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Garden Party Behind the Scenes

Photos 26
Our staging area—a lounge and bathroom under the big house at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens—turns into an impromptu jewelry shop for the two-day shoot.Shoes from the Shoe Fairy…and boots for walking across fields wet with morning dew!We wanted to play with hair baubles this time around……and show brides updated ways to wear traditional tiaras.The big accessory find of this issue? These killer monogram hair pins from Charleston’s own hairstylist Tanesha Dupree. We saw them in a show for Maddison Row and Bella Bridesmaid, and asked for them for the shoot. Perfect for “something blue!” To order, visit her site, www.affairhairbytanesha.com.Model Stephanie and style director Ayoka—style sisters!Ashley Brook Perryman gives Stephanie a glow with a little cheek stain.See how Ashley tucked the tiara into Stephanie’s updo? Instant glam without going over the top.Garden Party Behind the ScenesThis dress from Wtoo was one of our favorites. As for all the hairknots throughout the story? We wanted to show the variety within the same basic idea. Aside from that, Ashley’s goal was a “slept-in princess” vibe.Morning on the back lawn at Magnolia Plantation. It’s all in how you frame it! It always cracks me up all the screens and behind the scenes folks that factor into what looks like a solitary shot.This tiara was a bejeweled headband that Ashley tucked into Stephanie’s hair so just the rhinestones and beading were showing.We shot this “spring” story in December, which meant cold mornings (thus the quilt, held by style assistant Angelika, jacket, and sweater). Lucky us, a warming snap hit and even the azaleas were blooming. It looked—and felt—like a real Charleston spring.This first morning light and angelic setting gave us this issue’s cover.Photographer Jorg Meyer, style director Ayoka Lucas, and me, the crouching editor (Melissa Bigner) stalk a good angle. My big job? Hold down some wayward sprigs that were in the shot. Little did we know we had nailed the cover with this one.Magnolia is ripe with photogenic settings, like this Chinese red bridge by the atrium. The mix of the colors and the overgrown vegetation was dreamy! The screen was to bounce light onto her evenly from both sides. See the big clamps on her back? That’s because the sample size was too big and we had to improvise a good fit.Doesn’t it look like a fairytale? Minus our screen, at least?In hindsight, I feel like a jerk with my tea, fleece, scarf and hat when poor Stephanie is bare-skinned! At least she got all the glory? Ayoka and Ashley and I were talking out a detail shot of her pretty braids that were done into a knot and accented with a few fabric flowers.The woods throughout Magnolia are riddled with paths and moss-covered sculptures. The only problem was trying to track down the spots I first found when scouting, this time our shoot entourage! We definitely took the long way around a few times.“Super Model’s Coffee” indeed!I love this little gazebo that’s steps away from Magnolia’s famed white bridge. I’d never seen one fashioned of cast iron and copper before; brides take note—it’s a great spot for portraits!Fine Fork Gourmet Catering and Events provided food for us on the shoot and we were nuts over their boxed lunches! Definitely check them out for a caterer or stop by the café on 61, just before all the plantations.Molly Hutter, the new Weddings mag ed assistant pitches in with a little photo assisting.Jorg and I review shots while Ayoka and Ashley do some touchups.Close to the last shot means boot time for Stephanie! Jorg is fretting about the setting sun—it went down around 5 p.m. and Stephanie’s ride to the airport was on the way.And it’s a wrap. A silly one.

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