By Honeysuckle Homestead’s Heather Daley

“Just to begin and give you a short background, I’ll let you know how Sarah and I were able to be a part of this wedding styled shoot. Sarah and I have grown up in the same small town, Rose Bud, AR, and have known each other our whole lives. Our families go way back, but we only began working together on photoshoots almost one year ago. Since then, we’ve been fortunate to work on countless projects with many great brands, makers, and vendors. Typically we have an ample amount of time to prepare for shoots, but this one fell into our laps rather quickly. The owners of the venue, Meadow on the Mountain, reached out to Sarah after one of the other photographers backed out and asked if she would be interested in attending the styled shoot. Sarah then reached out to me to see if I was available to model for her…of course I was! From that moment we began making phone calls and nailing down plans. We literally found a groom, said yes to a dress, picked up the groom’s attire, booked hair and makeup, and made a trip to Hobby Lobby for all the extras in one day.

1. What was the initial inspiration/reason for having this shoot?
Like I said previously, we weren’t planning on being a part of this shoot, but we are so glad we were given the chance to be. The information we were given prior to showing up was that it was an Italian theme, but that they loved our western-style and wanted us to incorporate that. Then venue owners sent us their Pinterest board to give us a better idea. It was full of lush greenery arrangements and scrumptious charcuterie boards. Sarah knew immediately that she wanted a romantic dress with lots of flow and movement. Once we had the perfect dress, we added all the western accessories and it all blended seamlessly. 

2. Why did you choose the colors you did? (this kind of goes with inspiration, but we just want all the nitty-gritty details!!!!)
We were not a part of the detail selections of the styled shoot, that was all taken care of by the other amazing vendors involved, but we did select the colors mine and the groom’s attire, as well as the stationary/flat lay items. Once we had the dress, which was a beautiful ivory tone, we added Sarah’s wedding hat that she previously wore when she was married. It was made by Herring Custom Hats out of Fort Worth, Texas. Naturally, our next accessory choice was a drop stone turquoise necklace that belonged to my great grandmother. We went with this understated necklace because we had found the most incredible blush pink, fringed earrings that we could not resist. 

Once we had my wardrobe covered, we stopped by one of our favorite local western stores, JR’s Hobby Horse, to see what we could come up with for our last-minute groom. Not only did we not have time to get a suit fitted and ordered for our groom, but we knew that wasn’t the look that we really wanted. We wanted him to look put-together, but also comfortable, so we modeled his look after what Sarah’s husband and his groomsmen wore at their wedding. Just like most cowboys, he had starched jeans, boots, and a black cowboy hat on hand, so we only needed the final touches. Leah, the owner of JR’s, found us the perfect shade of turquoise shirt that perfectly accentuated my necklace. As if that was lucky enough, Leah also had a black suit jacket in-store that was the exact size we needed…can you say fate?! Lastly, we took his look over the top with none other than my grandfather’s turquoise, horseshoe bolo tie. That was the cherry on top!

As soon as we said yes to being a part of this wedding styled shoot, I could see Sarah’s wheels were turning. She had an exact vision of what she wanted her flat lay photos to look like. Hobby Lobby here we come! She knew she wanted to feature a desert landscape on the inside of the envelope (genius idea!) and that is what we built off of. Can you imagine our excitement when we found a turquoise envelope to insert this scene into? I mean, how do you beat desert red rocks and turquoise? Answer: you don’t! Once we had the showstopper of the flat lay, we moved on to the invitation and rsvp card. The goal she had for the invitation was a simple and classic design. A rough edge, linen color paper was the perfect choice, especially when we paired it with the rsvp card that resembled that of worn leather. When we were at the shoot, I could see the pure joy in Sarah’s eyes as she laid out the stationery along with the jewelry, ribbon, and floral pieces. Her vision had come to life! 

3. What was your favorite part of being involved in this shoot?
My favorite part of any shoot is always getting to work with my best friend. We bring out each other’s creativity and are always pushing the boundaries to create something unique and beautiful. My other favorite part of the shoot was getting to meet all the other creatives that put so much thought and time into creating such a fun event. Everyone brings their A-game on these styled shoots and it’s incredible to see the abundance of talent that can fill a space. And let’s be honest, I also loved wearing an insanely gorgeous dress for a few hours. 

4. If you could change/add one thing, what would it be?
I really cannot think of anything that I would change, but if I had to come up with something, maybe that I would’ve known my groom longer than the 1 hour that it took us to drive to the venue. The only reason I say this is to make it a little easier on Sarah and her having to constantly remind us that we were supposed to look like we were in love. By the end, I think we finally got the hang of pretending to be getting married. 

5. How did you pick your vendors?
Obviously, we did not get to do this with all of the vendors, but we couldn’t have picked any better ones if we would’ve had the choice. Our dress shop, The Bridal Cottage, was recommended to us and they were so helpful with our short time frame and they were just as excited as we were to find the perfect dress. JR’s Hobby Horse was our first choice for our groom’s attire and, as always, they did not disappoint. For hair and makeup, we knew we had to ask one of our friends, Laney Goff, to help us out. She created the perfect western braid to go with our bridal hat and I’m pretty sure I need to hire her to do my makeup every day. 

Venue: Meadow on the Mountain (@meadowonthemtn)
    One of the most stunning venues that I’ve ever seen and it has an even more breathtaking view! The rustic elegance of the barn is the perfect backdrop for any wedding style. And to top it off, the owners are some of the most talented and kind people you will ever meet. 

Florals: Spence’s Flowers and Gifts (@spencesflowersandgifts)
    I have never seen so much creativity poured into floral arrangements. They were as unique as they were gorgeous!

Photographer: Sarah Caldwell Photography (@sarahcaldwellphoto)
    Although I’m pretty biased, Sarah is one of the greatest photographers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She is a natural behind the camera and she has the ability to make you feel as natural in front of the camera. 

Dress: The Bridal Cottage (@thebridalcottage)
    They were so accommodating and welcoming. Even though we weren’t their typical ‘bride’, they made sure we were taken care of and that we left satisfied.

Groom’s Attire: JR’s Hobby Horse (@jrshobbyhorse)
    I cannot say enough good things about how helpful and willing they always are when Sarah and I need their help. They always have the best selection of western wear and even better customer service.

Hair & Makeup: Laney Goff (@gofflaney)
    Sarah and I have adopted Laney as our little sister and we are in awe of her talents. We wish her the best of luck as she pursues a career in hair and makeup.

Hat: Herring Custom Hats (@herringcustomhats)
    Clint created this custom hat for Sarah to wear on her wedding day and it could not have turned out better. The design and quality are top-notch.

Stationary: Sarah (Caldwell) Henry (@sarah_a_henry2)
    Her talents and her creativity are never-ending!

Models: Heather Cox (@honeysuckle.homestead) and Joe Paul Freeland (@joepaulfreeland)