Dessert Meets Design: Southern Weddings Feature

I shared the Southern Weddings spread with you earlier today, and I'm back with some pretty close-ups. We had a subtle Kentucky Derby theme to our shoot, so it's only a given that we shoot on a farm with real horses, include some pony details, and have a fabulous large-brimmed hat for the bride.

As for desserts, I made a rick rack cake with a silver horse topper, sugared pecan-topped cupcakes, mini peach cobblers, and chocolate cake pops. We didn't want this "wedding" to seem too polished and slick. We were aiming more for Southern charm and to represent a slower pace of life. So, you'll notice that I didn't use linens and instead used a distressed, painted table. No macraons and fancy truffles here.

Here are some of the phenomenal details the rest of the team came up with to bring this Southern-inspired shoot to life. One of our big goals was to make sure the Kentucky Derby theme wasn't "in your face" and too literal, so the horse motif is subtle, don't you agree?

Photography: Paper Antler // Styling: Maddy Hague of The Inspired Bride // Floral Design: Studio Fleurette // Dessert Table: Shauna Younge Dessert Tables // Paper Goods: Amy Hardy // Model: Joy Phillips of Wehmann Models // Hair: Brittany Moreland // Makeup: Jody Olson for Makeup Savvy // Wardrobe: BHLDN // Swing Top Favor Bottles: Specialty Bottle // Paper Rosettes: Pom Flair // Program Fan Handles: Perfect Stix // Rentals: Lime Canary Vintage Rentals // Washi Tape: Cute Tape