“Live” Styled Shoot Featured in Hitched Magazine
One of the things I love most about being a wedding and event calligrapher in Toronto is that I get to meet an endless array of people in the wedding community.
Photographers, event coordinators, makeup artists, florists - you name it! I’ve loved meeting people from all backgrounds who are true professionals in Toronto’s wedding industry.
One of those people is Omega Mighty, the talented makeup artist and creative mind behind DollfaceDredie.
The “live” styled shoot brought together a creative team of Toronto wedding vendors from diverse backgrounds. Pictured here are hand lettered place cards and menu cards I contributed on behalf of Pinya Letters. Photo credit Karimah Gheddai.
I first met Omega at an event in Toronto where I had been doing live calligraphy. It was a wedding vendor holiday mixer, a community event to bring together Toronto’s burgeoning creative wedding industry and to foster collaboration.
It was in that same spirit of community, creativity, and downright fun that Omega and Erica of Eri Styled Events reached out to me over the summer to propose a collaboration.
A Sunset Romance was the theme for the wedding shoot, featuring a stunning colour palette of cappuccino, champagne, crayola, amber, copper and metallic tones. Photo credit Karimah Gheddai.
They wanted to organize a styled shoot featuring wedding vendors from across Toronto.
Except this wasn’t just any styled shoot - it would also be an immersive experience and a celebration.
DollfaceDredie was reaching five years in business, a milestone definitely worth celebrating, and she wanted to go all out. I was MORE than happy to be part of the festivities!
Erica and Omega put together the moodboards and their vision for the shoot. The theme would be a Sunset Romance with a stunning colour palette of cappuccino, champagne, crayola, amber, copper and metallic tones.
I was given lots of creative freedom to express myself artistically and I loved every minute of it.
I had the freedom to express myself artistically as a wedding calligrapher. Pictured here are Pinya Letters hand lettered wedding invitations, place cards, wedding menu, and wedding vow scroll, all done by hand. Photo credit Karimah Gheddai.
The shoot took place on a Saturday in March at the National Club in downtown Toronto. I was immediately taken by the beautiful decor, styling, and the thought that went into every single detail.
On behalf of Pinya Letters, I designed an elegant array of hand lettered pieces to be part of the shoot, including hand lettered wedding invitations, wedding place cards, menus, a wedding vow scroll, table numbers, a hand lettered welcome mirror, and even a kraft paper design.
Wedding calligraphy designed on a kraft paper scroll by Pinya Letters, adding an additional touch of elegance to the styled wedding shoot. Photo credit Karimah Gheddai.
Following the styled shoot, all the decor remained up, and the space was transformed into a “live” styled shoot and open house to celebrate DollfaceDredie’s five year business anniversary.
Newly engaged couples, past clients, and ‘friendors’ (friends who are vendors) attended, and I could see the delight on their faces as they browsed the various installations for Fall wedding inspiration and ideas.
There was live music, a DJ, performances, giveaways, and even a photobooth.
Pinyaletters was there with a live calligraphy station for attendees. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful space to showcase my work. Everyone was lovely and showered me with appreciation for being there.
The event itself was quite spectacular, but the good news continued.
A few months after, we heard that our styled shoot would be published in Hitched Magazine’s September print issue!
Our styled wedding shoot was featured in Hitched Magazine, a print publication helping couples plan their Ontario wedding. Photo credit Karimah Gheddai.
Seeing Pinyaletters’ calligraphy and the creations of my fellow wedding vendors in a physical magazine was powerful.
But more powerful than anything else was the opportunity to collaborate. I’m thankful that I was able to create beautiful experiences for our clients, and to do so with other wedding vendors committed to their craft.
Special thank you to Erica and Omega for including me, and to all the vendors and guests who helped make the experience so special!
Want to see the full wedding shoot? Pick up the September issue of Hitched Magazine here.
Featuring vendors:
Creative Director, Event Design & Production @eristyledevents
Co-creative Director, Production & Make-up Artist & Hair: @dollfacedrediemua
Photography: @karimahgheddaiphotography
Videography: @inft.media
Floral Designer: @rorflowers
Cake Designer: @fruitilicious_cakes
Modern Calligraphy: @pinyaletters
Backdrop, Props & Balloons: @foreverinbloom.ca
Wedding Gown Designer: @je_vis_bridal
Custom & Bespoke Menswear: @mykingandbay
Hats, Veils & Hair Accessories: @coquemillinery
Fashion Jewelry: @juliatjoyllery
Flooring Design: @northfloordesign
Event Drapery: @eventrentalgroup
Tableware Rentals: @plateoccasions
Linen Rentals: @linencloset
Marquee Letters: @ampersandtoronto
Bar Rental: @chairmanmills
Venue: @nationalclubtoronto
Looking For A Professional Calligrapher For Your Next Toronto Wedding Or Event?
Pinya Letters is now available for booking! I offer elegant, customized wedding calligraphy services to add extra meaning to your wedding day. Click here to get in touch.
This blog post is co-curated by Gelaine Santiago. Gelaine is a social entrepreneur, an online storyteller, and a passionate advocate for diversity and ethics in business. She’s the co-founder of Cambio & Co., an e-commerce fashion company working with Filipino artisans to celebrate Filipino craftsmanship, culture, and heritage. Gelaine is also one of the founders of Sinta & Co., the world’s first conscious Filipino wedding boutique. She was named one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2019. Find her on Instagram @gelainesantiago and www.gelainesantiago.com