In late 2018, I reached out to a fellow wedding industry friend (Brittney from Great Lakes Event Planning) about putting together a Styled Wedding together. From the very beginning, I knew exactly the vibe and atmosphere I wanted to create. For me, it was not just an event for a beautiful display of work, but an opportunity for wedding vendors to connect with others from across the industry.
Since I have been in this industry for just about a decade, I knew that in order to capture the attention of fellow vendors, I had to present them with my unbreakable excitement + passion about what I do. Most of us, no matter our craft, are visual beings. So the night before our first meeting with Nicole from The Roostertail, I spent hours printing out photos + creating a vision board to present to them. I was inspired so much by this creative downtime, that I immediately came up with our events name, SOMETHING BLUE.
Brittany + I spent countless hours reaching out to our wedding industry favorites to bring this vision to life. Once we had our team together, we took our super adorable model to see Katerina at Katerina Bocci Designs. It was then that she hand created a custom couture gown for Olivia, right before our eyes! If you ever want to talk to someone that fills the room with honesty, passion, and life- go talk to Katerina! She was nothing short of inspirational!
It was so important to me to have a REAL couple as our models. Olivia + Evan are young, vibrant + full of energy + love for one another! Their playful + upbeat relationship truly inspired me throughout this shoot! Not to mention, how incredibly dedicated they were to us. So much so, they showed up photo ready the day after Evan’s 21st birthday celebration looking absolutely flawless!
During the planning process, I was honored enough to have a few photographers reach out looking for a chance to learn + grow. So I gladly invited four fellow photographers for a free mentorship! While the day was crazy (literally window shaking 50 mile per hour winds!), and a little hectic, I am SO incredibly grateful for this opportunity! Together with an amazing list of vendors (see below), we created a little piece of art that will stay with us for years to come. <3
Xoxo,
Mel.
Photographer + Design: Mel Anne Photography LLC
Venue: The Roostertail , Detroit
Event Planner: Great Lakes Event Planning
Gown: Katerina Bocci Designs
Tuxedo: Wesner Tuxedo
Hair Artist: Lauren CloudÂ
Invite: Invitations By Caitlin
Make-up Artist: Magy Corbett
Spray Tan: Sun Bunny Spray Tans
Nail Art: Dreams Nail Studio
Florist: The Rustic Root LLC
Rentals: Linen Hero
Jewelry: Birmingham Jewelry
Leather Earrings: The Pretty Pieces Shop
Videographer: 3rd Street Films
Cake: A Slice of Heaven- Cakes by Kristin
Men’s Barber: Weston Arch
Female Model: Olivia Arch
Male Model: Evan Cloud
Mentorship Photog Contributors: Krista Willerick, Ashley Banahene, Jessica Nosal, + Chelsea Burton
Behind the scenes at Something Blue….
On February 24th, a group of extremely talented wedding vendors in the Detroit area, came together for one collective goal:Â Create something magical!
From the floral, to the three different hair changes, every last detail was carefully thought out. Each member’s craft was selected for their undeniable passion for what they do. Watching the excitement + creative juices flow through these talented people, was truly an honor to witness.
My ultimate goal was to create an atmosphere of community among wedding vendors across the industry. In the 2 short weeks since we all met face to face, I have watched countless connections grow, and that, that to me is GOLD.
I hope that the men + women that contributed to Something Blue will not only walk away with the experience, but a team of friends + neighbors cheering them on through the ups + downs of life + business. <3
To the amazing group of vendors that made this all possible; I cherish each + every one of you and can’t wait to work with you again in the future! #weddingvendorsunite