Inspired by modern details that simply tell a story of love this styled shoot came to life! Philadelphia Distilling lent its industrial atmosphere as the lovely backdrop to this day. The contemporary feel was conceptualized and captured by Photographer, Afrik Armando. With the help of local artist, Ilona Belous moody yet bright colors came to play through the lush florals and decor designed by Peti
From the Photographer, Afrik Armando: “I’d like to start with the story of the couple who modeled for us. Initially, my plan was to hire models through an agency but then I came across Andrews profile on Instagram, he had recently opened up a men’s grooming shop in Fishtown and was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I was inspired by his story, and when I reached out to him, he told me about his wife, Bryona. Though they’d been married for a few years now, they had never had a white wedding. They both had hearts of gold, so you can only imagine how serendipitous this was for us.”
“When we began the shoot, we had John Legend’s ‘All of me’ playing through a speaker. With the sun at the right angle, as we stood next to a window, their love radiated into my camera. It was more than a styled shoot; they weren’t just acting or performing, you could tell their chemistry was authentic. It was such an honor to work with them. Their personalities just synced right into our styled shoot concept.”
“The theme of the shoot was centered around modern minimalism. Our goal was to tell a story with less. The mastermind behind everything was the stylist, Ilona Belous; she spent endless hours sketching, writing and mood boarding. Our main colors were pink, turquoise and black & white print.”
“The Bridal look was designed by Oksana Yevkovich, who is a recent graduate of Moore College of Art. The catering and floral designs were done by two different incredible local Parisian vendors, Jaime French Bakery and Petit Jardin En Ville. And Samantha from the Philadelphia distillery made sure everything ran smoothly.”
Vendors | Reception Venue: Philadelphia Distilling | Floral/Decor: Peti