An Early Fall Soiree

I’m always so giddy in anticipating the arrival of Fall; especially here in Illinois, where the weather is unpredictable and around these parts you’re never sure if you will get a - true Fall feeling - before the weather turns to Winter. It’s September and we are experiencing our humid Summer days. Alas, I am ever so hopeful for Fall; with that I set out with my friend Michelle, from Michelle Schaffer Photography to capture a feeling of early Fall; if not the weather. I headed a bit South, to help Michelle with styling and branding images for her rebrand happening soon. We kept details simple and created some truly spectacular large pieces to focus on, and one of Michelle’s brides’ volunteered to model for us with a taupe gown graciously lent to us from Vows Bridal. (which happens to be the same place I purchased my own wedding gown)

Fall so often is associated with deep reds, soft blush and lots of browns; but I happen to enjoy a little bit of something different. So rather than my usual large fluffy arrangements accompanied by heavy greenery; I aimed for small amounts of greens with lots of blooms and repetition to really make a statement and save us on cost. Most of the furniture we sourced from the local thrift shops and one was saved from the curb! The ivy you see woven throughout was locally sourced from the Mizzou botanical gardens; our model happens to be a teacher there and was happy to indulge me in my hunter-gatherer flower tendencies. Downtown Columbia, Missouri served as a beautiful backdrop and some images shot in the heart of Joe’s alma-mater. I hope you enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed putting them together for you.

With Michelle’s new branding and collateral pieces having a nod to industrial pieces and of course her studio being located in the Broadway Industrial area we really needed a few pieces to really bring it out. I love this vintage stool; the colors are just dark enough - yet industrial enough to pull the industrial element through without it cas

These taupe and deep mauve pairs so well with the fuchsia. I haven’t had a chance to work with this floral palette in quite some time - and it has me all kinds of giddy. I used an abundance of the same type and colors of flowers to really make a large impact - and keep the cost of the shoot manageable. The ivy and greens were locally sourced from the student botanical gardens.

Can you believe we actually salvaged this beautiful “vintage” ladder from the curb before the waste company showed up to take it? It looks like it may have been used to paint various colors over the many years of it’s life - I kinda think it gives it just enough character. It now sits in Michelle’s studio as a side table.

I so hope you enjoyed these images! I’m so proud of my friend Michelle for all the hard work she’s put into her new brand and I absolutely cannot wait to see it come alive. Happy Fall to everyone!!

xo, Cass

Concept, styling, florals: Cassandra Dattoli | Photography, Michelle Schaeffer Photography | Linens & Drapes: Aries Rentals | Plates, glassware and decorative pieces: Target | Platters and frames: Home Goods | Stationary: Sourced from Michelle’s Collateral