Engaged: David and Laura

Photographer Sarah Shreves was kind enough to share this super fun engagement session. Laura’s dad let them use his airplane, which makes it that much more sentimental. How great is this bright yellow plane?

Engaged: Lauren and Brian

I’ve got an afternoon delight for you today! This is Lauren and Brian, and their engagement session shot by Shannen Norman. How much do you love that they kept shooting in the rain? Braving the weather made for some really cinematic shots! Oh how I want this session to be mine…

Real Wedding: Courtney and Jamie

First off, getting the opportunity to feature a Clayton Austin wedding feels a little like winning the lottery. His work is so beautiful and so lovely!

Second, you MUST go check out the story of Courtney and Jamie’s wedding here, on Clayton’s blog. If you have a chance, also read Courtney’s explanation of “Velveteen Rabbit” in the comments section. Um…I totally cried.

Julie and Mike: A Nautical Engagement

Let me tell you what I love so much about this engagement session: Photographer Yuriy Manchik along with his beautiful subjects, Julie and Mike, picked a location that is chock full of details that come naturally to the setting. This old-fisherman-wharf-vibe is really working for me!

Special thanks to Yuriy for graciously sharing the session and a shout out to his fiance, who is a Grey reader!

DIY Hot Air Balloon Kits

I received an email last week from a reader that was desperate to track down the hot air balloons from these photos by Brandon Kidd:

The hot air balloons were a handmade item that I designed and assembled for a workshop/photo shoot last fall. The vintage hot air balloon motif was so much fun to work with and since it might be something you’d like to use for your own shower, wedding, birthday or event (and per last week’s email and a few other inquiries) I’ve put together an Etsy offering for custom DIY Hot Air Balloon Kits. You could even order the stationery suite from MaeMae Paperie!

Also, I wrote an article for The Storque: Etsy’s Handmade Blog that features a collection vintage items for your wedding. It includes lots more photos from this shoot as well as a ton of great vintage finds, so be sure to check it out!

Mother’s Day Picnic

For Mother’s Day this year, we celebrated my mom as well as my sister, who is a mom for the first time this year. I thought I’d share our picnic with you, because I think if you are hosting a small wedding, an outdoor picnic might be a fun alternative to brunch the morning after the wedding. You can even use leftover flowers and decor from your wedding! A picnic might also be a great idea for the afternoon of your rehearsal dinner. Lunch in the park and lawn games with out-of-town guests and family could be the perfect antidote to wedding stress and jitters.

The photos are by T&H Photography and myself. Flowers and styling by Grey Likes Weddings.

For the recipe and photos of these lemon tartlettes we made for the picnic, check out Grey Likes Nesting!

Farm Style Wedding Shoot

Photographer Meghan McSweeney, along with a killer host of vendors, including stylist Lindsay Averette of LK Events and Design, put together a photo shoot set on a farm. I love the soft colored images and the understated elegance of the details. Check out all the awesome vendors below.

Hope you enjoy!

Vendor Credits: Photographer: Meghan McSweeney Photography; Stylist: Lindsay Averette of LK Events and Design; Cake by Laura Reynolds of Buttercream Bee; Flowers: Carolyn Young; Hair and Make-up: Josh Henderson at Mango; Salon dresses and props provided by Pleiades Bridal

Elizabeth and Jake: Engaged

Elizabeth and Jake’s engagement session is particularly special because it incorporates Elizabeth’s great-grandmother and grandmother. Photographer Erin Jean explained:

Elizabeth’s grandma hand quilted a “wedding ring” quilt in the 1920’s for her future great-granddaughter.  That’s the quilt they are laying on.  They are also playing with her grandmother’s camera.  She was an amateur photographer and even started a photography club in Wisconsin long ago!

Wow! What an incredible gift from her great-grandmother! I think that incorporating personal elements and heirlooms like these are a very personal way to add meaningful details into your photographs. Special thanks to Erin Jean Photography for sending over such a beautiful shoot!

Today on…

Today on Grey Likes Nesting, check out Bill and Rebecca’s Love Shoot by T&H Photography!

And on Grey Likes Baby, you must come over and meet Little Miss Olivia, shot by Megan Welker.

Victor Sizemore

I know you’ve seen a few sneaks of our desert shoot, but Victor Sizemore recently sent over his favorite shots from his mentor session that I styled, and you’ve just got to see more! I’m not only completely obsessed with our too-hot-for-words models, but also with Victor‘s work. Despite the consistent backgrounds, each image is unique and jaw dropping!

From the stylist perspective, this project was a HUGE undertaking. We’ve got rugs, living room furniture, an obnoxiously large coffee table (which at one point was under threat of a saw per its over-sized legs), antique chairs, a ladder, and more lighting gear than you’d care to imagine all set up out somewhere in the middle of the Nevada desert. The final result however was well worth the effort. My favorite scene ended up being our big pile of old porch chairs. Who knew that a few zip ties, a ladder, and a hot model in a ruffled dress could make chairs look so good?

Special thanks again to my friend Victor, who was really great to work with. He is endlessly patient and the most adventurous, down-to-earth, out-of-the-box photographer I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And he has great taste in food and bourbon. What’s more to ask for?

Hope you enjoy!