Transcendental Inspired Springtime Vignettes at Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield, Connecticut
At my heart I am an artist, all creatives are; and, how fortunate am I that my creative practice resonates with others and I have the opportunity to design wedding flowers for so many incredible couples. With that in mind I do at times wonder if my voice can get lost in the jumble of bringing other’s visions to life…but, isn’t that also the point of being in a service field? Your voice isn’t the most important? Lofty theoretical (and annoying ones at that ) aside, I was able to take time last spring to work with some of my favorite vendors and past clients to bring together a mini-photoshoot aimed as bringing my voice back to the forefront of my designs.
As a junior in high school I fell in love with the philosophy of transcendental and romanticism poets and philosophers, it was rather humorous watching a 16 year old fumble over the meanings buried deep into these incredible words but, something stuck and I have been chasing their stanzas ever since. So, when I had the opportunity to host a photoshoot at Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield I knew the inspiration would spring forth from these writers and inform the designs brought to life. In total I crafted three installations and two bouquets to create a myriad of mix-and-match vignettes for Mindy from Mindy Briar Photography to capture. Our day was spectcular and brought together the creative minds of some of the top wedding vendors in Connecticut to create a stunning array of wedding-esque moments.
The wonderful bit about June is that is high time for locally grown Connecticut flowers and, much to my delight 90% of the flowers we worked with for this shoot came from local farms across the state. Only 10% came from a partner farm in California but the roses they grow are just better! Delightful and dainty peonies hailing from Canton, CT a smattering of foliage and ranunculus hailing from Westport, and the other goodies from New Haven county, there was truly no shortage of locally and sustainably grown flower beauty within the photos. It is hard for me to come up with concise pros to express the magnitude of this project. It was the first time since my senior year of college I allowed myself and opportunity to create with reckless abandon…mostly because that is a dangerous opportunity to give someone! However, I found peace and restoration in my day of work and was able to bring to life floral visions that have long been haunting me!
By now it should be obvious but, I will say it again. This afternoon of floral designing, experimenting, and photo capturing brought immense joy and energy back to my creative spirit and was the perfect start to our incredible 2024 season. Re-uniting with vendors, who are more like friends, and past clients who we love made the experience all the more special and personal. I am unsure when I will allow myself an opportunity like this again but, for now I look back at these photos take stock of how they make me feel and exhale happily knowing I spent time crafting floral compositions for me, for once.
Photoshoot Team
Photography: Mindy Briar Photography
Hair and Make-up: Nicrugg Makeup
Florist: Three Roots Floral Design
Venue: Keeler Tavern
Dress #1: Dalliance Gowns
Dress #2: Vintage Jessica McClintock
Floral Sourses: Rooted Farmers, Connecticut Flower Collective, Rose Story Farm
