So, this is that time when I saw Eleven & Mike kiss at the Snow Ball on Stranger Things Season 2, and all I could think was that it would make a gorgeous wedding photo… so…. we went ahead and did it lol!
We had an *amazing* team of vendors come together to make this happen. Scroll to the bottom to get all the info on all of the talented vendors, read a little about the behind the the scenes process, and see side by sides of my inspiration images and my take on each scene that inspired me!
Here are a few of the show-inspired details to look for in the photos:
-the DIY alphabet wall
-our Snow Ball inspired setup
-florals that look like demagorgons and upside down vines
-Eleven’s tattoo
-tiny clay version of “Dart”
-Dungeons and Dragons details and dice
-waffle “cake”
-dark and moody upside-down inspired invites
-hair and makeup inspired by Eleven’s edgy season 2 look
-florals inspired by demagorgons and the upside-down vines
-shots inspired by scenes in the show, posters and Stranger Things fan art
The trickiest part of this shoot was making this all look elegant and bridal, but I gotta say I think we did pretty well at pulling it off! Katie (Katie Price Events) and I decided to go with an industrial look, so The Bond was a clear choice for a venue- with amazing natural light, exposed brick, stunning murals, and the perfect little alley outside to do the “upside down” inspired shots. Katie’s modern industrial table and our black and copper terrariums made this crazy idea look chic.
I wanted to go with a unique color palate inspired by the colors of the sky in the posters, and the super dark saturated colors of the upside down. Rosemary and Rust created breathtaking florals to bring this palate together, including succulents, blue thistle and willow root which were a few more nods to the demogorgon and the upside down. Copperstone Co brought my vision for invitations to life and then some, with gorgeous dark and moody black invites. To top it all off, DJ’s Catering provided a belgian waffle “cake” (not Eggos, but I still think Eleven would approve haha).
The amazing Ryan Kelly- lip art extraordinaire and talented makeup artist at Blend Makeup Artistry- modeled with her husband Ahmad (from ID Pro DJ). Ugh they could not have been more perfect! Ryan did her own stunning makeup and hair (of course) which was inspired by Eleven’s slicked back hair and smoky eye in Season 2. We started out with a pink dress and blue jacket as a take on Eleven’s iconic season 1 outfit but decided to go with a more dramatic black bridal look inspired by her transformation in Season 2 and I am so glad we did.
The biggest DIY challenge was that I wanted to make an alphabet and Christmas light wall…easier said than done lol! I ended up painting a huge sheet, cutting holes and securing each individual light to the sheet. With help from Katie and her husband, we hung the alphabet wall and all of the lights (both the colored ones for the alphabet, and the “Snowball” inspired white lights). The final logistical hurdle was figuring out how to create the “upside down”. I decided to bring my snow machine and try to use it to create that otherworldly look, and I gotta say I am excited by the results of that little experiment!
My favorite part of tv-themed shoots is “researching”, which means re-watching and letting my imagination run wild pinpointing all of the scenes and visuals to inspire the setups, poses and details to include. For this one I pulled inspiration from Eleven’s goth look in Season 2, the scenes with the bikes, the Snowball, Dungeons and Dragons, the demagorgons (including “Dart”), and of course Joyce’s iconic alphabet wall. Here are some side by sides of the inspiration and our interpretations.
Photography & Design // Karen Rainier Photography
Design & Rentals // Katie Price Events & Design
Venue // The Bond
Florals // Rosemary & Rust
Paper // Copper Stone Co.
Hair & Makeup // Ryan Kelly MUA
Models // Ahmad from ID Pro DJ and Ryan from Blend Makeup Artistry
Waffle “Cake” // DJ’s Catering
Bride’s Attire // Lulus
Groom’s attire // Asos