Hey guys, it’s Brooke (@brooke.mos) hopping on the blog to tell you all about this magical evening. I like to refer to this event as the never-ending wedding workshop. Before writing this post I scrolled through my inbox, I found an email dated September 25th, 2019 that’s almost TWO years from today. This was the first email I exchanged with Sierra to begin planning a Stay Close Wedding Workshop, little did we know a storm was brewing in the form of a global pandemic. We watched with excitement as attendees began signing up for a three-day workshop that we would later spend countless hours morphing into a plan B, C, D and E.

The Planning Phases

It’s safe to say that as hosts and human beings we learnt a lot. In March of 2020 we held one piece of a puzzle, using guesswork to figure out the rest of the picture. We made some very tricky decisions, some right, some wrong. We challenged one another’s perspectives, often feeling lost in the moment. Throughout the entire process we kept asking our guests for their input. I was so adamant about honoring our commitment to our attendees, even if that commitment had to look a little different. In fall of 2020 we stopped postponing and decided to get with the times and move the workshop online. However, we did so with the plan to host a part two of the workshop in late 2021.

I want to thank Megan Steen, Sierra Pries, Kass Donaldson and every vendor who was a part of the workshop from plan A thru to plan E. As you scroll through this post know that the photographs do not represent the efforts of everyone involved.

September 14, 2021

Now, let’s lighten up the conversation and talk about the pure joy and magic of September 14th. Sierra Pries, Kass Donaldson and myself FINALLY hosted part two of the never-ending Stay Close Wedding Workshop. I really should have written this blog post that night because we were all high on excitement. After two years of planning we felt proud as hell with the end results. All the emails, surveys and updates seemed to blur together into the most beautiful evening, let me walk you through it.

Image credit: All photographs captured in this post were taken by Aislynn Palmer, Sierra Pries and Brooke Mos.

1. Our Lovely Couples

Shayna and David were our first STUNNING couple. I mean common’, look at these two! Kass Donaldson styled them in fall tones, including cozy sweaters and denim. She also added vintage cameras and a wooden stool to the shoot to create a wider variety of shots. 

Next Justine and Carlos rocked their beautiful wedding wear. We were so lucky to have the chance to photograph this gorgeous couple. Everyone was obsessed with Justine’s wedding dress that had the most amazing and elegant bow feature down the back.

2. Make-Up

Zayla (@zaylamakeupartistry) did Shayna’s make-up for the event. She did an incredible job! See for yourself in the photo above.

3. Arches

We definitely owe a huge thank you to Kass’ mom and grandpa who helped us with transport and set-up, including these colour block arches. These arches were initially designed for Kass’ wedding and we were able to repurpose them for this shoot. If you love them as much as I do, definitely check out @coolthingsstudio! Kass’ mom and Grandpa are now selling custom arch orders.

4. Lanterns

These beautiful wicker lanterns were sourced from @trenddecor. They were the perfect addition to our arch set-up. As the light began to fade we lit the lanterns, which created such a relaxed ambience.

5. Pampas

@poshpampas took our archway set-up to a whole new level. The arrangement she made was straight outta my pinterest dreams.

6. Fresh Florals

Kirsty, owner of @strawberrylaneflowers, made the most beautiful bouquet and boutonniere for the workshop. She also provided us with an array of florals to use throughout our tablescape.

7. Cake

Can we talk about this cake for a second??? Cassidy and Johanna from @cassidyandjohannascakes completely exceeded our expectations.

8. Food

Our attendees were completely spoiled with these amazing charcuterie boxes. We ended the night snacking on these beautiful and ridiculously tasty @apero.boards.

9. One Awesome Videography Team

This amazing duo hopped on board at the last minute. Mat (@thecarvie) and Ais (@aislynnpalmer) responded to an insta story I posted 24 hours before the event. I can’t wait to see how they captured the evening 🙂 .

To end the night we all gathered around a candlelit table for punch, cake and snacks. It was such a beautiful moment of community. Together we celebrated, that at last our plans A thru E led us to this magical night.

Hosted by: 

@brooke.mos

@sierrasavannahf

@kassdonaldson

 Vendors: 

@poshpampas 

@coolthingsstudio

@apero.boards

@strawberrylaneflowers

@trenddecor

@zaylamakeupartistry

 Models: 

Justine + Carlos

Shayna + David

Videography Team:

@thecarvie

@aislynnpalmer

Location

Bird’s Hill Park, Manitoba, Canada. 

What’s Next?

Our next wedding workshop will be hosted in Banff National Park in May of 2022! To learn more check out the workshop page here → https://www.stayclose.ca/wedding-workshop

We will also be releasing our very first pre-recorded photography education course this fall. For more details check out Evergreen here https://www.stayclose.ca/evergreen

 

10. More Behind the Scenes of our 2020 Wedding Workshop