One day I was staring at my portfolio, LOVING the humans I had photographed, but feeling so damn disconnected and burnt out (I know any creative goes through this slump at least once a year). I wanted dark, bold, and non-traditional imagery. I knew the work I wanted to produce wasn’t going to just land on my doorstep – I HAD to hunt it down.

So after months of feeling disconnected and uninspired – one day in July it hit me. Bridal + Dark Romance + STEAMPUNK (aka my secret guilty pleasure that I’ve been obsessed with since 7th grade).

BINGO – MY FIRE WAS ALIVE.

To be honest, I was COMPLETELY terrified to bring this idea to fruition. It was dark, dramatic, and full of details that the wedding industry doesn’t broadcast much of.

I’m not at all the first person to have a unique idea for a styled shoot, but as a photographer in the South, it is so rare to see anything other than lace and blush grace the pages of a magazine.

As a creative, there are opportunities that may fail or flourish, but if the journey is embraced, they can bring you to your true purpose. Before this shoot, I had no clue what my ‘purpose’ was. I was just trying to blend in, play it safe, and putt out vibes that made me ‘likable’ to just about everyone.

After this styled shoot, I declared “screw it!” and I went down the path less traveled with my business.

The team of creatives, artists, and straight up badasses that made this shoot come to life blew me away. I’ve never felt more connected to an idea or to a group of humans more than I did on this day. This shoot ignited my love for the non-traditional, avant-garde, and passion-fueled couples whose love stories resemble a walking art piece and I’m SO glad I get to share that passion with all of you!

Photography – Rebecca Stone Photography | rebeccastonephotography.com

Dress – RCB Fashion | rcbfashion.com 

Cake – Craft Cakes CLT | craftcakesclt.com

Florals – P.A. Reavis Designs | pareavisdesigns.com

Event Decor & Design – Evermore Event Company | evermoreeventcompany.com

Invitation Suite – Charming Chestnuts | charmingchestnuts.com

Hair – B + Co by Brittany Byrd | bandco.com

Makeup – Teri-Lyn Heroshige | terilynheroshige.com

Jewelry – The Antiquarian | theantiquarian.co

Calligraphy – Ada Carlevatti | @bada10

Bride & Groom – Abbey Allen and Alan Malpass