Last winter, Meg Hamilton of Rodeo & Co Photography approached me with her idea to stage a photo shoot at the Ice Castles— an amazing life-size ice sculpture created by Ice Castles Inc. Meg’s inspiration was prompted by a family visit to the Ice Castles with her family. Before long we had a whole ensemble of event professionals on board to help create a totally unique and inspired photo shoot. We’ve had the pleasure of working with WellWed and Vermont Vows before, and were really happy that they wanted to use the images for both publications. WellWed consistently features inspiring work from truly talented people, so getting on the cover is a huge compliment!
Sourcing props for photo shoots and themed events is my favorite treasure hunt- I wanted a grand look for this location, so was thrilled to track down pieces like the clear acrylic chairs and fluffy linens. Collaborating with fellow event professionals for a specific inspirational theme is such a blast! The incredibly kind and generous people from Vera Wang in NYC sent us 2 amazing dresses that fit Meg’s vision of a pale pink gown perfectly. I am especially thrilled with the frosted glass invitation created by Karen Bartolomei of Grapevine Paperie, whom I met at a photo shoot for Grace Ormonde Weddings back in 2008. Our gorgeous model, Cecily, handled the sub-zero temperature with aplomb, even smiling as she ate the ice cream (brrr!)
Speaking of ice cream, so much gorgeous, mouth-watering food went into the project— we had two cake designers: Wild Orchid Baking for the WellWed NH/ME issue, and Caketopia for the Vermont Vows issue. Not included in the magazine are the amazing talents of food stylist and restaurateur Emishika Alberini Chang Thai Café, who just so happens to be my sister in law!
Check out the Press Gallery for more about the WellWed Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont Vows features.
If you missed the Ice Castles last year, not to worry- they’ll be reconstructed this year in Lincoln, NH.
Flowers Used for this Shoot:
Ranunculus, Amaryllis, Hellebore, Sweet Peas, Solomon’s Seal, Nerine, Garden Spray Roses, Jasmine Vine, Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Hyacinth, Peony, Scabiosa pods, Pussy Willow, Lisianthus.
Contributor Credits:
Photography: Rodeo & Co. Photography
Dress: Vera Wang
Model: Cecily Yarosh
Catering: Emshika Alberini of Chang Thai Café
Invitations: Grapevine Paperie
Cake (WellWed NH/ME issue): Wild Orchid Baking Co
Cake (Vermont Vows issue): Caketopia
Rentals: Be Our Guest
Hair & Make-up: Fresh Salon
Ice Cream: Jenis Ice Cream
Jewelry: Ari Handmade
