Planning your summer wedding? Look no further, this summer harvest wedding is filled with inspiration for your summer wedding. This Asheville wedding shoot was so much fun to create and I am so excited that I can now share it with you all!! Once or twice a year I love to plan a styled shoot and spend some time with some of my favorite vendors creating and sharing something new and exciting for our brides! This gorgeous Summer Citrus themed bridal photo shoot was selected for publication by Asheville Wedding Guide Magazine. If you have not picked up your copy you have to get you hands on one. This magazine is filled with inspiration, planning tips and straight up eye candy!
I am excited to share some of the photos and the information that we shared with the magazine. Read below for more inspiration and tips about wedding trends we are seeing here in the Asheville area!
A few quick tips from Candace, Mingle Events and Owner of The Barn at Honeysuckle Hill…
- When in doubt ALWAYS choose color!
- Pick vendors who are team players and who work well together.
- Take vendor recommendations from your wedding planner and remember… you get what you pay for!
- Trust your vendors… they are creative and can make your dreams come true… Let them do their job and try to remember, this is why you hired them, they are the professionals!
- Shoes are a great way to really WOW… Pick a fun color and let them peek out for a few pics!
- Repurpose!!! Candace re-purposed the balloon from the chandelier for an impromptu photo shoot with the Bride alone… some of our fav pics!
- Do NOT be afraid to do the unexpected…just like we did at Honeysuckle Hill. Who knew colorful balloons, sliced fresh fruit as table runners with clear ghost chairs would fit in a 100 year old elegantly renovated barn….well… IT DID! Just because you are in a barn does NOT mean you have to have on cowgirl boots and sit on hay bales!
- Most importantly… HAVE FUN!
Now onto some of the gorgeous photos from this shoot!
Tell us what your inspiration for this shoot was? If you were to give it a “theme” what would it be?
Summertime! knew I wanted to do a styled shoot that was true to all the vendors styles but do something a little different. The beautiful colors of summer fruits and a veggies provided our inspiration and color palette. The longer days and laid back summer vibes “summertime and the living is easy”, was our starting point.
I passed along my inspiration to Candace with Mingle, and as she does, Mingle created magic. She and Whitney of Springvine Design they exceeded what I could have imagined. Y’all this is what you call having a planner and a creative team that work together… by taking one piece of inspiration and creating a masterpiece. We knew that along with summer fruits, veggies and flowers sourced locally we wanted to include pottery from East Fork for the table settings rather than china to give it more of an organic, laid back feel. – Kathy (Kathy Beaver Photography)
What type of bride would this sort of wedding design be perfect for?
Someone who is NOT afraid of taking chances! This is the perfect style for a Bride that truly trusts her planner and floral designer! We were able to take a small idea and theme and go beyond anyone’s expectations…and this is because we were given the freedom to allows our creativity take stage!
What takeaways can brides gather from this shoot?
Too many times our Brides get caught up on what is on “trend” or wanting to re-create their Pinterest board….we at Mingle say that this is your day…make it be YOU! We encourage our Brides to think outside the “pinterest box” and use that site as strictly inspo…we help them tie their ideas into logistically possible experiences! As planners we want our Brides to choose details and experiences and small touches that your guests will walk away talking about for years to come. – Candace (Mingle Events/Owner of The Barn at Honeysuckle Hill)
Make it your own, infuse your personality, love the laid back feel of summer? Go with it! My photography goal is to “tell your story through joyful, honest photography!” If the ballon arch in the chapel is not joyful I don’t know what is! – Kathy (Kathy Beaver Photography)
Don’t be afraid to do something different! This shoot was all about celebrating the colors, flora and fresh produce that makes us think of summer. One of my favorite things is when a bride comes to me with some inspiration but gives me the creative freedom to really build off of that inspiration and create something unique. I believe a wedding day should be fun and really celebrate you as a couple, while also allowing your guests to feel apart of the celebration. – Whitney (Springvine Design)
So this tablescape is pretty amazing with all of this fresh fruit. Tell us how this all came together? What all did you incorporate into the fruit runner? Is there anything local to Asheville?
This was really a group collaboration in terms of incorporating some fresh fruit and veggies! I went to the Asheville farmers market and bought baskets of apples, tomatoes and peaches and then filled in with lemons, oranges and papaya’s from the grocery store. Slicing them to show the true color was the BEST!
We seriously love the explosion of color as most brides go for “blush and bashful.” What color did your scheme focus on? Why go for bright and bold instead of pastel?
We let the fruits and veggies guide us in terms of color. All of the dahlias I bought from local farmer, Mandy with Blue Ridge Blooms and I told her I wanted an array of corals, pinks and peaches. My favorite is when I can just give her an array of colors and she brings me the most gorgeous array of varieties. I am a huge fan of color for flowers. I love it when I can play on different shades of a few colors, like shades of coral that range from peachy corals to pinky corals. It really shows the array of varieties there are in flowers. When they are all together in an arrangement it creates the most beautiful wash of color, like a sunset! – Whitney (Springvine Design)
The suitcases piled atop the vintage car are gorgeous. Was this for show or was there something to this? Anything a bride would want to know about this?
This was Candace’s idea and we just loved it!! We repurposed flowers to create a cascading WOW factor and the suitcases are from the Mingle vintage rental inventory…as well as the shiny 1955 Bel Air (available for rent for B+G getaway at the end of the evening-driver included of course!) It could be recreated but this was more for the photo op! Mingle has 5 vintage vehicles (including a green convertible VW bug) all available for that “safe yet fun ride to your new beginnings!”
This balloon installation is neat. What can you tell us some about this? Seems like it may be great for a bride on a budget who doesn’t want to spend too much money on florals for their ceremony?
I’ve spent the last few years playing around with balloon installations for my other job as Creative Director of Well Crafted Retreats. When we were thinking of something unique and different to do for the chapel at Honeysuckle, Candace suggested we do balloons! I of course was over the moon, as I have been hoping to get into doing balloon installations for weddings. We chose an abstract shape that ended up having the look of a honeycomb sort of accidentally! Balloons are a great way to create a big statement piece that is a little more cost effective than doing so with florals. I think balloons are fun and automatically give you the feeling of celebration. – Whitney (Springvine Design)
What a gorgeous two-piece gown. What drew you to it?
I was inspired by the concept of “Summer Harvest Wedding”. When I heard about the concept I knew I would design something very airy and ethereal. I wanted to make the dress that represents a happy and bright summer bride. I also wanted to introduce some of the 2019 bridal fashion trends such as long illusion lace sleeves, crop tops and matching skirt, and 3-D floral embroideries but still be true to my own esthetics.I wanted my bride to look elegantly sexy so I decided to show a bit of midriff and the back but cover arms and chest with sheer lace. Placed intricate 3-D floral embroideries on the chest and sleeve cuffs for more interesting texture. Skirt is made with several layers of tulle and delicate french lace to have big volume but very light weight. This dress is for the brides who want to look effortlessly stylish. – Anglea (Angela Kim Couture)
These yellow shoes are amazing! We’ve seen brides do this with blue shoes “their something blue” but how unexpected this pop is. Where did you find them?
I think it’s always fun to have an accent color somewhere in your wedding outfit and shoes can be the best wearable piece to show off the bride’s personality and the wedding theme. The concept of this wedding was Summer Harvest and the color palette includes lots of pretty citrus colors. I thought yellow shoes were perfect way complete the bridal outfit to match the wedding theme in a playful yet elegant way. Jimmy Choo offers made-to-order bridal shoes. Good place to shop. – Anglea (Angela Kim Couture)
This arched bouquet that the bride is holding. Such a neat shape. Is this going to be big in 2019? (We’ve seen a lot of different shaped bouquets recently). What makes it a better alternative to the typical rounded bouquet?
I wanted to create a bouquet that was different in shape than I normally do. I created this arched and cascading bouquet to really play with the blooms that were in it. The king protea in the middle is such a statement flower and I wanted to balance it out with some really long pieces. I love having the freedom to let the flowers dictate the shape and size of a bouquet. – Whitney (Springvine Design)
The cute honey favors. Was this local honey? What are your thoughts on giving away wedding favors? Should they always be practical?
Yes… these were purchased from a local honey and beekeeping supply store in Weaverville, NC called Honey & the Hive. This for sure is a practical favor as it is something that the guests will truly use! I mean, the next day…I used it on my biscuit! So absolutely… favors should always be a gift that the guest will use again and not toss on the way out…as these can be costly. We recommend favors that are “per Family” like the honey jar! Edibles are always a great way to go with favors! – Candace (Mingle Events/Owner of The Barn at Honeysuckle Hill)
The cake and the signature cocktail. Ooh la la! What flavor was this cake and what sort of design were you going for? Did this drink have a name?
So the cake would be a pistachio honey. The contrast of the nutty flavors and the honey is really nice and then when you add the various fruits it gives the cake a very unique flavor. The design is a semi naked cake and is often described as rustic elegance. The naked cake is no longer just a trend, but rather an option for the bride who wants a less traditional approach to her wedding. Here the actual cake, that is so often covered, gets to shine and reveal a perfect bake. The richness of the golden bake comes through the icing and the fruit acts as the “cherry on top”, giving it a regal look. With the honey dripping down it is very decedent look and taste. – Heidi (Dogwood Design Bakery)
Name of the cocktail – Sunflower Sutra. My inspiration here was my overflowing garden of sunflowers! Recipe:1.5 oz Vida Mezcal1 oz sunflower petal syrup1.5 oz lemon juice. – Cordial & Craft
I think I spy a cheese board. Can you all expand on this? I’ve heard of brides having a charcuterie cocktail hour as opposed to servers walking around with appetizers. Is this what you were going for?
Yes! A hot trend right now is having personal charcuterie boards at each place setting, so when guests sit down they can immediately have something to nibble on. Another popular trend is having the charcuterie boards dispersed throughout the cocktail hour, so guests can find bites a little bit of everywhere, instead of one big display. It’s also a great way to display the amazing local products of our area! – Corey (Catering by Corey)
Vendor Team
Venue | Honeysuckle Hill | @honeysucklehillevents
Photographer | Kathy Beaver Photography | @kathybeaverphotography
Styling, Sherbet Glasses, “Get-away Car”, Vintage Suitcases | Mingle Events | @mingleevents
Tablescape with Flowers and Fruit, Bouquet & Bout, Balloon Design for Chapel & Chandelier | Springvine Design | @springvine
Summer Inspired Small Plate and Appetizer | Catering By Corey | @cateringbycorey
Blue Candlesticks, 8 Yellow Glasses, Serving Tray, Brass Platter for Cake | East West Vintage Rentals | @eastwestvintagerentals
Stoneware Table Settings | East Fork Pottery | @eastforkpottery
Invitation Suite and Place Card | Joy Unscripted | @joyunscripted
“Summer Flavors” Gelato | Sugar & Snow | @sugarandsnowgelato
Signature Drink(s) with Garnish | Cordial & Craft | @cordialandcraft
Naked Cake with Berries and Honey Drizzle | Dogwood Design | @dogwood_baker
Ring Set | Spicer Greene | @spicergreene
Dress Design and Brides Styling | Angela Kim | @angelakimcouture
Hair and Makeup | Powder Me Pretty | @powdermepretty
Model | Taylor Heidenreich
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