Spontaneous. If you know me personally, you will find that I plan things eighty-percent of my time out of a whim. This mini bridal shoot was totally last minute but it is one of my favorite sessions to date. Why is that you wonder? Well, with it being “unplanned”, I was able to bring forward all of my energy, vision, and creative juices into a short amount of time… which means, this session screams “SO. MUCH. FUN!” I encountered John, from Flora and Ephemera, through a connection that allowed him to use the space I currently reside in. All it really took was a gorgeous model (hello Caysie!), a beautiful space, and John’s lush bouquet.

A note from John, owner and florist of Flora and Ephemera.

My inspiration came from a post by one of my favorite floral designers (actually, one of my floral heroines) who had published a recent set of designs in which she used an analogous complementary color scheme of red orange, red, and red violet complemented with green. I moved the green over one notch on the color wheel to be blue green instead, because it is softer and harmonizes colors better.

The red orange is in the peaches and burnt oranges of the roses. The red violet is in the Japanese scabiosa, the oriental lilies, and the dark red-violet ranunculus. The red comes from the pale blush of Cloni ranunculus ‘Hanoi.’ I softened these seeming contrasts with the muted bluish green of the olive branches and dusty miller foliage. The design was further harmonized with bits of ivory and white.

I stayed true to my overall style, which is soft, romantic, and organic in form, but also a little bit wild and unkempt. I liken it to a field of wildflowers, an English cottage garden – even a Minnesota prairie in the height of its summer glory when a similar color scheme can be found in August with the contrasting warm colors of Indian Blanket Flower (Gaillardia puchella), and Mexican Hat Flower (Ratibida columnifera) contrasts with the red-violet of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). This set of seeming contrasts harmonizes will on its own, but even more so with the softer olive greens of wild grasses.

Location: Schmidt Artist Lofts | Model: Caysie | Bouquet: Flora and Ephemera | Dress: Ralph Lauren