New York vendors, and often straight from her own back yard. Easy to work with, creative, and thoughtful, I'm always excited to see what she'll do next.
This was one of my favorite pairings. The makeup, simple dress, bubble necklace...all came together to perfectly highlight this rosette bag and collared sweater.
These handmade handkerchiefs can be ordered with custom embroidery. Husband and wife initials, wedding date, a personalized note from grandma...What a beautiful gift for the wedding day. Throw in a little blue thread and you've got yourself something blue.
I loved this shot, it reminds me of a promo image for Mad Men a few seasons back.
All the beautiful glass pieces you see are part of the gallery exhibit by Glass Axis in the Dublin Arts Council gallery. The exhibit is called "Glass, Color and Light: A Glass Axis Member Exhibition. This is a temporary show, of course. To see more, take a trip to the Glass Axis studios. I go every fall for their glass pumpkin patch. Glass pumpkins in every size, color and shape imaginable.
Like I said, every piece is versatile, to be worn long past the wedding day. Which piece is your favorite?
Thank you to:
My wonderful client with a huge heart Laura Berry of Hearten Hand Knits and LilBear
Regina Carmody Prange, floral designer and beloved client from Natural Designs
Jennifer Kessler of Ghinda, wedding dress designer extraordinaire
Emily and the entire team at the Dublin Arts Center, my favorite castle
Our models Sarah and Emma, who, even 9 hours in, wanted to keep shooting AND helped us pack up.
Want to hire us for commercial jobs like this? Photo Kitchen's standing by!
Want to hire us to photograph your wedding? Portrait Shoppe is our new hub for all things portrait, we're happy to greet you over there!