Raw Hawaii styled shoot: The story

Grace Flowers decided to spend the new year with a new look. We had been discussing for quite some time how we needed to do a styled shoot incorporating palm sheaths. We tossed and turned over ideas on exactly what shape they would take...part of an arch? Suspended over a table? As part of the tablescape? We also had on hand some bleached hanging amaranth and deep blood red glassware. We started with colors revolving around tan, beige, ivory and evolved to encompass mustard yellow, green and red tones.

We knew that we wanted a very earthen and wild look. Alison's father and brother cranked out a farm table in one day just for the shoot...

Here we are drafting our ideas on the blank canvas of a table. We also drew inspiration from a wide assortment of tropical fruits including cacao, rambutan, durian (that amazing texture...but not the smell!!), cherimoya, longan and fresh ginger root.

The bridal bouquet adorned with a paphiopedilum orchid, cymbidium orchids, vanda orchids, rattlesnake ginger, kangaroo paw, banksia, anthurium, lilac, peonies, roses, nandina foliage and flowers for flair, and on focal front the half-ivory, half-green monstera leaf.

And all the while, Mika slept peacefully.

We wanted to show off the wilder side of Hawaii with steep cliffs that waves crash against and a more forested backdrop of ironwood trees and an unforgiving terrain of needles, seed cones and rocky outcrops. Alison has the perfect place in mind...

We were so lucky that Alicia with Four Elements Media agreed to participate in this collaboration with us...

The final result was well worth all the prep that went into this shoot! (More pics to come)