Deep in the Heart Retreat

Feb 20

You guys are not ready for all the beautiful details that this shootout entailed! Alison Faith Photo was so kind to chat with us about the heart + vision behind the Deep in the Heart retreat that she hosts + her answers were all so, very thoughtful! If you are a vendor hoping to plan a retreat or workshop in the future, we highly recommend reading through her advice she left us with! Our whole experience of working with Alison was marked with intentionality + warmth! We were so grateful to be chosen as one of the locations for their most recent retreat this past fall. Check out all the details below!

What was your inspiration/vision for your shoots at The Emerson?

One of the things I love most about the Emerson is the way modern simplicity meets classic, timeless design. The charm of the house itself and the front yard/porch immediately made me envision an Americana/summer/picnic vibe, so I went with that first! I found and restored a vintage bicycle with my grandparents for the shoot, and the rest of the vision kind of grew from there with the picnic setup, vintage-looking coke bottles, the model’s flowy dress… I just wanted it to be one of those shoots that you could really feel. One that made you think of easy summer nights with the love of your life. (You know, sweet romantic Notebook-style love!)

With the all-white chapel, honestly I was torn between two very different looks - all white florals, or something that would really pop against the white walls and floors. When I was looking through the Emerson’s socials, I decided to go with a high-contrast color palette since I saw that all-white had been done before. (As much as I loved the white option, I wanted to make sure I’d be providing unique content opportunities!) I saved a few color ideas that I loved and brought them to Brittnee, my florist, and she immediately ran with it! (This is one of the things I love most about her - she can take the smallest start of an idea and turn it into something incredible.) From there, I wanted to make sure I was giving my attendees the best opportunity for “real” photos that could tell a story - not just, “Here’s a ceremony setup with models in a chapel, the end.” So I worked really closely with my vendor team to make sure that every part of a true wedding day was accounted for: getting ready photos, flatlays with the couple’s actual jewelry, a real first look, a photo opportunity to get the couple’s reactions to seeing “their” decor all set up in the reception space, a ceremony setup, the signage outside the chapel, golden hour time for couple’s portraits in the field, a photo backdrop at the reception, a first dance for the couple with their actual wedding song, their actual favorite cocktails at the Boozy Bar, a sweetheart table, a cake cutting… I wanted to get every detail right so that when these photographers got home and started working on their galleries, they’d have essentially a full wedding day’s worth of content to work with. I think that’s so important when it comes to providing valuable content opportunities!
The last shoot was our fun reception shoot! This one was the “bonus shoot,” which was a total surprise to our attendees. Our couple from the first shoot went inside after the picnic photos, and Jordie got her hair and makeup all changed up to fit a party-style reception shoot. I wanted this one to be fun and carefree, as receptions should be! And when I thought “fun” and “carefree,” my next thoughts were “bounce house,” “mini dress,” “champagne tower,” and “flash photography.” I thought, not only would this be a really fun surprise for my attendees, but also a great chance for some of the newer photographers in the group to practice shooting with flash, while surrounded by others who could help them, without the pressure of figuring it out alone and on-the-fly at a real event.

What drew you to choosing The Emerson for your styled shoot?

“Honestly, I’ve just always dreamt of shooting at the Emerson! In all the years I’ve been shooting weddings, I’ve just never gotten a wedding inquiry for the Emerson, so I thought, “Why not?!” What better way to know for a fact that I’m providing dream content for my attendees than to choose a place I’ve always wanted to shoot at? The venue itself is just really unique, especially for this area, and it’s the perfect mix of modern and charm, so I knew I’d be able to pull off a few different styles of shoots at the same time if I chose the Emerson. I chose the venue first and then planned the shoots based on the space itself because the variety and the dreamy overall aesthetic were the perfect starting point for the inspo for these shoots!”

What was one of your favorite parts of bringing the vision to life?

It was such an amazing experience to get to collaborate with so many talented vendors for the shoots at the Emerson. Having 2 shoots happening at the same time (and a bonus shoot afterward as a surprise for attendees) with so many moving parts before, during, and after the shoots was definitely a lot to manage, but seeing how all of our vendors came together to bring each shoot to life in the best ways possible left my heart feeling so full by the end of the night! Getting to watch everyone work together to pull off the vision from months of planning - and getting to see the excitement on the photographers’ faces throughout the shoots - made everything 1000% worth it.

Any tips for other vendors hoping to host a retreat/workshop?

Attend a few first to get a good feel for the structure and offerings of a retreat or workshop. Before I hosted my own, I attended 3 of Beba Vowels’ Roamers Retreats (two in California and one in Hawaii), and honestly I still didn’t realize just how much work goes into these events. As an attendee, it’s so easy to show up and see the end product and think, “Wow, this is beautiful! I could for sure do this!” - and you can! BUT - I think it’s so important to really sit down and research and think through each step of the process - especially all of the behind-the-scenes stuff - when you start shifting your mindset from Attendee to Host.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I know it can be a little overwhelming when you’re starting out, and it’s scary sometimes to ask for help, especially when you want it to seem like you know what you’re doing. It’s okay to not have the answers, and half the point of these kinds of events is to learn from each other and grow, even if you’re the host! Nobody says you have to be the most experienced photographer in the room to successfully host a retreat or workshop; everyone has something they can offer and bring to the table, so just go for it and ask others for help when you need it.
If you pour your heart into your event and focus on making it truly valuable for your attendees, models, and vendors, this can be one of the most rewarding things you can do in your business. Don’t let yourself get caught up in doing things as cheaply as possible or trying to whip it all together really quickly as soon as the idea pops into your head, because this is an investment for everyone involved, including yourself! So take your time, put into it what you’d hope to get out of it if you were an attendee, think of each detail from the perspective of your potential attendees/models/vendors, and create something you’re proud of and excited about. Gather inspiration, give credit where it's due, and give your team and attendees an amazing experience filled with unique content opportunities and enjoy the community you've created through your work!

A big thank you goes out to all the vendors who made this gorgeous day happen!! If you are a photographer who is interested in attending a Deep in the Heart Retreat, be sure to visit their website for all the deets on how you can be a part of the magic!