Emma Mullins Photography

Earlier this spring, I was back in California for an exclusive editorial shoot at Filoli wedding venue produced by WedVibes. A group of top-notch industry professionals came together to make this day possible, and it truly exceeded all of my expectations. Not only was this my first WedVibes shoot, but I was lucky enough to meet owners Daria and Alina! These two don’t attend every editorial, and it was so wonderful to meet them in person. The entire WedVibes team was a pleasure to work with!

Filoli Wedding Venue

From a photographer’s perspective, Filoli was an absolute dream venue to work at. Situated on over 650 acres of land near the California coast, this historic house was once a private residence, opening to the public in 1975 as a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Filoli gets its name from combining the first two letters of the following:

“Fight for a just cause.
Love your Fellow Man.
Live a Good Life.”

The above personal motto comes from Mr. William Bourn, original owner of the Filoli grounds. With such a rich history celebrating the surrounding land, it’s no surprise the grandeur of the venue lives up to its name.

WedVibes Editorial Shoot

Our day started at 8am with a warm up (read: dance party) led by Alina. In the morning, photographers were split into groups and rotated between different “scenes” – such as groom prep, bride getting ready, and stationery details. We each had a chance to direct the models and get creative with them! Shantel and Darrion stunned as our newlyweds, while Eric & Elisa and Andrew & Bri killed it as the wedding party. If you’re a photographer looking to expand your portfolio and hire a model couple, I highly recommend reaching out to any of these professionals.

The afternoon included a stunning ceremony in the California sunshine, mobile bar and custom cocktails, wedding party photos, newlywed portraits, reception details, and celebration. That sounds like a lot – and it was! But somehow the day seemed to go by super fast (kind of like a real wedding!).

Community Over Competition

The main highlight of this shoot may seem like the portfolio, but in my opinion, the connections we made with other photographers and vendors are far more important. There truly was a sense of community, camaraderie and support among us unlike other group editorials I have experienced. The production team took amazing care of us throughout the day, making sure we were fed, hydrated, and had plenty of sunscreen! Shout out to Makeup Artist Kayla for stepping in as officiant during the ceremony… and Alina for bringing the tunes all day 🙂

I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to attended this editorial, and couldn’t be more grateful for the experience. Thank you again, Daria, Alina and WedVibes Team!!