Throughout most of my journey as a wedding photographer, I’ve been a bit disconnected from the wedding world. I know that sounds odd, since I was literally going to weddings every weekend for months on end. The truth is my day-job left me with little time and energy to connect with other wedding professionals. I felt like I was already spending so much time photographing, editing, emailing, marketing, and managing social media in the hours outside of my 9-5 that I barely had time to hang out with my friends and family. I focused my energy on forging connections with my brides and grooms and capturing their special days to the best of my ability. While I don’t regret this and will always focus on having strong relationships with my brides and grooms, I am coming into a part of my journey where I am realizing that community is so important and actually allows to serve my brides and grooms better. My goal for this year was to start putting myself out there more and make more connections with wedding vendors. Cue Cassie Valente’s SF mentorship this past March featuring this modern warehouse wedding inspiration shoot designed by Morgan Miller of Prim Event Studios with the most incredible dried floral earrings made by Kaylia of Tumbleweed Floral Truck.

There were four different stations that our small groups of photographers rotated through: bride, bride and groom, flat lays, full tablescape and bar. Morgan knocked this modern warehouse wedding inspiration shoot out of the park. I particularly love the pairing of the black with the softer tans and whites, and how cool are those ghost acrylic chairs with the black cushions?

 

Bowerbird Atelier created such a beautiful, modern invitation suite and I absolutely love the frosted glass table number and bar menu.

Both brides had gorgeous dresses from Desiree Hartsock of… I mean, how amazing are those lace bell-sleeves and that beautiful lace train? Especially when paired with the beautiful hair and makeup done by Marisa Perel. I was totally shocked to find out that Qianwen actually has short hair because Marisa did such an incredible job with her beautiful updo.

Of course, all the florals were absolutely amazing. Kaylia was the florist for my own wedding, so it’s no surprise I love her work. The brownie tulips she put in the centerpieces totally stole the show… but my favorite part of the entire shoot were the amazing dried floral earrings Kaylia made. I totally want a pair of my own!

Honestly, the best thing about Cassie’s mentorship wasn’t even the chance to photograph the beautiful inspiration shoot that all the vendors went above and beyond on. It was the fact that Cassie designed the whole workshop to show how important it is to make connections in the industry. She made sure the planner, florist, and makeup artist were there throughout the entire shoot, allowing us to connect with them and ask any questions of them.

 

Cassie started the morning by going over her business journey and sharing everything she did to build her business. She was a completely open book, sharing her materials with us and answering every question we asked without hesitation. Since the mentorship, Cassie has been a constant source of encouragement and positivity in my life! If you are a photographer looking for a mentor, definitely jump on the next mentorship Cassie has!

Host: Cassie Valente Photography
Design & Planning: Prim Event Studio
Hair & Makeup: Marisa Perel
Floral Design: Tumbleweed Floral Truck
Rentals: Theoni Collection
Tables: Standard Party Rentals
Linens: La Tavola
Stationery & Signage: Bowerbird Atelier
Dress Boutique: Brides on Hartz
Dress Designer: Desiree Hartsock (dress worn by Qianwen)
Suit: The Black Tux
Jewelry: Gem Breakfast
Couple: Amanda & Nate
Solo Female Model: Qianwen