As Featured in Virginia Bride Magazine… (AHHH!)
For those of you who have been living under a rock, boy do I have some news for you! I’m THRILLED to have finally let this cat out of the bag recently! 😱 🙌 A few months ago, I had the privilege of working with an extremely talented team of vendors on a gorgeous styled shoot we titled ‘The Botanical Bridal Brunch’. What came from that photoshoot was nothing short of my dream come true. The images I captured from our styled shoot have been officially been selected to appear in the 2021 Fall issue of Virginia Bride Magazine!!!
This exciting news catapulted my little wedding photography business into the type of exposure I’ve always wanted but never thought possible. Following the publishing news, I was given an official Vendor Spotlight Page on the Virginia Bride Magazine website (see here), which makes me squeal with excitement. Not only that but I was granted an hour-long interview with the magazine’s publisher, Angeline, which will be airing on their YouTube channel soon!
I have to admit, this year has turned into the biggest year of my career already, and we’re only halfway-in! Moments like these just reinforce what an incredible decision I made last year when I decided to give Photography my all. 8 years in the making, and this little dream of mine feels like it is finally taking off. [Insert Happy Dance Here]
Some of my favorite details about this shoot aren’t tangible things. The sense of community I felt while collaborating with some of the industry’s best, the smiles and laughs we all shared throughout the day, the dedication to detail each vendor took while creating their showcases… yep, THAT’S the good stuff, right there. To me, these photos feel happy and celebratory; like a breath of fun and fresh air. I don’t know about you, but these are adjectives most any bride would hope to use when describing their ultimate dream bridal brunch. Simply put, we nailed it.
Here’s what Johanna of JLM Design had to say about this shoot:
“When Danielly of Winding Roads Calligraphy reached out to me in early 2021 with her vision & idea of a botanical brunch-type styled shoot, I was all ears! Bright colors and lots of floral elements were the basis of our inspiration. We knew that we wanted to create a unique & fun shoot to highlight a different perspective from your typical wedding-styled shoots.
A lot of the time, we often get wrapped up in the wedding day itself, (the “grand finale” of the whole wedding-planning process), but there are so many other special moments that happen leading up to the big day that are forgotten about & aren’t often highlighted on a larger scale. So, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight another fun moment that comes with planning a wedding… the BRIDAL BRUNCH/SHOWER!
Pulling from Danielly’s inspiration, I immediately had the perfect, unique venue in mind; Avonlea Farms! Nestled on a 64-acre farm in Louisa, Virginia- right between Charlottesville and Richmond, we knew their incredible greenhouse was the PERFECT backdrop to bring this amazing vision to life! The Venue Owners also really wanted to highlight the greenhouse in this styled shoot, because it’s what makes Avonlea Farms so unique. You don’t find many venues that have vintage glass greenhouses & can host a 150-person wedding without needing a tent! “We love doing photoshoots like this because it really illustrates our range.”, says Debbie McDonald, Owner of Avonlea Farms. “On a Saturday, we could have a wonderful wedding, and the next Sunday, we could host an intimate engagement party. Photoshoots like these are so clever because they highlight our vendors’ skills and versatility.
Our team wanted to incorporate unique elements that you would not typically see at a bridal brunch, like the (Sugar Cube Bar), with customized signature drinks to add a pop of color! The Mobile bar with lounge area was the perfect addition and truly transported this brunch to the next level! Ashley of Ashley Dorton Photography and Iceberg Media Weddings perfectly captured the entire brunch from start to finish in the most beautiful way. Bridal Brunches are a memory many brides don’t think to capture through professional photos and video but might consider after seeing this gorgeous photo gallery and highlight video. (Check them out below!)
Customized signage by Winding Roads Calligraphy and customized floral displays from Poppin’ Peonies Floral were incorporated throughout the set, adding lots of nature and vintage elements with pops of color to bring this vision to life. “Stunning Hair Design by the Talented Brittany Keener and Professional Makeup By the amazing Haley Rose Beauty gave our models a fun and effortless look fit for any celebration with the girls.” Custom sweet treats from 5th House Treats and a gorgeous hand-painted cake from Jae’s Cakes brought fun pops of color and added a thoughtful touch to your typical brunch buffet.
This group of highly talented (mostly female) entrepreneurs had so much fun working together to make this styled shoot possible. The energy from everyone involved was contagious and made this better than we could have imagined. It’s incredible to see all the planning, hard work, and many creative minds come together to produce this fun showcase! We hope you enjoy our creation and will consider working with the incredibly talented members of our vendor team for your next event! Last but certainly not least, I hope you’ll jump over to Virginia Bride Magazine to view the blog post they published for us on their website! You can find that link by clicking here.“
Thank you for all the continuous support and outpouring of love always!
Xo, Ashley
Published In: @Virginiabridemagazine
Event Venu: @AvonleaFarms
Photography: @Ashleydortonphotography
Event Coordinating: @Jlmdesignandevents
Calligraphy & Decor: @Windingroads_
Catering: @Titosbarbeque
Traveling Bar: @Thesugarcubebar
Florist: @Poppinpeoniesfloral
Sweet Treats: @5thhousetreats
Bridal Cake: @JaesCakes
Hair Design: @HairByBrittany20
Makeup Artist: @Haleyrosebeauty.rva
Videographer: @Icebergmediallc
Marketing/Submission: @Alignedartists
Model: Skylar
Model: Savanna
Model: Kristin
Model: Sarah
Model: Anne
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