Styled Shoot: Botanical Beauty

“The inspiration for the styled shoot began with a location and a couple,” says photographer Elizabeth Nihiser. She was working with makeup artist Bailey Thorpe, who had offered to partner up on a shoot in early 2022. “Since the shoot fell in early spring, I wanted to photograph at an indoor location, and Franklin Park Conservatory was at the top of my list. Bailey said that she knew the perfect couple and reached out to them. The details evolved cooperatively and organically as Bailey, and I bounced ideas back and forth.” 

That perfect couple was real-life husband and wife, Dennis Steinbeck and Kristen Selva. As to why they were perfect for the shoot? Dennis, a houseplant and gardening enthusiast, breeds and sells rare orchids and other tropical plants through his Etsy shop, Flask & Flora. (Full disclosure: This writer, herself a houseplant collector, has purchased many plants from Dennis. Imagine my surprise when I viewed the gallery for this submission and saw Dennis and his wife!) 

“All previous styled shoots I had photographed were Boho, so I wanted to try something different,” Nihiser says. “Initially, we planned for cottagecore. But the dress I rented for the shoot was ill-fitting and poor quality.” Kristen turned disaster into perfection by revealing that her personal wedding gown from late 2019 still fit perfectly. 

In addition to makeup, Thorpe sourced jewelry to accessorize Kristen’s dress and a hairstylist to complete the look. 

“Since we only had about a month to plan and execute the shoot, we wanted to keep the inspiration and details minimal but elevated, with the couple and the location as the primary focus,” Nihiser says. “We wanted to illustrate that simple, classic detail choices will always be in style.” 

Vendors 

Photographer: Elizabeth Nihiser Photography 

Venue: Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens 

Dress: Tony Ward from Kleinfeld Bridal (bride’s own) 

Earrings:Kendra Scott 

Rings:WM Phelps Custom Jeweler (Naples, Florida; couples’ own)

Hair: Kimberly Rebekah Hair 

Makeup:Makeup by Bailey 

Suit: National Tuxedo Rentals 

Models: Real-life couple Kristen Selva and Dennis Steinbeck