The Olde White House Inn Styled Shoot

-Lovingly dedicated to Ray Michener-

My husband happened to be scrolling through Facebook one day and stumbled across the page for The Olde White House Inn. I reached out to them to talk about being added to their preferred vendor list, and Rachel and I hit it off instantly. We quickly scheduled a call to talk more, and I brought up the idea of planning a styled shoot at the venue to help get her more content to post  in order to create more interest in the venue. Rachel said that she loved the idea but that she needed to focus on getting renovations completed while I focused on planning the shoot. The rest, as they say, is history. 

I started the planning process by picking a date that she thought most of the construction would be completed by, and starting to put together vision boards. I wanted to do two completely different aesthetics to show off the versatility of this gorgeous upcoming venue in order to appeal to a variety of couples. The venue has incredible views on the property and a beautiful blue door on the barn, so the blue and orange boho scene seemed like the perfect complement to highlight such special features. I loved the juxtaposition that was created from doing a blush, traditional, romantic, and elegant scene with this very rustic and colorful theme of the blue and orange. 

Once the date and colors were picked, it was time to find some models. Aly immediately reached out to volunteer herself and Will, and I just knew I had to use them for my blue and orange scene. Finding a couple for the blush scene proved to be much more difficult, however. After a few failed attempts to secure a couple that would be available that day, Kailey from AnnLee Photography suggested that I reach out to Sierra and Devin, who had modeled for us at the Skiles Rolling Acres shoot in July. Sierra agreed to model for me again, and came over a few days later to try on dresses. When the original dress that I had in mind for the shoot didn’t work out, I asked her if she wanted to try on my own wedding dress. As if it was meant to be, my dress fit her perfectly and was absolutely perfect for the romantic blush scene I had in mind. 

On August 17, 2023, all of the fantastic vendors and models came together to bring my vision to life. I arrived early with dresses in hand, and got the girls set up in the beautiful (and newly renovated) bridal suite at The Olde White House Inn. Lena and her team started getting glam done for the models while McKenzie worked her magic and set up all of her beautiful decor. Dionne from Sweet Blooms made all of my dreams come true with the flowers, Brenda’s cookies looked too pretty to eat, and the Honey Bee Mobile Brews truck absolutely stole the show. 

Unfortunately, as soon as photographers arrived at the venue, I was only able to greet them and thank them for being there before having to rush out for a family emergency. There is so much to be said for having a strong team of vendors, and everyone that attended this shoot was the best of the best. I felt terrible about not being able to stay and ensure that all of my planning resulted in a smooth day, but the photographers and the videographer took the initiative to pose the models and create some insanely gorgeous photos. Even though I couldn’t stay to watch the magic unfold, it’s clear that they ran the day professionally and more than made up for my absence. I don’t have all of the details to tell more exciting stories about this day, but I think the photos speak for themselves. 

I’m immensely grateful for every single person that attended this shoot and understood the impossible situation that I was in. I so badly wanted to stay and revel in the first styled shoot that I planned on my own, but my family needed my undivided attention. To everyone that let me cry on their shoulders or gave me kind and encouraging words that day, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you all for making something beautiful out of such a hard day for me. 

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To Pop Pop, thank you for such a beautiful sunset on August 17, 2023.

What a lovely way to say goodbye.

I love and miss you endlessly. 

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Hosts: Kyla Edwards (Eternal Moment), Rachel Tackett (The Olde White House Inn)

Venue: The Olde White House Inn 

Hair and Makeup: Lena’s Salon

Models: Aly Corpuz & Will Sarudy, Sierra Miller & Devin Ditzler

Photographers: Kailey Ganoe (AnnLee Photography), Carissa Wilson (Photobug Photography), Amanda Rosenberry (Rose-N-Berry Media)

Videographer: Chad (Cinenomadic)

Decor: Mckenzie Cradduck (Shabby Chic Event Rentals/All Things Event Rentals and Design)

Wedding Dresses: Chantilly Design and Events

Cookies: Stove Stones

Bar truck: Honey Bee Mobile Brews

Florals: Sweet Blooms