THE MAYTON INN STYLED SHOOT
STEPHEN ALEXANDER – ALEXANDERS STUDIOS
WE’VE ALL HEARD THAT OPPOSITES ATTRACT. THERE’S JUST SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FORCES CONVERGE.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW THE MAYTON INN’S VERY FIRST STYLED WEDDING SHOOT CAME TOGETHER. AND THE FACT THAT IT’S THE FIRST SHOOT IS NOT SURPRISING, CONSIDERING IT’S STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THE PROJECT IS A STYLE SHOOT FILLED WITH FIRSTS. IT’S THE FIRST FOUR-DIAMOND HOTEL FOR ITS TOWN, AND THE EXPERIENCE ALONE WAS NEW TO MANY—IF NOT ALL—OF ITS CONTRIBUTORS/VENDORS.
THE INN IS SET TO OPEN ITS DOORS THIS FALL, AND WILL BE A 45-ROOM BOUTIQUE INN, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN CARY, NORTH CAROLINA. THE GEORGIAN-STYLE HOTEL WILL BE A LUXURIOUS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY “GREEN” ESTABLISHMENT. BOASTING OVER 13,000 SQ. FT. OF SPACE, IT WILL OFFER COUNTLESS AMENITIES, AFTERNOON TEA, AND TURNDOWN SERVICE WITH PORT AND CHOCOLATE.
BUT FOR NOW, THE SITE IS HOME TO THE INN’S BARE BONES--NOTHING MORE THAN STEEL, SCAFFOLDING AND EXPOSED BRICKS. AND LOTS OF RED CLAY, PAIRED WITH A PRISTINE, WHITE WEDDING DRESS.
A VISION GAINED
STEPHEN ALEXANDER IS A PREMIER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, LOCATED IN THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA WHO RELOCATED FROM NY SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
HE SAID, “MY FOCUS WITHIN THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD IS WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS BUT I WORK ON EVERYTHING FROM CORPORATE & MODELING HEADSHOTS, FASHION AND LARGE BUSINESS EVENTS. MY FIRST LOVE HOWEVER IS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT COMPARES TO THE EXCITEMENT AND EMOTION OF A BRIDE AND GROOM ALONG THIS THEIR FAMILIES ON A WEDDING DAY.”
HE EXPLAINED HOW THE ENTIRE PROJECT CAME ABOUT. “A FEW SHORT WEEKS AGO, I REACHED OUT TO THE KINGS DAUGHTERS INN, OWNED BY COLIN AND DEANNA CROSSMAN, INQUIRING TO THEIR INTEREST IN HOSTING A STYLED SHOOT AT THEIR B&B. THIS PAST VALENTINE’S DAY I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SHOOTING AT THEIR BEAUTIFUL ESTABLISHMENT, AND I WAS EXCITED TO GO BACK.
I MET WITH LORANA PRICE, ONE OF THE MANAGERS AT THE KINGS DAUGHTER'S INN, AND WHILE WE TALKED ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE IDEA BEHIND A STYLED SHOOT IN DURHAM, IN THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION SHE MENTIONED A NEW PROJECT THEY WERE WORKING ON IN DOWNTOWN CARY.
AT THAT TIME, THE MAYTON INN WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONSTRUCTION. SHE ASKED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING SOME PHOTOS THERE AS WELL AS THE SHOOT PLANNED AT THE K.D.I. IMMEDIATELY MY MIND BEGAN RACING WITH IDEAS, AND HOW THIS WOULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING I HAD SEEN DONE RECENTLY OR EVEN SEEN IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE CATCH--WE NEEDED TO PULL THE ENTIRE PROJECT TOGETHER WITHIN THREE WEEKS, BEFORE THE SHEETROCK WENT UP. PLUS THE FACT THAT WE COULD ONLY DO THIS ON A SUNDAY, DUE TO CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY ISSUES MADE FOR A CHALLENGE.
WE WRAPPED UP OUR MEETING AND I MENTIONED TO LORANA THAT I WOULD STOP BY THE SITE OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION JUST TO HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TO GET A FEW IDEAS. AS SOON AS I LEFT THE MEETING, I CALLED LIZ PERNICIARO, A LONG-TIME FRIEND AND AN AMAZING HAIR STYLIST AND EVENT COORDINATOR. I PITCHED HER MY IDEA FOR THIS CRAZY AND UNIQUE BRIDAL SHOOT IN THE MIDST OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE. I KNEW THAT IF LIZ WAS NOT ON BOARD, THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT COME TOGETHER. FORTUNATELY WITH LITTLE STOKING, SHE SAID SHE LOVED THE IDEA AND SHE WENT TO WORK PULLING MANY OF THE PIECES TOGETHER.
LIZ SERVED SIGNIFICANTLY AS A PROJECT MANAGER, ESPECIALLY WHILE I WAS IN NEW YORK ON FAMILY BUSINESS. SHE KEPT THE BALL ROLLING AND PULLED IN OVER HALF THE VENDORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT. FORTUNATELY, WE ALSO WERE CONNECTED WITH KATHY SWOPE FROM SALLY OAKLEY WEDDING AND EVENTS, WHO IS A BUSINESS FRIEND OF DEANNA CROSSMAN THE OWNER OF THE K.D.I. AND THE MAYTON INN. SHE WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING THINGS ORGANIZED AND HELPED SMOOTH OUT MANY BUMPS IN THE PROCESS.
ONE ASPECT THAT TOOK SOME TIME TO PULL TOGETHER WAS FINDING THE RIGHT MODELS. WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WENT BACK AND FORTH ON A FEW DIFFERENT GIRLS, BUT STILL DIDN’T FEEL THAT WE HAD FOUND ONES BEST SUITED FOR OUR SHOOT. I MENTIONED SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK ABOUT NEEDING A COUPLE TO MODEL, HOPING THAT WOULD BE THE AVENUE WE’D FIND THEM.
THE NEXT DAY A FRIEND FROM WRINKLED BLANKET MEDIA--ONE OF THE GREATEST WEDDING AND EVENT VIDEO COMPANIES ON THE PLANET--RESPONDED TO MY POST. DYANA PAREDES SAID SHE WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED BUT SHE HAD TO CONVINCE HER BOYFRIEND BILLY ORLANDO TO DO IT WITH HER (SHE MAY HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES…I’M JUST SAYING).
THE VISION FOR THIS PROJECT WAS CLEAR, “SET A STAGE,” CREATE THE ILLUSION OF A PERFECTLY-DRESSED BRIDE AND GROOM IN A BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT 1920’S WEDDING VENUE, ALL WHILE IN THE MIDST OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE FILLED WITH CHAOS. AND LOTS OF RED CLAY.
THE FRUIT OF OUR LABOR CAN BE SEEN IN THESE AMAZING PHOTOS OF BILLY AND DYANA CAPTURED WITHIN WHAT IS SURE TO BE A STUNNING WEDDING VENUE “THE MAYTON INN”. HENCE THE NAME, “THE MAYTON INN THE MAKING”THE MAYTON INN STYLED SHOOT
This project was a great success and a great deal of fun to shoot. I can't begin to express how much gratitude I have for everyone who jump in and made this possible. A special thanks to liz perniciaro of Wedding Hair by Liz for all of her support and organization as well as Dyana and Billy Orlando of Wrinkled Blanket Media for forgoing the safely and comfort of being behind the camera and being our amazing models.
A LIST OF ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROJECT
PHOTOGRAPHER
STEPHEN ALEXANDER
ALEXANDERS STUDIOS
919-830-8395
WWW.ALEXANDERSSTUDIOS.COM
SA@ALEXANDERSTUDIOS.COM
VENUE
DEANNA CROSSMAN
BUSINESS OWNER
INFO@MAYTONINN.COM
MAYTONINN.COM
ADDRESS: 301 S ACADEMY ST CARY, NORTH CAROLINA 27511
PHONE: 919.354.7000
THE KING'S DAUGHTERS INN204 N BUCHANAN BLVD
DURHAM, NC 27701
WWW.THEKINGSDAUGHTERSINN.COM
919.354.7000
877.534.8534
HAIR AND MAKEUP (ALSO STEVE'S SIDEKICK)
LIZ PERNICIARO (HAIR)
OWNER
WEDDING HAIR BY LIZ
KRYSTAL LEHMAN (MAKEUP)
WEDDINGHAIRBYLIZ.COM
919.902.8242
LIZ@WEDDINGHAIRBYLIZ.COM
@WEDDINGHAIRBYLIZ
#WEDDINGHAIRBYLIZ
EVENT PLANNERKATHY SWOPE
SALES AND CONSULTANT
SALLY OAKLEY WEDDINGS AND EVENTS
WWW.SALLYOAKLEY.COM
919-697-5299
KATHY@SALLYOAKLEY.COM
FLORAL DESIGN & BRIDALRACHEL
TRE BELLA, INC.
919.323.7167
919.620.6187
@TREBELLA
RACHAEL@TREBELLAFLORIST.COM
STAGER/DESIGNERMELANIE PEARSALL
INTERIOR DESIGNER AT PULTE GROUP
703.609.0205
MELAPEARSALL@GMAIL.COM
MODELS
DYANA PAREDES & BILLY ORLANDO
WRINKLED BLANKET MEDIA
BORLANDO3@HOTMAIL.COM
DYANAPAREDES@GMAIL.COM
516.491.0032 B
919.455.0326 D
HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WRINKLEDBLANKETMEDIA
HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/WRINKLEDBLANKETMEDIA
LIMO
ROBERT KIRNARD
ROARING 20'S LIMO CO.
HTTP://WWW.LIMOS-RALEIGH.COM/
RKIRNARD@GMAIL.COM
347.210.2799
ELEMENTS AND FURNITUREMARIA COUSTIC
OWNER OF THE CHATEAU BELLEVIE
919.622.6128
HTTP://WWW.CHATEAUBELLEVIE.COM/
RED CARPETJAMES PORTER
CAPITAL EVENTS/GRAND PARTY RENTALS
HTTP://WWW.GRANDRENTALNC.COM/
919.380.7368
CARY STORE
115 WOODWINDS INDUSTRIAL COURT
CARY, NC 27511
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