Being a Professional Makeup Artist, you get the honor of spending the last few hours leading up to the most exciting day of a bride’s life pampering her and calming her nerves. After years of working within the wedding industry making beautiful brides across British Columbia look and feel their absolute best before walking down the aisle, I felt a calling to pour my creative energy into a free-spirited, bohemian-inspired styled vow renewal to celebrate the raw beauty I witness in each wedding that I am a part of.
Being lucky enough to live in British Columbia’s Thompson-Okanagan, the list of vendors available to assist me in this creative journey was that of pure talent. Teaming up with Melissa from White Olive Photography was a match made in heaven. She has a way of capturing raw emotion through her photos and I knew our styles meshed perfectly together. When I presented her with my idea of a free-spirited couple dancing in the hills while renewing their vows, she immediately had dozens of ideas to assist me in making my dream become a reality. Melissa soon pitched the idea of using her long-time friends Josh and Jen as our real-life couple for the shoot. Soon after meeting the pair, I knew we had found the most genuine, deeply in love couple and I couldn’t wait to capture their chemistry on camera. Jen is the most beautiful and unique woman both inside and out, and Josh’s love for Jen can be felt a mile away.
Melissa and I collaborated with Aglow Bridal Lounge to find the perfect dress for Jen. We knew lace and long-sleeves were at the top of our list and the ladies at Aglow provided us with the most breathtaking, intricate gown by Mikaella Bridal that complimented the theme of our shoot perfectly. For Josh’s attire we wanted to keep things clean and simple, so we opted for a pair of khaki dress pants, a white dress shirt, suspenders and burgundy bow-tie from Moore’s Clothing.
When it came to florals, Chelsea from Fern and Frond Floral Design created a one-of-a-kind bouquet and flower crown for Jen that emphasized our earthy color palette and deep burgundy accents. With lush greens and hints of blush, Chelsea’s incredible attention to detail and pure talent provided us with the most delightful florals.
On the day of the shoot, Jen, Melissa and I spent the afternoon singing along to Bob Seger while getting Jen ready. I wanted her makeup look to be timeless and earthy, so we focused on perfecting her skin and creating a look that enhanced her natural features by using warm colors and a pair of fluffy false lashes. Getting to let my creative side run free while creating a bridal look for Jen was just what my soul needed. Jen’s Sister, Melissa Matute, styled Jen’s hair into a half-up, bohemian-inspired style that complimented her gorgeous flower crown beautifully.
We spent that afternoon dancing in the mountains, rummaging through the sagebrush and celebrating Josh and Jen’s love for each other. Folk music could be heard humming in the background, and we even got caught by a train as the sun set behind Kamloops Lake. Getting to collaborate with so many creative souls to create such gorgeous images was truly an honor. I will reminisce on this beautiful afternoon for years to come, and will forever cherish these beautiful images.
– British Columbia Makeup Artist, Cassidy Watt Makeup