PSA: I hope you have your Lana Del Ray play list ready for when you scroll through this post!

When Adrienne came to me with this idea, she expressed that she wanted to do a shoot to represent tattooed alternative girls because often times they are not considered in the luxury wedding market. We have this expectation for the light, airy aesthetic of bridal portraits and unfortunately this is the definition of luxury.

Now, if you know me, I’m a big fan of dark and moody photos and an even bigger lover of tattoos. And I always love working with Adrienne, who is a Freelance hair and make up wedding stylist who also works at Reign Beauty. So to say I was excited for this shoot idea that would represent my tattooed brides, would be an understatement.

I had the chance to work with Hannah who is not just an awesome model but a tattoo artist herself. Her art pieces are often colorfully intricate and large pieces with darker themes. She works with Ruby Tiger Tattoo and you can explore her work here! And I also worked with AB, an aspiring interior designer with a spicy personality! She currently works at the little loaf which I had the awesome chance to do some branding for back in the day!

The girls and I gathered at a local dive bar (Will Co Bar) and began an afternoon inspired by Lana Del Ray and Virgin Mary, and a little bit of the Dracula’s Bride vibe. We were inspired by the new Mary and George show and tried to pull set designs off of it. The entire shoot from start to finish was heavily created by Adrienne and a lot of the styling was created by The Muse Bridal styling.

Finding alternative brides fashion proved to be fun. We wanted something that would complement and show off the tattoos on each model and be something atypical to the froofroo tutus most brides wear. You can see there is examples of complicated lace patterns, corset styled tops, puffy sleeve, revealing layers, and the semi off white/stark white gown colors. Some of my favorites are the boudoir styled ones of Hannah with the bridal veil.

The backgrounds of Will Co Bar were muted against the bright bridal gowns. The roses added pops of color and the staging of the props were all carefully curated to bring together the Virgin Mary vision. Together, the dresses, backgrounds, props, etc. all helped to emphasize the beautiful art on all of the models.

Gosh, I’ll probably be dreaming of this shoot for years to come.

Vendors:

Hair/Make Up: Adrienne Duterte

Styling: The Muse Bridal Styling

Dress: White Bridal Boutiques

Venue: Will Co Bar

Videographer: Palm and Oak Media

THREE REGION PHOTOGRAPHY IS A SENIOR AND GRADUATION PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AREA, SERVING SCHOOLS SUCH AS UNC, DUKE, AND NC STATE.