If there is one thing I truly love over here at SMP, it’s seeing the pretty little dreams in the heads of talented vendors coming to life. And boy do they come to life in a big way! So when the lovely Kate at Ruby & Willow sent over this shoot inspired by the prettiest inspiration board I ever did see and captured by the talented Sutherland Kovach, well let’s just say I was a little excited to share it with everyone. OK, I was really excited. Ants in my paper-loving pants excited. Ruby & Willow initially used this lovely board to inspire the line of stationery in the shoot, and ended up inspiring the entire shoot…and all of us. Go on and get cozy because there is so much to soak in, including all the lovely in the full gallery of images, -  so let’s get this pretty party started! First up, the inspiration board I’ve been gushing about…

Did you really soak in all that lovely from Ruby & Willow? Go ahead and take another look – stop and smell the lilac-laden inspiration board one more time (so to speak) – we like to prolong the pretty over here at SMP. Ok, ready for the reality? It’s good, real good…

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Ruby & Willow…This shoot drew inspiration from the Copper & Amethyst Inspiration Board, from which I designed the ‘Woodstock’ Invitation Suite. We wanted to incorporate an earthy, rustic look while still keeping things pretty, an element we captured in the girlish ruffles, very feminine stationery and colours, and charming wild floral arrangements.

The venue was perfect in so many ways… The lovely rusted poles, the piles of chopped wood and the old doors lent a rustic charm to the scene, while the natural copper and wood colours offset the gorgeous lilac dress worn by our model.

A key element was the dessert table. Rather than the usual treats laiden with sugar we wanted to present a more organic, healthy option – both on the budget and the heart! Inspired by farmers market stalls of dried fruits and nuts, we piled burlap bags full of them and complimented them with sweet treats and a fabulous ruffle cake which added a little more ‘pretty’ to the table. We also created a save-the-date cookie rather than a paper invite. Judit makes these cookies which can be sent through the mail and we thought that would be such a novel idea to replicate! Would you love to get that in amongst the bills!!

Concept, Styling, Stationery: Kate Holland of Ruby & Willow / Photography: Sutherland Kovach / Bridal Bouquet: Flowers by Blush / Rustic Bouquet & Wreath: Val Sutherland of Sutherland Kovach / Cake + Dessert Treats: Judit Meron / Venue: Matakana Country Park / Dress + Shoes: Yvonne Bennetti