If you have ever been thinking of putting together a styled shoot, be prepared to work.  Not a little bit of work either – a lot, BUT if you have a wonderful group of talented people to work with, like I did, you won’t just be happy with the outcome.  You will be elated, like I was!

I love everything about this shoot.  The makeup, the clothes, the hair, the models, the locations…EVERYTHING.  I’m not kidding, I really do.  So much so, that I am going to try to top it in a few months, but you’ll just have to wait for more on that later.  ;)

Back in December, I emailed a friend of mine who happens to be a stylist / personal shopper and has the best wardrobe I have ever seen.  This girl’s shoes alone are to die for, no joke!!  I’m serious.  I wouldn’t kid about shoes.  ;)  I asked Angela if she would be interested in working with me on an idea that I had.  Yay!  She happily agreed!

Next stop, makeup.  At the end of last year, I had been looking for a makeup artist to work with on my senior shoots.  I found Laura on Facebook, emailed her and we met in January.  I knew it would be a stretch for her to do the styled shoot.  We just met and here I am asking her to do a bunch of work and not get paid.  I asked anyway and Yay!  She happily agreed!  Of course, how could she have turned me down?  I mean really, it’s like we were separated at birth.  We are so eerily similar, but in a good way though!  :)

Fast forward to March, location decided on, models chosen, props made, many emails / meetings later – shoot day finally arrives.  Seeing all of your hard work come together, for all us, was such a great feeling.   Part of me was nervous because I knew that at the end of the day, it was up to me to make everyone else’s hard work look good and come to life in these pictures, but at the same time, I was strangely calm and not at all worried.

We met at the Wayfarer Hotel for hair and makeup.  This little hotel was so incredibly cool!  If you ever find yourself in Monroe, Ga, you must stay in their suite!  Oh come on, you know you have been dying to check out Monroe!

So this is where I leave you today, with us all getting ready for the shoot and the behind the scenes.

Savannah & Candace getting their makeup done.

Gretchen’s turn in the makeup chair!

The suite at the Wayfarer.  “We have to go back!!”

On the right, the rings that I HAD to purchase.

I saw these on Etsy and immediately had to scoop them up for the shoot.  Love these little guys!

Shout out to Teri – Thanks for the mirror!  ;)

Lastly, my “dream” team.

L to R:  Angela Jackson (stylist), Gretchen Fortin (model), Laura Briscoe (makeup), Candace O’Neal (model), little ol’ me, Savannah Roach (model) and Casey Arnold (hair).

Ok, so there is your peek behind the curtains.  Now, you have to come back to see all the magic happen!

hmmm - suddenly this sounds like an MTV “Cribs” episode.  Odd.