On my frequent trips to Indy, I would drive by this retro Motel and think of Alexis. What could have been? Where would she be working? Who would she become? Who would she love?
For those of you who haven’t seen the award-winning sitcom, Schitt’s Creek, first of all, you're missing out. The plot consists of a wealthy family who loses all their money and assets except for a small town they own, Schitt’s Creek. The family moves there, lives out of a motel, and begins to attempt to rebuild their lives.
The show has incredible character development and I’ve fallen in love with each and every one of them. Alexis is the "bratty" youngest daughter watchers come to love and adore. She's dramatic. She's oblivious at times, selfish. Yet, at the same time, she is kind, generous and loyal. She has multiple love arcs in the narrative, but we never see her choose her forever love. So, what if Alexis got married? What kind of dress would she choose? What kind of photo moments would she have? And here's what I came up with...
Alexis is bold, elegant, trendy and sassy. I can hardly imagine her as today's traditional bride. Instead, I imagine her showing off one of her best features, her legs, while donning a luxurious, ornate cape. This gorgeous dress and cape are from the designer Daughters of Simone.
It was really important to me that we honor Alexis and her style through a very luxe dress and lots of accessories. The lead florist and I also knew we wanted the florals to be the star of any “decoration” we might use. What better flower to flood these images than roses for our "Alexis Rose?"
This shoot inspired me in so many different ways. Having only one subject can be a challenge when trying to create connection in a photo that connects viewers to the model behind the camera. I wanted to use florals and other accessories to help strengthen the connection.
Not only that, but a critical piece of the shoot was the motel room, everyone's favorite place to take their bridal portraits. Just kidding! It was such a challenge to shoot a “bridal look” in a motel, while keeping it luxe and Alexis. I love how it came together. Each aspect of this shoot was thought out, even down to the cocktail that Alexis might drink… which of course would be champagne with a splash of Cardinal Spirits Bramble.
One goal of this shoot was to showcase to brides that if you delegate your budget to the right places you can achieve a high end look for less. There are so many local brides who want this luxe look without having to spend thousands of dollars in each area of the wedding planning process. That’s why I firmly believe that if you do invest your money in the right areas you can achieve "boujee on a budget." For example, spend less $$ on your shoes so you can get a dreamy dress. These heels were $24 from Lulu's, but against the dress and accessories, you would never know they were such a bargain.
Madison, the owner of The Frock in Bloomington, IN is amazing. I described this concept to her and she knew the dress to pull and the exact accessories that would complement it. This ensures to any bride that she can help you find your dream dress that fits your unique style and preferences! She is opening her bridal shop in April 2022!
Dani is the lead florist and owner of For the Beauty Floral. FtB serves local brides, and offers florals for weddings, pop-ups and events. I have had the joy of assisting Dani for two years and there was no one better to make this floral vision come to life than Dani! We chose a very clean floral concept, using no greenery, and mostly red blooms. A trend that we will likely see more of in 2022 is a mono stem bouquet, using several of the same flower and no greenery. Dani is a master at ordering the right flowers to make a concept come together beautifully. She is also a killer designer and has the intuition and eye to make all your floral moments pop on your wedding day.
In sum, this Schitt’s Creek inspired bridal shoot was so fun. It was a good creative challenge and inspired me in new ways. I hope we would’ve made Alexis proud.
“Generally speaking, this is like a very cute look for me.” -Alexis Rose
Vendor Team:
Photographer: Ashlyn Peters Photography
Florals: For the Beauty Floral
Motel: Royal Motel, Martinsville IN
Dress and Cape Designer: Daughters of Simone
Tulle socks: Amazon
Shoes: Lulu's
Earrings, Headband, and Dotted Veil: Hushed Commotion
Ring: Heidi Gibson
Cocktail: Cardinal Spirits, Cocktail Creation by: Erica Sagon
MUA & Model: Jenna Peters
Bridal House: The Frock Bridal House
So amazing and fun!!! I absolutely love it!