an "equestrian chanel" inspired shoot

"themes: classic chanel, upscale country living, equestrian vibe, posh farm life

elements: tweed, ruffles, chains, rosettes, anemones, hay

colors: ivory, cream, black, white, pale peach and pops of red"

when yelena johnson from the stylish soiree sent me those notes regarding a bridal shoot she was designing, i was instantly hooked! having been totally floored by the chanel spring 2010 runway show, she sent me some photos from which i could draw inspiration...i mean, you guys...

the entire runway show revolved around a giant, custom built BARN, complete with the signature chanel logo! there were bales of hay, garlands of greenery and red + white anemones everywhere...it blew me away!! oh yeah, and the clothes were gorgeous of course :)

so thus the inspiration was born!

our actual shoot took place at the brookside equestrian center in walnut, california...yelena did an AMAZING job styling all of the girls' attire, accessories, hair, makeup etc. she also brought in some fab props and rentals to work with...which made my job ten times easier! and kyle + allison of studio 28 photography were a total joy to work with as well - i love their energy!

there were so many other vendors involved so please scroll down to the bottom of the post for a full list of contributors...

here we go!

bridal bouquet of all black + white anemones and fresh blackberry branches, finished in a chanel-inspired tweed fabric, some rustic twine and of course, a couple chanel logo charms (provided by yelena)...

the bridesmaids' attire for the day included brands like forever 21, target and michael kors...yelena purposely wanted to mix high and low fashion to prove that it's all about balance...i think she did SUCH a great job pairing each outfit choice with the appropriate shoes, gloves, hair pieces and jewelry!

closeup shot of the bridal bouquet...

a little black + white anemone boutonniere finished in a rustic twine...

i made the bridesmaid bouquet out of red ranunculas and black + red anemones, and finished it in cream tweed fabric, along with rustic twine and another chanel charm from yelena...

ah, the tablescape...

we went with a khaki russian linen and white hemstitch napkins from wildflower, black plates, cut crystal drinking goblets from me and yelena's own private stashes, a tweed runner (made by yelena) and killer ivory farm chairs...

for the florals, i stuck with all white milkglass vases because i felt they had that farm-house vibe...then i filled them all with red and white ranunculas, red and white anemones and red tulips...

for a couple of the vases, i designed a mixture of white ranunculas, fresh blackberry branches, black + white anemones and some delicate, airy queen anne's lace...

the tights!!! i wanted every pair...

i LOVE these shots with the horse peaking his head out...

cute red placecards hung with mini clothespins from a strip of black lace...

the beautifully hand-crafted paper goods...

i adore this shot...but i do not adore the fact that soon after it was taken, that darn dog ran off with over half of our baked goods that had not even been photographed yet! :(

we created a little picnic area using a blanket, pillows, some rustic crates flipped upside down and a darling rocking chair that yelena found on the side of the road! keep your eyes open people...you never know where you may find your next score!

yelena and allison brought in these beautiful black and white coffee table books...of course all about chanel and paris!

i added some glass bottles of cold milk to one of my rustic crates, along with a vase full of queen anne's lace...

our 2 lone surviving pastries ;) a beautiful blackberry tart and a heart shaped shortbread cookie with raspberry jam...

thank you to everyone who was involved and who brought their talents to such an awesome day!

planning, styling, design - yelena from the stylish soiree

photography - allison and kyle from studio 28 photography

floral design - me :)

stationery - calligraphy katrina + maison du papier

hair/makeup - dedra whitt

wedding dresses - lezu atelier, beverly hills

linens and napkins - wildflower linens

chairs, black glass chargers - party rental king