A STYLED SHOOT BY THE 2020 ELITE AWARD WINNERS → Wedding Collective New Mexico Blog

A STYLED SHOOT BY THE 2020 ELITE AWARD WINNERS

November 25, 2020 No Comments

You may remember our fun little virtual “dance party” from a few months ago, AKA the 2020 Elite Awards. Every year we ask you to vote for your favorite vendors by leaving them reviews on their profile on our website, and then we give them the recognition that they deserve! This year has been full of firsts, and we’re so happy to say that the very first “Elite Award Winners Styled Shoot” came out for us to share with you.

Before we jump into the GORGEOUS gallery, we asked for a little backstory on what went into the shoot, why it happened, and who made it possible. Read the full story below…

Let’s be honest, 2020 has not been a good year for the wedding community. With all of the cancellations and a constant feeling of failure, it all came crumbling down for us and we had to just watch it happen. Aside from the financial losses our businesses took, our creative passions took a huge loss.

I truly believe the 2020 Elite Awards were a huge booster for all of us, but I know for myself I felt defeated that we couldn’t really go create more magic. I wanted to offer headshots for the winners as a gift just to have something to give in these hard times to represent them and get to know them since we weren’t able to have a party to celebrate! I started meeting with everyone for their headshots and getting to know them, their love for their businesses and people, and their love for the creations they provide.

Every conversation was filled with such passion. I was dying to watch them all work their magic and hated the thought that we would not be able to do that for weddings anytime soon. What better way to showcase the services they provide that couples rave about on reviews than an Elite Styled Shoot? I started bringing it up with each friendor and everyone was super excited! That’s when I brought it to Wedding Collective to see if they had any ideas for us to represent the community and the vision for Wedding Collective. With it being the first-ever Wedding Collective awards, I really wanted to do something new, fun, and different (in true T. Rayne fashion).

Each of these friendors has such passion and love for what they provide for their couples and all share a love for people. My passion is to tell stories, to tell the couples stories throughout their lives, and to tell the stories of the hard-working souls that make weddings possible. I know I have said it a million times, but I will say it a million more – I am so grateful for Wedding Collective and the community they continue to bring together. It is an honor to be part of and to watch my business and other businesses blossom. I’ve only been part of it all for a few years, but it feels like a lifetime!

When it comes to the details about the shoot, the photos say it all! You may be wondering, “why the courthouse”? I have always wanted to shoot at the courthouse because of the stunning architecture. It’s such a different area than normally photographed at. When Neptune Event Space had to cancel, I immediately told Danessa that I wanted to schedule in time for a portrait session with the couple before we headed to The View so that we could showcase Desert Flowers Co. since we had Bosque Flowers’ set up at The View already. When Jarson & Crystal, the videographers, arrived at the salon, I asked them if they had any ideas and recommended the courthouse. We were running into sun issues as the time of day was probably the worst to be doing portraits in the open like that. We just decided we would go there and make it work. It just so happened that the black lighting on the building and the neutral tans of the property matched our theme perfectly! It was meat to be. –

– Taylor, T. Rayne Photography