More Playing Dress Up

We all had so much fun working on our very pink dress up inspiration shoot. It was (for me) the first time working with children in multiples, which could have ended up going in any direction really. It was all good, although there was a teeny petulant area when they got to the table and found out they would have to wait another three minutes before they were actually allowed to eat the pretty cakes :)

Also, we changed the location last minute both because one of the desserts was a white chocolate mousse cake and there was concern of it dissolving, but also because there was a storm coming in. Yes. With large, angry black clouds. The kind of weather that you see and run indoors for a cup of cocoa... not the kind of weather you see and grab all the pink glass you own to run outside and set up a tea party. So we were racing against the clock before we even headed to a local park. (This is where I say another big thank you to Heather for her "apres" work on the editing and making it look MUCH sunnier than it was.) All of the above shots are the setting up of the table... all of the below shots are what was accomplished in the few minutes we had before the sky tore itself open and poured torrents down... Luckily by that time the cakes had been consumed :)

The couple from All About Afternoon Tea are lovely Brits who have lived here for almost a year and they are extreme foodies. They take their white chocolate mousse cake very seriously. Becca also takes very seriously the fact that her mother in law was visiting, and the shoot was on the last day of the visit. It is rather a wonder that they were able to work with her perched five feet away in a lawn chair, fussing. I'm pretty sure all the table planning that Becca and I did in advance was directly related to the amount of time she had to escape the house for the previous two weeks. Of course, I thought it was so wonderful that she was so keen :)

The kids were troopers. I am constantly amazed (being a mom) how resilient children are. There were a few grumblies about being shuffled about, but for the most part, they were amazing! Our bride disappeared three days before the shoot. Welcome to the Kootenays. So in the interest of efficiency, we decided to simply focus on the girls and nix the bride. Well, then then one of the girls wasn't able to make it. Then another one. We were down to Aziel and Aeowyn and a whole lotta cake!

I had asked another friend to bring her kids initially, but she had to work and couldn't make it to the first location when it was forty minutes away. When we changed the location to five minutes away I left her a voicemail and a plea. Not only did she (and her four gorgeous children) show up, but she also volunteered to model the part of the bride! So this was somewhat a family affair (as Aziel and Aeowyn are the photographer's daughters and Paloma is a friend of theirs).

When I went to pick up the flowers, Nadine wasn't home (she runs the Green Poppy out of her apartment downtown) and it was such a lovely surprise to find the gorgeous bouquets in a box on the floor of her adorable abode... so I still have yet to actually meet our Organic Flower Goddess, but I am most pleased to have made her acquaintance. She is a woman with a talent and some serious enthusiasm! Her ability to take my ideas and throw them back at me far better than I was able to explain and in a fabulous package is brilliant. Much happy. I have known about Honey Candles for quite some time, as they have an excellent reputation for organic and beautiful beeswax candles. I know I keep saying so, but they smell divine! The birdcage veil hat came from the most adorable little boutique downtown called the Fairies Pajamas. Such pretty things!

All in all, the day went swimmingly (literally toward the end there...) and we all walked away pleased. I'm even more pleased to be able to bring you some info about each of these vendors in the next bit on the other blog (I know, back and forth, back and forth... I am getting confused as well) and will bring you a bit more of the story about each one.  I went out of my way to try to find locals who use organic and sustainable business practices, and each one gave me a big smile. If I can do it in such a tiny town, so can you! Part of the process that falls under the sustainable category is that each is a local small business and / or artisan. Supporting the local arts and culture and helping them run a business from their craft while not cutting corners is really the way to go! It also means that you are probably working with awesome people :) Hope you enjoyed the process and the photos!