This post has been a long time coming… back in April I flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a really fun job designing a tablescape and styling/shooting photographs for my Mum’s company, Calligraphos, Ink. My mother, Victoria Hoke Lane, is an incredible calligrapher/artist/graphic designer, and she has been working in the wedding industry for about thirty years now. I’m truly impressed with her ability to adapt to the changing needs, trends and social mores of this constantly evolving industry. She could have resisted email and social networking, as many older designers in the industry have done- but no, she forged ahead and braved the learning curve. She purchased her first personal computer at the age of 55, and can correspond with her clients online just like her younger counterparts (like me!). She even has a Facebook Fan Page!

These are two pieces of her original art. Gorgeous, right?

But back to the photoshoot- Mum has a website in development, and she wanted some new photos of her work that she could feature on the site. The site isn’t up yet, but I thought I’d share a few of the photos from the shoot to whet your appetite for more beauty from Calligraphos, Ink.

We decided to create a table setting that was young and hip while still holding onto beautiful traditional elements, like the lace tablecloth and the scripted place cards. I think it looks like a perfect little bridal shower luncheon table, hosted by an older friend of the bride’s mother. The flowers are simple european hand-tied bouquets of green spider mums, orange tulips and pink spray roses, bound with ribbon and set at jaunty angles in a plethora of mismatched vases. The place cards are all hand-calligraphed by Victoria Hoke Lane, and the cookie favors are special molded cookies hand-painted with edible paints- also by Victoria Hoke Lane (another section of her company called “Victoria’s Cookies”). Enjoy!

I regularly search the world wide web for the most beautiful photographic images that I can find. Photography is one of my favorite art forms, and it seems there has been a recent outburst of truly phenomenal photographers on the wedding scene. Here in Southern California alone, I’ve been priviledged to work with dozens of astonishing photographers.

But there is one photographer who I have not had the pleasure of working with, despite having known her since we were teenagers and admiring her photography for the past several years. Laura Dye is one of the most creative photographers I’ve ever come across, and I am just waiting for the day when we’ll have the opportunity to work on a wedding together. Laura is based in Delaware, but she travels (as I do), and I am certain that the next year will find us working on a wedding together somewhere. You can see Laura’s work on her website and on her blog. And just for fun, here are a few of my own favorites of her photographs…