If you’ve been following along on the FiftyFlowers social media channels, you may have seen us release two stunningly styled photoshoots, organized by the talented sister duo at LesLo Events. In their latest styled shoot, the team was looking to reimagine what the look of a bohemian bride or couple could look like. Their inspiration was the inner strength of a person, showing the same material in new ways, and highlighting the beauty of our Black LGBTQ+ women.
Keep reading to learn more about how Lo and her creative team brought this shoot to life and the amazing pictures they captured!
Mariah: What was your inspiration for this styled shoot? (I looked at this and felt the strength of Daenerys from Game of Thrones.)
Lo: We love that you mentioned Daenerys because she’s the perfect representative of the energy we tried to convey with this shoot. Like Daenerys, people traditionally view the bohemian design with a softness – but we saw the inner strength!
By definition, ‘bohemian’ is a socially unconventional person, especially one who is involved in the arts. We wanted to highlight the ‘unconventional’ aspect, by challenging the conventional ideas around the bohemian design trend.
Mariah: You say in your instagram “The theme, ‘Bricks & Brown: The New Bohemé, is our modern take on the traditional bohemian style (no mason jars required).” And I want to hear more about that idea?
Lo: A quick Google or Pinterest search of ‘bohemian wedding’ returns pages of rustic wood tablescapes, greenery garlands, cheesecloth runners, and mason jars with wildflowers.
Considering the rebellious spirit of this shoot, we wanted to abandon the boho cliches and give the design trend a modern makeover. So we used cheese boards instead of cheesecloths, intricate wood screens and tables instead of tree stumps, and striking, floral installations instead of mason jars!
Mariah: Who did you want to inspire with this shoot?
Lo: With this shoot, we were hoping to inspire women, LGBTQ couples, and bohemian brides! It was also important for us to use an African-American, lesbian couple as they represent communities that have been historically underrepresented in bridal content, specifically in ‘bohemian bridal’ shoots.
Mariah: Is this color palette a prediction for what we will see come for weddings in 2021?
Lo: We’re certainly hoping to inspire some 2021 bridal trends with this shoot! Rust and terracotta tones were a popular 2020 trend. The foundational neutral tones and browns are certainly something we expect to see more of in 2021.
Mariah: What design notes did you give @flaurabotanica?
Lo: Laura was the PERFECT florist for this shoot because her design style is right in line with our desired aesthetic, so our design notes were pretty minimal. We shared the mood board and mentioned that we wanted highly textured arrangements with exotic stems, but she gets all of the credit for the floral magic!
Mariah: What are you excited about going forward with weddings and event planning?
Lo: Candidly, we’re hoping that the smaller scale weddings and events stick. We’re loving the more intimate ceremonies and have enjoyed the creativity of planning and hosting virtual events!
We’re all about celebrating really special moments with the MOST special people, so you have time to be present and ENJOY the moment.
Could you talk more about how easy it is or why couples should aim towards more intimate, but professionally designed events like the one you’ve styled in this shoot?
Lo: There are a lot of reasons we LOVE smaller, intimate events. But, one of our favorites is that they allow us to maximize your budget! Many clients have grand-visions of highly designed events, but high guest counts limit funding for some of those elements as we have to funnel costs seating and catering.
Reducing your guest count doesn’t mean you have to reduce your design. You can often do a lot more of the ‘Pinterest-worthy’ styling when you opt for a more intimate event – even if you have a smaller budget.
Mariah: Did you design the shoot around the flowers?
Lo: Yes! Funny enough, the FIRST images on our mood board were photos of really unique pampas grass installations, so floral was a foundational component of the design.
The Shoot:
Thank you to Les and Lo for including FiftyFlowers on this sensational photoshoot and a special thanks to Lo who took the time out of her busy schedule to let me interview her. And to all of the vendors involved, it has been such an honor to see our flowers paired with your talent. I look forward to working again with all of you. And to all of my readers in the Atlanta area, be sure to check out the vendors below!
The Absolute Dream Team:
Venue: The Carlyle Venue
Planning & Design: LesLo Events
Stationary: The Taylored Design Co.
Floral Wholesaler: FiftyFlowers
Floral Design: Flaura Botanica
Custom Altas & Vintage Rentals: Milieu Decor
Vintage Rentals: Southern Vintage
Table Top: Tablemade
Models: Chyna + Marcella
Dresses: The Sentimentalist
Photographer: Andre Brown Photo
Videographer: A Love Experience
Cake Artist: Julie Miller Cake Design
Catering: Shmore Boards
MUA: B for Beaute Co.
LesLo Events is a luxury event planning & design studio based in Atlanta, Georgia. Our mission is to curate unforgettable event experiences that exceed our client’s dreams. We leverage innovative, creative design and concierge-level service to execute distinctive, memorable celebrations.
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