A Real Treat: Mount Airy Styled Shoot, Pt. I
The collaboration between us girls at Catherine G. Damewood and Daisy Saulls Photography came about one afternoon as we chatted over coffee. What started as a simple idea, quickly turned into an unforgettable experience for all involved. The concept was to stage a wedding inspired by the duck hunting episode in Downton Abbey's Season 3. We were inspired by the beautiful clothing worn, and noticed that even with an air of masculinity, Mary looks incredibly feminine and chic. After weeks of planning, the day had finally arrived where a team of us traveled to Warsaw, Virginia to one of the Nation's oldest and most spectacular places--Mount Airy.
Although the home has been the site of many family weddings in the past, Mount Airy is now opening its doors up to others as a wedding venue. The land that this 1750s home was built on has been in the same family since the 1600s! With so much beauty and history to offer, we knew we wanted to capture as much of the vast surroundings as possible. With the help of the owners, we decided to style several places around the property for Daisy to shoot. Locations included the library, stables, a field out in front of the home, and even near by wetlands where the owners host several duck shoots every year.
With such a beautiful setting, the styling was easy. Meggie and I brought several pieces of period furniture, china, silver and even a ladder to help set the stage. The wardrobe was planned by Daisy and worn by our two incredible models...Laura and Luke, owners of LLB Design, LLC, took time away from the office to play newlyweds for a day. Styling for Laura's hair and makeup was provided by Michelle Viscal of Emeralds Salon.
Our flower inspiration was drawn from two things--the stationary artwork graciously provided by my friend Inslee at Inslee By Design, and what was currently blooming and available to cut from the gorgeous gardens at Mt. Airy. The pink roses and peonies came straight out of the garden the morning of our shoot...lovely!
The calligraphy on the invitations was artfully done by White House calligrapher, Pat Blair. Another contributor was Carolyn Taylor of Taylor Made Cakes, who's beautiful cake we embellished with some flora! A big thanks to all who helped us make this styled shoot possible. Everything turned out beautifully, and would not have done so without the help of many.
Photograph: Daisy Saulls Photography
Photograph: Daisy Saulls Photography
Photograph: Daisy Saulls Photography
Photograph: Daisy Saulls Photography
