Objects don’t inherently carry emotions; it’s the context that we place them in, how we approach them, that gives them meaning. The same goes with colour: where shadows end, where light begins - and the delicate in between - is where stories begin. This editorial shoot, recently featured on the Ruffled blog, was an exercise in finding beauty in quiet, in deliberately harmonizing opulence with sparseness.

Curated and produced by our Toronto wedding planner friends Bisous Events in collaboration with The Look Bridal, the shoot took place at Berkeley Events’ blank canvas events space Airship 37, where we gathered with some of Toronto’s best wedding vendors to explore a common vision of refined simplicity. The setting was staged and curated, yet each element of the setup, from the wedding tablescape to the carefully curated wedding dresses, remained emotionally authentic.

While the table itself was upscale and the objects were still, we focused on what brought the settings to life. We found inspiration in light and shadows, air and breath, texture and space. We created room for our model Sam to simply be herself and engage with the setting organically, transforming spaces into beautiful bridal moments.

During the shoot, filming with body rigs as we always do, we tried to give the viewer a sense of personal perspective, of actually being there.

We also went much deeper into our setup shots, trying to convey in motion the emotion that Coyote Flowers’ floral arrangements evoked. We tried to hear and interpret the delicateness of nature, the poetry created by the almost imperceptible movement of carefully arranged branches. We let objects breathe and watched an intimate relationship with the camera develop.

When you spend enough time with an object, it eventually speaks to you. And if you listen to the light, you eventually realize the stories it tells you.