Stephanie Mballo Photography

These images are very special to me.   The images in this post are mine, and the words are from Heidi at Ira and Lucy, who agreed to guest blog this session for me.

A few weeks ago, Stephanie Mballo, a dear friend and fabulous photographer, sent me a facebook message, “I’m just dreaming of an orchard bridal shoot!” I of course jumped at this!!! “YES! Let’s do it!” So, we started collaborating on design, concept and pulling together our A-Team of professional creatives! As I researched and started pooling ideas together that incorporated our furniture, accessories, floral design by my go-to FlowersAtWill botanical stylist, and local wedding gown designer, Daci -  I stumbled upon a poem by Horatio Alger that I felt so perfectly stated the vision for what Stephanie, Will and I were dreaming up!

Title:     Apple-blossoms

I sit in the shadow of apple-boughs,
In the fragrant orchard close,
And around me floats the scented air,
With its wave-like tidal flows.
I close my eyes in a dreamy bliss,
And call no king my peer;
For is not this the rare, sweet time,
The blossoming time of the year?

I lie on a couch of downy grass,
With delicate blossoms strewn,
And I feel the throb of Nature’s heart
Responsive to my own.
Oh, the world is fair, and God is good,
That maketh life so dear;
For is not this the rare, sweet time,
The blossoming time of the year?

I can see, through the rifts of the apple-boughs,
The delicate blue of the sky,
And the changing clouds with their marvellous tints
That drift so lazily by.
And strange, sweet thoughts sing through my brain,
And Heaven, it seemeth near;
Oh, is it not a rare, sweet time,
The blossoming time of the year?

The Williams Fruit Ranch in Emmett, ID established in 1890, set our perfect backdrop. Our goal was for simple elegance, utilizing the natural beauty of the apple-boughs. The stage was set with hand-selected items from our vintage rentals inventory, pulling in the warm wood tones, soft pinks and gold hues. I added some DIY elements to the shoot – spray painting an apple in a soft pearl gold tone, which matched the ornate frame.

“The flowers that surround a bride on her wedding day should never steal the show, but rather compliment her beauty and enhance her elegance. I chose Lilacs, Peonies, Ranunculus, Hydrangea and Dogwood Blossoms for that very reason. I played off the apple orchard setting and went country chic. The bride’s beauty was softly, yet deliberately stunning, so I accented that with soft pastels, bringing in a deliberate pop of color. The arm band of flowers was as unique as the bride was breathtaking. The fresh idea was an elegant play on the eternal wedding concept: the simple band of Lilacs and Dogwood Blossoms continued in a circle with no end, ushering the bride into a marriage with just as much promise.” – Will Heatter, FlowersAtWill

The day of the shoot was sunny and warm and perfect for the dreamy bridal session we had envisioned. It was a dream to photograph and I was lucky enough to be able to capture it all with my camera.”
Stephane Mballo Photography

Local Wedding Gown Designer, Daci featured two of her custom gowns for our bride. Whimsical layers of tulle, intricate lace details and my word the back of the sleek and sexy gown. Could we say perfection! I just love how the light filtered through her veil! I first discovered Daci at the bigWedding Party Show last January and when I walked by her booth I just about fell over in LOVE! Here was a gown designer that had the same deep love for romance, for vintage, for lace and elegance and we have become great friends ever since! Hair and makeup by Behrens Artistryachieved that effortless, yet gorgeous look.