Summer Backyard Elopement
June 2020
This styled shoot focused on small, intimate gatherings at a time when weddings can’t have big receptions. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of life in the Spring and Summer of 2020 including weddings! In order to keep loved ones safe from the pandemic, couples are opting for a much smaller wedding event. In keeping with this idea to show how nice a small wedding can be, this shoot features a small backyard gathering for a faux wedding couple to get married in an intimate ceremony and dinner party setting.
Venue: Private Residence
Photographer: Katie Norrid Photography
Planning + Florist: Bettsmade
Stationery + Paper Goods: Ellywise Studios
Hand-dyed Silk Ribbon: Ivory Rabbit
Cake: Piece of Cake
Rentals: White Door Events
Napkins: Elegant Chair Solutions
Food: Babalu
Peach Dress: Lulu’s
When Kamille of Bettsmade reached out with the idea of this shoot the concept of showing how a small wedding can be extravagant and beautiful sold me - then I saw the mood board. All this color and bright floral designs with pinks and citrus themes, I WAS HOOKED.
I started sketching for the paper goods immediately - I knew there would be so much color in the flowers and other decor, so I toned down the stationery design to coordinate instead of compete. I began with several citrus “studies” to get a feel for the form of orange blossom flowers, oranges, lemons, etc. Once I got into sketches I thought it could be fun to layer those detailed elements with some abstract watercolor swashes. I had a huge sheet of watercolor covered in little detailed swags of orange blossoms, leaves and citrus fruit! Such a fun summer vibe for the shoot!
If you’re interested in a custom wedding suite you can find the inquiry here and the COVID-19 couples inquiry here.
In addition to playing with watercolor and citrus patterns, this shoot was chalked full of extraordinary local Memphis talent that I loved working with!
Let’s start with photography. Just because COVID-19 stole the big flashy reception doesn’t mean you can’t have stunning photos of your big day for years to come. This entire session was shot by the incredible Katie Norrid - some shots included in this post are from her digital files, but most are film! Like, actual film!! How cool is that? Shooting film is such a labor of love, so if you find a talented photographer like Katie who is passionate about the aesthetic real film can bring to your images, BOOK ‘EM.
Budgeting food for 150 people looks quite a bit different than budgeting food for 12. When your party is substantially smaller, you can look beyond the “feed the masses” options and go for something more elegant and delicious. This shoot featured some really delicious options from Babalu - a local restaurant in Memphis, TN that features delicious street tacos! How fun!!
Similar to the food option, you can redirect some of that budget to your cake. If you’re not having to purchase a slice for 150 people you can opt for a smaller designer cake. This stunner was created by Rachel of Piece of Cake in Memphis too! To coordinate with the decor and table linens, the cake was a cool mint color with gold leaf. Absolutely beautiful - and what’s more is it tasted even better than it looks!
For the full blog from Katie, check out this link here.
