Let’s travel back to a time when men were chivalrous and retro was fabulous. Not to say that retro hasn’t always been and will always be fabulous .. it’s timeless. Especially today. We love seeing vintage styled shoots from Brent and Anna of Live View Studios because they pay attention to and rock every single detail! This romantic, retro, Hollywood glam styled shoot is no exception. Especially since this couple’s shoot was also a surprise, styled proposal .. one that made magical headlines! While not a true proposal, it’s a fabulous idea for any gentleman out there looking to pop the question with added pizzazz!

{Behind the Lens with Brent and Anna} Our goal with this shoot was to bring back that old vintage romance feel .. where men were chivalrous, and couples would get dressed up in fancy clothes to go out traveling with each other .. or as in the case of our shoot, even for something as simple as a picnic in the park. We wanted a whimsical, magical element as part of the shoot as well, which was why we decided to have the headlines change on the newspaper throughout – telling the story as it happened in this styled proposal.

Laura is stunning in a 70s period Gunne Sax dress {brand that was bought by Jessica McClintock in the 60s). This dress fit Laura to a T and combined with Zach’s suit, hat, and suspenders, brought this Hollywood-glam couple’s session to life. A handmade birdcage veil and strings and strings of pearls evoke vintage romance.

Laura and Zach make a beautiful couple and these photos truly seem like their actual proposal. We like to say that we gave Zach a practice run, and are looking forward to hearing when he asks for the real deal. :) When we met, Laura proudly showed us the promise ring Zach gave her, and that was the ring that was used for the shoot.

Why do we like to shoot and style vintage? Because it’s timeless. No matter what critics may say, vintage and retro never goes out of style. How it is implemented into the present-day fashion and style may change, but it lives on. There’s a kind of ‘feel good’ thing that happens when people integrate vintage into their style .. the same feeling you get when you remember your favorite childhood toys from growing up. Everything seems and feels simpler and less complicated when you view it in the past, and that’s why we fall in love with it. 

The second purpose of this shoot is to encourage more couples to have their proposals photographed (Hey guys, are you listening?) It’s such a pivotal moment in a couple’s love story. Either behind the scenes or as a couple’s session turned surprise proposal, we are happy to arrange a way to make her “Yes” into images you’ll treasure forever.

We are loving that dress, the handmade birdcage veil and miles of pearls. Not to mention the sweet treats. ;) And doesn’t Zach look dapper in his three-piece suit? Such an adorable couple who met at their favorite country club a little more than two years ago. Simply perfect for each other in so many ways, we hope it won’t be long before we hear Zach’s popped the question for real! :)

A special thank you to Brent and Anna of Live View Studios for sharing this fabulously styled session with us today!

-

Live View Studios is a member of our Vendor Boutique. For more information on how to join our growing family, click here.

Makeup & Hair: Michelle Clark

Who here likes surprises? I’ll be honest – I do and I don’t. I love the moment a surprise is revealed and obviously the thought behind one, but I hate knowing about one beforehand. The whole, “I have a surprise for you – soon!” Knowing it’s coming, but not having any other details, is quite possibly the worst feeling in the world. Even though I’m totally guilty of doing this to people all. the. time. Ha-ha! Oops.

However, if you can put together a fabulous surprise and pull it off? You earn big points in my book! And that’s exactly what Nathan did here. He put together and pulled off a fabulous surprise proposal with help from photographer and friend, Heather Mount of Heather Mount Photography. He also earned those big points from me (although he didn’t know that at the time). Especially since this is the first proposal shoot to grace the pages of our lovely blog! Pretty darn fabulous, if I do say so myself.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here…

Nathan met Hazel in college. They were in the same entrepreneurship class and about to start a large project. The teacher asked all the students to mingle and form groups with people they didn’t already know. That was all the prompting Nathan needed to introduce himself to Hazel. They didn’t wind up working in the same group, but the introduction was meaningful all the same. Even if Hazel didn’t immediately recognize him when they ran into each other in the cafeteria a few weeks later. (Oops.) He remembered her name though, which was a rarity as he was usually very bad with names and faces. But after a quick reintroduction, they hit their stride in conversation. They had a lot in common, especially in their commitment to their church and faith. Both were very (but secretly) impressed to learn that the other would be on a missions trip (him to Mexico, her to New Orleans) for spring break. Their relationship blossomed upon their return (a good amount spent on a bench outside of the business building on campus), and the rest, as they say, is history… Until it came time to propose that is.

I’ll let Heather take it from here as she did such a wonderful job recounting the day for me!

{Behind the Lens with the wonderful Heather of Heather Mount Photography} For engagements, my first and foremost goal is to capture the couple’s actual relationship – how they make each other laugh, how they interact, and how they show each other love. I find that walking, talking, and getting to know them is a big part of that, so I don’t spend 100% of my time during sessions with my camera on my face. I don’t feel that it’s really possible to capture genuine emotions and natural behavior from two people being directed by a stranger.

That being said, this wasn’t a shoot where I really had that problem. Nate and Hazel started dating when my husband and I did – and we all knew each other and spent time hanging out as couples. When Nate called me, I was pretty sure what I was going to hear – that he was going to propose. However, I was very surprised to hear that he wanted me to be involved! He knew that Hazel loved having pictures of special events, he just didn’t know how to pull it off. I told him I’d figure it out and came up with the “portfolio building shoot” idea a couple weeks later.

We started the session by downplaying their importance, taking shots of their friends and family members who had come down for an hour or so first. For Nate and Hazel’s turn, I got really nervous! Not for what I was about to do – but for what he was about to do! (Did I mention my husband proposed to me about 5 days after this?!) I was, admittedly, a little jealous of Hazel at the time! Once we turned the corner towards our destination, I saw that the sun was in a horrible spot to shoot them sitting on “their bench.” But, the time was right, so I put it behind them, and shot them walking to their bench together. Then I planted myself directly in front of them so I could see her face perfectly, adjusted settings for the harsh sun, and asked Nate to move his coat. He kneeled down, grabbed the ring, and I shot away!

Some brides say they saw it all coming, others claim they were surprised. I know for a fact that Hazel was 100% shocked – and I don’t think it could have gone any better than it did. I love that I got to be a part of something so special. I appreciate being given that honor from two very sweet people.

Isn’t Hazel’s face just priceless? The surprise and shock (and sheer delight) is so very genuine! Makes for a very pretty picture – a woman completely in love with the man about to become her husband! :)

Which brings me to my favorite part of their love story… In the days and weeks and even months leading up to their meeting, both Nathan and Hazel prayed to God to be one with their “singleness.” They prayed that God would prepare their hearts to love and be loved by that one very special person for the rest of their lives. They didn’t know it at the start, but they were praying for each other. It goes to show what a little love and a whole lot of faith can do…

Doesn’t that just melt your heart? Sigh.

A great big thank you to Heather of Heather Mount Photography for recounting the details of and sharing this special proposal shoot of her very good friends with us today!

Happy Monday!

xoxo