It has been a long-time dream of ours here at Studio Soo to collaborate with other talented Chicago wedding vendors to pull of a styled shoot. Last Wednesday, that dream came to fruition! We were able to put together a shoot that brought some of the most creative vendors Chicago has to offer together, complete with gorgeous models, snacks, and a whole lot of FUN!
Creative Chicago Wedding Vendors Collaboration
Hair & Makeup
We began the morning by welcoming hair and makeup gurus, Kate Johnson and Sophia DeFrancesco from the Bridal Beauty Team to our studio at 4043 N Ravenwood Ave. Kate and Sophia are two fun, easy-going, and extremely talented wedding vendors! Right away they got to work, doing hair and makeup for our models, Lindsay Rathert and Gabrielle Hock.
Men’s Wedding Attire
Grant McNamara of Wedding GPS was our male stylist and model. Grant designs wedding day attire and Wedding GPS is responsible for grooming and styling on the day of the wedding. He was incredibly eager to showcase some of his unique stylings that go beyond the classic black tux look (although he still appreciates a good black tux).
Wedding Gowns for a Great Cause
Our dresses for the shoot were all provided by Nicole Fauls-Maitland of Wish Upon a Dress, who also modeled for us. The amazing thing about Wish Upon a dress is that all profits from the program go directly to Wish Upon a Wedding, a nonprofit whose mission is to grant weddings and vow renewals to couples facing serious illness or life-altering health circumstances. Needless to say, we were so excited to work with Nicole and her dresses, which were all donated from BHLDN. And all of the dresses from this shoot are on sale, so be sure to check out Nicole’s website if anything catches your eye!
Jewelry & Floral
Cindy-Hock-Lauwers is the genius jewelry designer behind Shimmer by Cindy, who came with her collection of bridal jewelry inspired by her mother-in-law’s brooch. The gorgeous bouquets were provided by Nancy Krause Floral Designs. And when it comes to the stunning arch and floral decor, we have Ji Young Kim of Oh Happy Day Chicago to thank. We were completely and utterly surrounded by beauty.
Chicago Wedding Vendors United!
The bridal portion of the shoot took place in the Atrium at the Ravenwood Event Center—a beautiful venue with loads of natural light. They are just a few doors down from our studio space, so it made for a seamless collaboration. Joining us later on were models Kelsey Burrus, who is also a talented makeup artist and Rebecca Ridenour, an absolutely gorgeous actress and model.
When we were done with our shoot in the Atrium, we brought the models to the first floor of the REC—a showroom of old-timey cars. The REC space was very large, and could make a great venue for a larger wedding. The shots turned out moody and all-around pretty dang cool!
After REC, it was time to head back to Studio Soo for even more photos. After the bridal looks, we transitioned into a full-on fashion shoot.
All in all, the shoot was a success and an incredibly fun way to build up more images for our portfolio. It also served as a way to build great relationships with other talented wedding vendors around the Chicago area. We now know who to suggest to our clients when asked for recommendations!
Thank you to all of the vendors that came out to collaborate and make this shoot possible—we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you!
And to catch a behind-the-scenes look of this shoot, follow us @studiosoo. We’ll be sharing the video in the next couple of weeks!
The Creative & Talented Chicago Wedding Vendors
Hair and Make-up: Kate Johnson and Sophia DeFrancesco — The Bridal Beauty Team
Male Stylist: Grant McNamara — Wedding GPS
Female Stylist: Nicole Fauls-Maitland — Wish Upon a Dress
Jewelry designer: Shimmer by Cindy
Bouquets: Nancy Krause — Nancy Krause Floral Design
Floral Design & Decor: Ji Young Kim — Oh Happy Day Chicago
Event Space: Ravenwood Event Center
Photography and Videography: Studio Soo
Model & Make-up: Kelsey Burrus
