Theme 6: Greenhouse Fairy - 31 Day of Halloween Series

I’ve photographed weddings at Stacy’s Nursery & Floral before, but this time was a total 180.

Located in Willmar, Minnesota, Stacy’s has always been one of those go to greenhouses for all your flower and Christmas tree needs. So lush, green, and full plants. A literal dream! I’m constantly inspired by fun not traditional locations to have sessions, and this greenhouse has been calling me back for years. I knew I wanted to return, but not for a wedding day, but to push my creativity further in the very same space.

Before letting myself get too excited, I reached out to the owner to ask if I could create something more editorial there. To my absolute surprise, they said yes.  That alone already made this shoot feel special.

From the beginning, my vision was soft, whimsical, and feminine. I wanted something that felt like it emerged straight from nature itself. A delicate fairy amongst flowers and plants. But as with many creative projects, not everything went exactly as planned.

The original model for this theme had purchased a dress specifically for the shoot. Sadly, it didn’t end up working out, but in the kindest, most generous gesture, she offered to let me keep the dress for the next person. Considering how specific and pricey the piece was, that meant more than she probably realized. When the final model tried it on, the dress was a bit snug in the bust, but honestly? I think she pulled it off beautifully. There was something undeniably powerful and sensual about the openness of it. Her confidence shine through in each photo. 

What still makes me laugh is how I had a last minute editing idea for these series of photos. I mean, had over a year to execute this idea, yet it wasn’t until I was literally about to post this theme on social media and something clicked. That familiar gut feeling hit, the one that says, “Do it now, or you’ll regret it later...” Even though it added a bit of stress (okay, a lot), I trusted it. And I’m so glad I did.

At the very last moment, I decided to add sparkles to certain images. Only the ones that felt like they needed just a little something extra. I wanted to lean fully into the fairy fantasy. Those subtle overlays transformed the images in a way I had hoped for. Some photos include 1, 2, or even 3 different sparkle textures layered together in Photoshop, creating depth and movement without overpowering the model or story I was going for. Side by side, the originals felt plain to me, but with the sparkles, the images came alive! More magic.

I even ran a poll on social media asking if people thought the sparkles were a good call. The answers were either “yes, I love it” or “it’s a little extra,” and honestly, I loved that a few people did click “extra,”  it made me smile, because I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being extra when it serves the story. If anything, this shoot reminded me why I’m grateful I went to school for photography at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota and learned how to bring visions like this to life exactly how I see them.

To complete the look, I found the most stunning, handcrafted fairy wings from Fairy Wingdom, an Etsy seller. They created the wings with so much care and intention. I also discovered a handmade crown by Tetra’s Treasures, another Etsy seller, that felt like it was made for this exact moment! It even included tiny fairy wings woven into the design. 

The crazy part? The colors of the wings and crown matched the dress perfectly, and none of it was planned. It felt like one of those moments where the universe was on your side.

From the beautiful flowers inside Stacy’s Nursery greenhouse, to the delicate sparkles, and handmade details, everything aligned. A soft, colorful fairy emerged from nature, exactly as she was meant to.

This shoot was dreamy, intuitive, a little chaotic with my last minute editing decision, but all completely worth it