Welcome to the last of our three scenes for our Napoleon and Josephine stylized editorial shoot. Truly, after a long day (and dealing with inclement weather), there were just a handful of us that stayed for the shooting of this scene … even the daylight did not linger.

In my opinion, no reception is complete without a cake (truth be told … dessert bars and creative solutions aside, I just like good old fashioned wedding cake!), and Jennifer England of La Bella Torta provided us with a cake that I am sure Napoleon and Josephine themselves would have coveted. Enjoy this last of our staged scenes, and be sure to visit our other sets by just clicking here.

Special thanks goes out to …

Bowen Jewelry Company for trusting us with their stunning jewelry for the day

Celebration for the tuxedo (and helping us pick the perfect one out!)

Church Street Bridal for the wedding gown (which I dubbed “the cupcake dress”)

elle&anne for their handmade plum headpiece

Interiors by Moyanne for the table, silver candelabra, pedestal, drapes and rug for “The Cake Reception” scene

La Bella Torta – for a cake that is worthy of royalty!

Love Is in the Air for their amazing calligraphy

Petal Flower Company for the fresh and colorful boutonniere

RS Exclusive for the table design and setup

Stone Blue Productions for our amazingly unforgettable photos

SPA 4109 for their wonderful artistry with eyelash extensions (Joellen Perkins), hair (Kate Pitera), makeup (Patty Mattingley) and nails (Jeanine Maxwell)

And of course thanks goes to our models, Gordana Ban (Josephine) and Jordan Sorber (Napoleon) for being wonderfully photogenic and great sports for the day.

Below is a full listing of those involved with the photo shoot:

Project Management Team

Jennifer Prince – Hill City Bride, Project Coordinator/Art Director

Jeremiah Guelzo – Stone Blue Productions, Photographer/Art Director

Crystal George – Crystal George Studios, Artistic Consultant

Michelle Duncan – Church Street Bridal/elle&anne, Style Consultant

Liz Cook – Sincerely, Liz: Photography, Creative Consultant

Hill City Bride Vendors

Bowen Jewelry Company – jewelry

Celebration – tuxedo

Church Street Bridal – gown, headpieces

Michelle Duncan, elle&anne– headpieces

Interiors by Moyanne – drapes, furnishings, rugs

Jennifer England, La Bella Torta – cake artist

Linda Hall and Mary Love, Love Is in the Air – food, calligraphy

Elisha Dudley, Petal Flower Company – bouquet, boutonniere

Sandra Guelzo, RS Exclusive – table design, decor

Sabrena Deal, S Carter Studios – favors

Brad Bennett, Shaking Hands Productions – cinematography

SPA 4109 – Eyelash Extensions (Joellen Perkins), Hair (Kate Pitera), Makeup (Patty Mattingley), Nails (Jeanine Maxwell)

To view more features from our editorial photo shoot, just click here. Next Friday, I have the fun of showing off the behind the scenes photos, which show all of those involved hard at work on our shoot.

Once upon a time, I used to be afraid of heels … truly! I thought I was not coordinated enough nor svelte enough to pull off wearing anything higher than a 2″ heel, but one event in Lynchburg has changed my mind … the CASA Heart and Sole Shoe Sale.

Back up a second so that I can relate this to weddings … oops. Sorry, I just get so excited when I get to talk about events that I love and shoes and statement wearables and … oh, yes, weddings!! A big trend nowadays is to wear the white gown yet accent it with a pop of color. Be it red, green, yellow or plum, it is fun to sneak a bit of a surprise on your feet that coordinates with your wedding scheme.

I HIGHLY, resoundingly, without a doubt recommend shopping at the CASA sale for these statement pieces. Why? Well, first of all, it is an amazing fundraiser for a wonderful organization. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and they help our children … find out more about them by clicking here. They get all of these amazing shoes donated to them, so they are able to sell them at insanely low prices … $10 for sandals, $15 for shoes and $20 for boots (at least those were last year’s prices!) … truly, a great deal while supporting a worthy, local cause.

I started attending (and volunteering at) the shoe sale a few years back, and since then I could not resist purchasing fun and funky shoes for just $15 a pair, so before I knew it, my shoedrobe (shoe wardrobe … I feel the freedom to use made up words when I am talking about something I love!) grew and grew … in both numbers of pairs and heel heights. Now I adore wearing the highest of heels, but don’t get me wrong as the shoe sale has all sorts of sensible and practical shoes, too.

So, all in all, when it came to needing shoes for the shoot, I was excited that the model had the same shoe size I do, so I actually own the cuties that were worn for the pictorial. If you want a few pairs of your own, I suggest attending this year’s sale, which takes place at the Lynchburg Armory on April 8, 9 and 10. Honestly, it is one of my NO miss events each spring as I stock up on shoes for the year.

I hope to see you there, and whether you are shopping for your wedding or just for everyday, I wish you lots of fun and luck at the sale!

Still reading? Ok, ok … here is a facebook link to my pictures from last year’s sale. Enjoy looking at some of my friends along with my new finds for shoes (you will see the ones in the pictures in there, too!!). Just click here to look at my 2010 CASA Shoe Sale photos. A sneak peek into my life! Oh, and do not forget to enter our giveaway that ends tomorrow!!

Editorial Shoot Project Management Team

Jennifer Prince – Hill City Bride, Project Coordinator/Art Director

Jeremiah Guelzo – Stone Blue Productions, Photographer/Art Director

Crystal George – Crystal George Studios, Artistic Consultant

Michelle Duncan – Church Street Bridal/elle&anne, Style Consultant

Liz Cook – Sincerely, Liz: Photography, Creative Consultant

Editorial Shoot Participating Hill City Bride Vendors

Bowen Jewelry Company – jewelry

Celebration – tuxedo

Church Street Bridal – gown, headpieces

Michelle Duncan, elle&anne– headpieces

Interiors by Moyanne – drapes, furnishings, rugs

Jennifer England, La Bella Torta – cake artist

Linda Hall and Mary Love, Love Is in the Air – food, calligraphy

Elisha Dudley, Petal Flower Company – bouquet, boutonniere

Sandra Guelzo, RS Exclusive – table design, decor

Sabrena Deal, S Carter Studios – favors

Brad Bennett, Shaking Hands Productions – cinematography

SPA 4109 – Eyelash Extensions (Joellen Perkins), Hair (Kate Pitera), Makeup (Patty Mattingley), Nails (Jeanine Maxwell)

Please click here for more of this stunning editorial photo shoot.

The Hill City Bride advertisers are SUCH a fun group, and I want you to know more about them (ok, this was also my sneaky way of finding out more about them myself, too!). They are a great group of people, and I really feel like we have a Hill City Bride family … I love it!

The concept behind “10 in 10″ is to answer all 10 questions within 10 minutes using 10 words or less. Enjoy getting to know a little bit more about Leecy Fink of Celebration (and Tresca on 8th, too, but that is a different post!). I actually found out a lot about Leecy that I did not know through her answers.

Here is a little bio about Celebration: What makes Celebration so unique is that we are the only full service bridal salon in Central Virginia. You will find that planning your entire wedding with us, from start to finish (the gown, bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen apparel) will be easier than you could have ever imagined due to our excellent team approach. We can’t wait for you to become a part of the Celebration experience!

10 in 10 by Leecy Fink

What is the one thing you miss about being a kid? Bike riding without being sore afterwards.

Do you have any phobias? Fear of having 10 word or less answers.

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? I would have Leecy be my biological name.

Cats or dogs? Neither – not an animal person. Pet Rock would be fine.

Name one thing on your “bucket list”. Take a honeymoon with my hubby.

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do? Firebreather or a Sword-Swallower or both.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Don’t really like ice cream.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? Approximately – 20 pair of Clarks. All Frumpy.

Facebook or Twitter? Yes, you must choose. Facebook.  Don’t like Twitter.

What would be the title of your autobiography? Motherhood, Life’s Biggest Guilt Trip

Below are a couple of photos of the crew of gals at Celebration (and Tresca on 8th, which is where these photos were taken!). In the first pic from L-R is Leecy, Tara, Jessica and Rebecca. I just had to throw the second photo in to show you how fun and amazingly wonderful these ladies are … they will take great care of you and make your experience a fun and positive one as you pick the gown that reflects your style and personality on your special day.

Again, just click here to check out Celebration. Thanks to Sam Stroud Photography for the images of these beautiful ladies.

Whether it is a delectable food spread made especially for a gourmet magazine or a staging of an already established home, many teams of people express their creativity through deriving the perfect scene to photograph. You can open the pages of many modern magazines, and you will see what is the result of stylized photo shoots.

When I entered the wedding blog world, I enjoyed viewing beautifully done weddings and even breathtaking editorials, and I thought it would be amazing to derive an editorial shoot of Hill City Bride’s own. I knew it would be a lot of fun in addition to bringing a new dimension to the blog.

First I went to Jeremiah Guelzo of Stone Blue Productions, and we started to plan, plan, plan. We threw around a few theme ideas, but I knew that with the title of my blog being Hill City Bride (Lynchburg is the Hill City) and the shoot being brought to life in the pages of Lynchburg Living, it needed to tie in specifically to Lynchburg.

I thought of all sorts of ideas, but then I remembered that the Hill City has a sister city in France, which is Rueil-Malmaison. When I did a little research, I discovered that the couple Napoleon and Josephine resided there, and thus an idea was born … an idea that included a love story, a dilapidated building and a regal and rich feel. The theme was set in motion.

Then entered Liz Cook of Sincerely, Liz: Photography, and we brainstoremed some more. Our wonderfully formulated Project Management Team was rounded out with Michelle Duncan of Church Street Bridal and Crystal George of Crystal George Studios. We did things like take “field trips” to Church Street Bridal to look at potential wedding dresses, scout locations in the rain and have a great night of model casting calls to find our royal pair … such great memories, and we all had so much fun together.

I could not have asked for a more perfect group of people to help plan this editorial shoot, and for the implementation of the idea there was no other choice than the trusted vendors of Hill City Bride. I can’t wait to brag on all of the amazing vendors who worked hard to bring the vision to reality in the next posting … they are listed in credits for you at the end. Also, as a side note, I wanted to mention that the stemmed glasses belonged to the grandparents of Jeremiah … he was so intricately involved in the project, and I love how his family’s history was included in our shoot.

Enjoy this first of three image groupings. This one is entitled “The Sitting Room”, and it is a staged scene depicting Napoleon and Josephine. Napoleon was quite the writer of love letters, so we focused a bit on their timeless love and the affections Napoleon had for Josephine.

The Sitting Room

Special thanks goes out to …

Bowen Jewelry Company for the lending of their beautiful, vintage jewelry

Celebration for the tuxedo (minus our handmade ascot, which I believe was a napkin!)

Church Street Bridal for the wedding gown (which I dubbed “the cupcake dress”)

elle&anne for their handmade headpieces (ivory and dark plum … the green and burgundy one is from the collection of Crystal George) and help with the ascot

Interiors by Moyanne for the drapes, furnishings, rugs and major accessories for The Sitting Room scene

Love Is in the Air for their amazing calligraphy and some minor accessories for our set

Petal Flower Company for the fresh and colorful bouquet and boutonniere

RS Exclusive for their help in staging (and also being on ascot duty!)

Stone Blue Productions for our amazingly unforgettable photos

SPA 4109 for their wonderful artistry with eyelash extensions (Joellen Perkins), hair (Kate Pitera), makeup (Patty Mattingley) and nails (Jeanine Maxwell)

And of course thanks goes to our models, Gordana Ban (Josephine) and Jordan Sorber (Napoleon) for being wonderfully photogenic and great sports for the day.

Below is a full listing of those involved with the photo shoot:

Project Management Team

Jennifer Prince – Hill City Bride, Project Coordinator/Art Director

Jeremiah Guelzo – Stone Blue Productions, Photographer/Art Director

Crystal George – Crystal George Studios, Artistic Consultant

Michelle Duncan – Church Street Bridal/elle&anne, Style Consultant

Liz Cook – Sincerely, Liz: Photography, Creative Consultant

Hill City Bride Vendors

Bowen Jewelry Company – jewelry

Celebration – tuxedo

Church Street Bridal – gown, headpieces

Michelle Duncan, elle&anne– headpieces

Interiors by Moyanne – drapes, furnishings, rugs

Jennifer England, La Bella Torta – cake artist

Linda Hall and Mary Love, Love Is in the Air – food, calligraphy

Elisha Dudley, Petal Flower Company – bouquet, boutonniere

Sandra Guelzo, RS Exclusive – table design, decor

Sabrena Deal, S Carter Studios – favors

Brad Bennett, Shaking Hands Productions – cinematography

SPA 4109 – Eyelash Extensions (Joellen Perkins), Hair (Kate Pitera), Makeup (Patty Mattingley), Nails (Jeanine Maxwell)

Please click here for more of this stunning editorial photo shoot.

For those of you who are not familiar with what a “blogiday” is … join the club! I only recently heard of bloggers taking a “blogging holiday” (hence, blogiday), which is basically a holiday from blogging. Well, instead of leaving the blog stagnant for a week, I decided to post some oldies but goodies since many of you are new followers since the inception of Hill City Bride. I am taking the week of Thanksgiving off from blogging in order to spend some time with my family, and I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ok, well maybe “with a twist” is not the only blog title description we could use … it could be a twist, a wrap or a tuck. Let us introduce you to the most fantastic idea for bridesmaids’ dresses ever. Behold, the convertible dress by Butter by Nadia.

A covertible dress can be worn in a plethora of ways (they say 15!), which is sure to delight any attendant. These dresses are available in two fabric choices (jersey and satin), and they are designed to fit ladies from size 2 to 16 … as in one dress will fit a size two or a size sixteen!!  Imagine not having to fret over sizing and alterations.

One of the best features about this gown is the fact that a bride can choose her color, and then let her bridesmaids decide how they want to wear the dress. It gives women the choice to express their own personal style while still being congruent with the other attendants. In our opinion, it is a win-win for both the bride and her bridesmaids!

The Signature Jersey dress (in red below) comes in 27 colors, and the  Signature Satin dress (in gray below) has 22 available colors.

Lastly we wanted you to see this cute dress, the LuLu Dress, that can be worn four ways. What an adorable dress for a bridesmaid or even for someone attending a wedding as a guest. Many of Butter by Nadia‘s designs are convertible, and we would love for you to check them out.

Although these are not available in Lynchburg (yet), check out Church Street Bridal and Church Street Couture along with Celebration Bridal for your special occasion dressing needs. Also, don’t forget about our giveaway!!

*All photos are property of  Butter by Nadia.*