Written by Julie Albaugh
Photography by DerksWorks.com

I was always fascinated by the history of the homes on East High Street, in Springfield, Ohio known as millionaire row, where I lived for a number of years. I returned to millionaire row earlier this year, on a search for the perfect location to shoot a Great Gatsby bridal fashion shoot for WeddingMarketNews.com. The return drive proved fruitful, as an inquiry to the current owner of the stately and elegant Foos Manor prompted an invitation to tour the mansion. Once inside I knew I had found the perfect place for the shoot.

Photography by DerksWorks.com

A few weeks later at the Columbus Bridal Show I met photographer Benjamin Derks. I told him about Foos Manor, and asked if he would be interested in doing a shoot there. He was, and gave me his card to contact him when I was further along with plans for the Great Gatsby shoot. With the photographer on board, I then secured the services of videographer Leigh Zeidner, who I met online and have had the privilege of working with on my TV show Ohio Weddings, which launched earlier this year.

Photography by Erin N. Pence

While working on the TV show, Ohio Weddings I met models Amanda Miller, and Treeann Smith. Model Daniel Willis and makeup artist Ruby Randall were found through mutual friends. Next I was ready to select all of the beautiful gowns, accessories, and jewelry to bring the Gatsby Style to life.

Photography by Erin N. Pence

I met bridal accessory designer Debra Moreland several years ago at bridal fashion week in NYC. She has designed bridal accessories for Vera Wang and virtually everyone in the bridal industry. All of her exquisite accessories are made in Cincinnati, Ohio. I wanted to include gowns from bridal icon Claire Pettibone and other designers so I started looking through their collections online. I picked out several dresses and then narrowed it down to four but only three made the cut; Eloquence and Deauville from Claire Pettibone and Charlize by designer Lea-Ann Belter. Debra found the right accessories for every gown. She literally had bracelets and earrings that were carbon copies of the draped Swarovski crystals that were on the Charlize gown.

Photography by Erin N. Pence

The hardest part of the shoot was figuring out what gowns would look best on the models. I had all the models try on a gown and we kept switching until we find exactly the right one for each of them. Makeup artist Ruby Randall did all the hair and makeup for the models including her own. She created perfectly bobbed and pinned curls for the hair styles authentic to the Great Gatsby style, applying makeup to achieve dark smoldering eyes and perfect burgundy cupid bow lips.

Photography by DerksWorks.com

It’s not a wedding event without a cake, and fortunately I already had in mind THE cake designer Jan Kish, who I met several years ago while planning a bridal show for Springfield Brides. Jan is one of the top 10 cake designers in North America and she is located in Columbus, Ohio. Her masterpiece cakes are routinely flown all over the world, and arrive safely at the destination in one piece. The Banbury Rose cake created for the Great Gatsby shoot has superb details that capture design elements in two of the beautiful wedding gowns; Charlize and Eloquence.

Photography by DerksWorks.com

The final piece for the shoot was finding the formal wear. I contacted my Twitter friend from Men’s Warehouse. She suggested the Vera Wang Black Tuxedo for the Great Gatsby look. I found the tuxedo online and knew it would be perfect. It arrived via FedEx the next day, and the checklist for the shoot was now complete.

Photography by DerksWorks.com

Everything came together beautifully for the day of the shoot. Benjamin our photographer found literally the best places in the house to shoot. My favorite pictures are in the entryway and on the staircase. The antique phonograph and furniture in the house added just the right touches to the photos. It took over six hours to prepare and take pictures that day, and our videographer Leigh captured how everything came together.

You are cordially invited to see more photos and video of the Wedding Market Great Gatsby shoot at https://weddingmarketnews.com/bridal_fashions_great_gatsby . This property is currently available for sale and could be rented out as a wedding venue.  See more information here: http://katewilson.wrist.mlxchange.com/?Page=121090