When Tanja, of Jelger and Tanja Photography, found out that Tarina’s cat Jax listens when he’s being called and walks off leash like a dog, she had to do a shoot with him! The entire shoot was inspired and based around Jax, which for us is just another opportunity to get creative. As more vendors joined on the team, all the ladies show cased how much they loved cats. As we set up items, Jax demanded pats and scratches, so he was a little distracting, but not one person seemed to mind!
THE MALE MODEL
Black crows and black cats. Some say they’re bad luck. Sadly, Black cats are often overlooked for adoption as there is still a stigma surrounding these ‘lil fur balls. That was the case with Jax, who was in care for over 60 days and continuously overlooked. He was adopted over 4 years ago from the Richmond SPCA, He sat in Tarina’s lap and put his paw on her leg and she knew he was coming home.
How do you incorporate a black rescue cat in a photoshoot? We make it a Halloween-inspired one! Jax, our hero and ‘Groom’ of this story, is under a spell and our Bride is waiting for him to return to him in Human form.
VENUE
At Cecil Green Park House, a beautiful Tudor-style heritage Mansion located on the UBC campus. Our group of all female talented vendors took over for the morning to create this spooky shoot. With a rich history, Cecil Green Park house dates back to 1912, with tenants ranging from the original homeowner (a Lawyer, who named the home ‘Kanakla’ or “house on the cliff”), to a Survivor of war-torn Europe in 1940, passing hands until Cecil + Ida Green took over in the late 1960’s. This venue has AMAZING views of the mountains, the oceans and the forest which is everything the West Coast is known for. You will also see Cecil green on many films sets such X-files, the Flash, Supergirl and the the latest 50 shades of grey movie where Christian buys Anna a ‘house’.
MODEL, HAIR, MAKEUP
Our model, Justine, was transformed into our Halloween Vixen by Shayla + Carly for Rose Quartz Beauty. We kept Justine’s hair long and wavy, with some added extensions, playing on her dark hair and pop of white! We went with a purple smokey eye, to bring in the drama. Justine was so perfectly-cast, that she even had her own nails done in a fantastic shade of turquoise green.
ATTIRE
Hannah Tikkanen of Little Pink Dress Design provided us with two STUNNING dresses – The Electra Dress (an elaborate dress with black lace sleeves), and The Ophelia (a sheer, ethereal taupe wrap dress). Both fit perfectly with hair and makeup, and the moody vibes.
Beaux Ties provided Jax with his perfectly adorable, custom-made bow tie with a special surprise – his name sewn into the strap! It’s all about the added touch! Originally based in Vancouver, you can now order Beaux ties online from their new location in Toronto!
JEWELRY
Ohkuol provided us with all of the hand-made jewelry. They have an amazing collection that they are always updating, but we focused on all of their Druzy, Chalcedony + Amethyst necklaces, rings and earrings. Sometimes, you want something subtle and elegant. Sometimes, you want a pendant bigger than your hand – and we support that!
CAKE
We were so excited to work with Dalana of The Cake & The Giraffe bakery. She is super talented and was able to create a work of art for us – a moody, crystallized, FLOATING cake. It looked perfectly spooky and elegant at the just in time, especially with the details in the cake.
FLOWERS AND DECOR
We are so lucky to work with our friend Alex, of Past Pieces. All locally sourced, and lovingly refurbished, Past Pieces is our go-to for furniture. She provided us with many of the accents as well as the Vanity table + stool. We, Say Events Company, also provided some additional decor accents, the table linens, wrought iron pieces, tarot cards and candles.
When we asked for a floating centerpiece, Dina of Jorbelina Flowers asked ‘how big can I make it?’. Dina created the most beautiful bouquet with black roses, anemones and orchids. The colour and florals bounced off the black backdrop of Justine’s lace dress.
Tanja of Jelger & Tanja Photography brought together and photographed our entire shoot! As you can see, she is able to work with both humans and animals with ease! She was able to capture all the fun little details on all the scenes, including a sassy Jax.
With great pleasure, Say Events Company worked with Tanja to execute this photo shoot. Working with all of our vendors, a strong team of all female vendors we were able to brainstorm this incredible idea.
VENDORS
Model: Justine Sane
Decor and vintage furniture: Past Pieces: vintage weddings & events
Groomsman Attire: Beaux
Jewelry: Ohkuol
Makeup Artist: Rose Quartz Beauty
Cake Designer: The Cake & The Giraffe
Floral Designer: Jorbelina Flowers
Dress Designer: Hannah Tikkanen
Reception Venue: Cecil Green Park House
Event Planner & Design: Say Events Company
Photographer: Jelger & Tanja Photography
