Over a year and half ago I styled a model for a styled shoot for Ale Vidal around Shakespeare's, Romeo & Juliet. We have never shared the photos until now, and I thought these photos would be a great visual to share my thoughts and feelings about love, after all Valentine's Day is only days away.

Reading the words of Romeo, "See how she leans upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek," makes me swoon. What woman doesn't dream of a man falling head over heels like that? I always thought that was what love looked like - a man completely smitten and infatuated with me, a man that would always think I am the most beautiful woman God ever created for all eternity, a man that calls me the "sun," and never wanting to part from me.

Love was something I only understood as emotion and a feeling. Now that I have been married for almost 9 years this May, I have come to understand that great, true love is choosing to love even when you don't have all of the "feelings" behind it.

It's knowing that Ryan loves me at my ugliest rather than at my prettiest. Sure, he tells me that I am beautiful, special and wonderful from time to time, but when he says, "I love you," after a big fight I know that we have something great and special.

Sometimes I miss all of the emotions that come when you just begin to date, but even writing this blog post reminds me how much more special it is to experience true love in the day to day hustle and bustle of life when I don't look my prettiest and I'm not always saying the right thing.

Photos by Ale Vidal
Makeup by SN Makeup Artist
Hair by Jessica Gallegos
Styling by Alex Evjen, AVE Styles
Dress from Mariee Bridal
Flowers by Posies Floral
Veil from Mignonne Handmade
Model Agency AZ

View More: http://lexiarielle.pass.us/phoenix

I've styled many bridal shoots, but this is the first time I have ever styled and art directed one for motion to reflect a brand. This time I had a client to make happy, Lexi Arielle, and I had a cinematographer trusting me to deliver for her client. You'd think the added pressure would hinder creativity, but it actually pushed me to aim for excellence like never before. This is the project I am proudest of to date. I am proud because I made my clients happy, and I am proud because I didn't just pick out the clothes, I art directed this piece to the very detail of putting streamers in a tree. So, what's the process for something like this?

To start, Ale Vidal, did a great job walking Lexi Arielle through a consultation process where she gained a better understanding of Lexi's ideal client and personal style. Ale shared her findings with me, and from there I spent a lot of time looking at Lexi's website and Pinterest boards.

Lexi Russell Brand Highlight Film Pinterest

Once I had a good understanding of her style I began a Pinterest board and defined the color palette. Choosing the palette is everything for a shoot. It's what ensures cohesion. Ivory and peach were the dominant tones with bits of gold and lavender. It was the perfect pastel palette, and also in line with a lot of spring trends right now.

Claire Pettibone was the wedding dress collection that personified Lexi's client the most. Mariee Gallery is the only place to get those dresses in Arizona, so, of course, I went there. Knowing that we wanted to see motion in the bride's hair a soft, touchable hair style was important. However, braids and twists are quite popular right now, so Amber Tillinghast did an excellent job marrying the two together. Gold crowns are becoming a new trend in the bridal industry, and this one from Mignonne Handmade provided the touch of metallic to enhance the color palette and romantic quality of the bride. Soft, natural makeup was exactly what the bride needed, and Azure Shaffer did an excellent job executing it using peachy tones to reflect the palette. I couldn't find a veil that was the right shade since the dress had a peachy color, so instead we just draped peach tulle over the bride. No other accessories were needed (no shoes and no other jewelry).

Lexi loves natural settings, so we chose The Farm at South Mountain to be our backdrop for the whole shoot. The Farm balances rustic elements with elegance and grace. Not to mention, they were wonderful to work with and believed in the vision of this film.

Ale and I worked on defining two scenes that would show a lot of movement. Ale had a genius idea of streamers and then I thought a swing wrapped in flowers and vines would be fun. Hilary Lamb did an amazing job with the florals, cake and bouquet. Mary Claire and I got nice and tan hanging a bagillion streamers.

I relied on the groom's styling to bring an approachable quality that was important to Lexi. Navy complements peach well and is a perfect spring and summer choice for men. The navy blazer paired with a chambray delivered a casual yet dressy combination. Stone colored pants are always classic and still formal enough for a farm wedding. As spring is in full force, floral ties are becoming popular. I really wanted to use this opportunity to showcase how men can embrace this feminine print in a masculine way. Dapper and Dash was kind enough to lend us one of their ties, and Two Guys Bowties sent us a wooden lapel pin to further accessorize. A wooden lapel pin was our take on a boutonniere.

Once the faux wedding was planned, I made sure Lexi was styled perfectly to match. She loves maxi skirts and happened to have a pretty white one in her closet. The fabric moved so well for the video! Her peach top went along with the color palette and she added small, layered gold necklaces to bring in the metallic element.

This project couldn't have happened without an amazing team and contributors. Lexi photographed everything beautifully. If I was getting married again this would definitely be a dream wedding and Lexi would be the perfect photographer. Make sure to watch the brand film that Ale Vidal created. She really made the romance between Agency AZ models Kelsey and Daniel believable. Click to watch the film.

Credits: Brand film for photographer Lexi Arielle www.lexiarielle.co Film: Ale Vidal // www.imaginaledesign.com Fashion Styling & Art Direction: Alex Evjen // www.avestyles.com Models: Daniel Markus and Kelsey Groetken from The Agency AZ //www.theagencyaz.com Venue: The Farm at South Mountain // www.thefarmatsouthmountain.com Make-up: Azure Shaffer // www.artistrybyazure.com Hair: Amber Tillinghast // www.facebook.com/pages/Grateful-Head-Hair-Studio/116426275086567 Floral Styling & Cake: Hilary Kramer // www.hilarylambphoto.blogspot.com Assistant: Mary Claire Cook www.maryclaire-photography.com Wedding gown: Mariee Gallery // www.marieegallery.com Bridal Accessories: Mignonne Handmade // www.mignonnehandmade.com Bow Tie: Dapper & Dash // www.dapperanddash.com Lapel pin: Two Guys Bow Ties // www.etsy.com/shop/TwoGuysBowties