Some of you may remember us from the Alice in Wonderland Engagement Session that started it all. After all our hard work on Alice ended up getting us exposure nationally and internationally in both printed and online publications, a year and a half later, we sort of got sick of her – no offense Alice! We really just wanted to tell the world that we were more than just a one-shoot pony (pun intended) and we had the talent, creativity and resources necessary to do it again, and maybe even do it better (you’ll have to be the judge), and so became the inspiration for our The Princess Bride themed movie shoot!

Because one of the strongest aspects of our style is presenting each couple’s unique personality and relationships, we had no intention of using models for the shoot. With much luck, we came across Steph and Jeff (a real engaged couple), and they were more perfect than we could have ever imagined. Not just in appearance, with Jeff’s stunning blue eyes and perfect Wesley build and Steph’s thin figure and long blond hair, but in enthusiasm, drama and everything else needed for an amazing shoot!

We did the scenes from the shoot near Estes Park, CO, in no particular order but we’ll start with some from Buttercup and Wesley’s first meeting on the farm.

The next scene we set out to accomplish was a shot of Wesley climbing up a cliff using a rope to get to and ultimately save Buttercup from the evil prince Humperdink. With even more luck, Jeff happened to be a rock climber by hobby, and we can honestly say there are no illusions involved in this scene… he is really dangling over this cliff with the rocky rapids below!

The next shots you are about to see could not have been accomplished without lots and lots of help from Owner of the Bridal Loft in Thornton, CO, Vicki Middeker. She not only provided Buttercup’s entire wardrobe, but just happened to be the proud owner of Charly, who is both a Parade Horse and a U.S. Marshal! Meanwhile, DebBee’s Garden in Thornton was responsible for Steph’s absolutely perfect wildflower bouquet!

Karessa Lauvergeon from Lotus Salon in Thornton did a fabulous job transforming Steph and Jeff into Buttercup and Wesley with her awesome hair makeup skills. And what would the shoot have been without my better half Sean second shooting and assisting with everything from scene setup and take-down to lighting to planning and even pyrotechnics for the final scenes (yep, you read right!)

The last details from that set were from the battle-of-the-wits scene, where Wesley beat out the Sicilian in order to win back Buttercup.

We ended with scenes from the fireswamp we could only HOPE to have accomplished as well as we did, and it was just one of those things I personally would have never dared to even consider doing if Sean hadn’t come up with it and assured me we could do it in a way that did NOT involve accidentally lighting our couple on fire or anything else for that matter! I still can’t believe we pulled it off! And I know what you’re wondering, and absolutely NO Photoshop was involved!

To everyone who took part in the shoot: from all the prep-work, logistic and scheduling challenges to actually getting snowed out during attempt one of the shoot and having to do it all over again, I couldn’t have asked for a better, more supportive group to accomplish this with. You shared in our passion, excitement and even our disappointments and we owe each of you a great debt of gratitude for your large role in making all of our visions come to life. I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge everyone one last time!

The Bridal Loft: All Wardrobe and Parade Horse “Charly”
Lotus Salon: Hair and Makeup Styling by Karessa Lauvergeon
DebBee’s Garden: Wildflower Bouquet by Debbie
Photography: Lauren & Sean Brimhall
Bride & Groom: Stephanie and Jeff, wedding date June 16, 2012
Shoot Locations: St. Malo’s Chapel and the Highlands Presbyterian Camp & Retreat Center near Estes Park, CO
Planning/Conceptualization: Lauren Brimhall Photography

*Original Hair and Makeup for snowed out shoot (not pictured) by Bella Cappelli Hair Studio