Creating a Dreamy Floral Studio: My Process for Mama & Me Mini Sessions!

From a sketch in my journal to a fully decorated studio with professional floral installation.

Step 1: Vision

Part of the joy in these studio sessions for me is the creative planning process. I LOVE dreaming up the vibe, the florals, and the backdrop. I had two designs in mind this year, and it was REALLY hard to choose between them! But ultimately I went with Cheery Spring Dried Florals and a simple studio backdrop.

Here is a picture of the original sketch in my journal:

I wanted a hanging installation as well as a floor arrangement, as the combination creates a kind of “frame” around the subject evoking the feeling of being surrounded by flowers. For color tones, iconic spring pastels were just the ticket for the cheery and playful vibe I was going for!

Step 2: Shop

Once I had the design and mood board set, it was time to hit up Seattle Wholesale Growers Market for flowers! I got to tag along with this year’s florist – friend and Wedding/Event Planner extraordinaire, Amy of AE Events & Design. She is such an enthusiastic, joyful, and collaborative person to work with!

I decided to go with dried florals so that I could set up and shoot the whole studio with a model family ahead of time (this makes marketing so much easier. Instead of trying to imagine what the vision in my head looks like, clients can SEE exactly what the set up will be.)

This was my first time going to Seattle Wholesale Growers Market and picking out flowers was a DREAM. I felt like a little kid in a candy shop! The textures, color tones, and options were endless, and actually a little overwhelming. I am SO glad Amy was there to guide me and lend her professional expertise. It’s one thing to have a mood board but a whole other thing to actually bring the vision to life!

Step 3: Create

Amy was gracious enough to let me shadow her while creating the installations. I have always loved playing with flowers, but creating a full installation from scratch was very daunting and I knew I couldn’t do it without her!

We took the flowers to her home and she let me in on her inside tips and tricks of the trade. I felt so lucky to see “behind the curtain.” We got to work and had so much fun together. She worked long after I left that afternoon, and after several weeks (and endless requests from me, lol) the arrangements were complete!

BUT, at this point I was still only halfway there – I still had to bring everything to the studio and take the model shots for my visual content and marketing!

Step 4: Studio day

I arranged for a previous client of mine to “model” with her cutie kids. So they met Amy and I at North City Studio and while Amy installed the florals I worked on staging the furniture and other props. Once everything was set up and fluffed and triple checked, it was finally time to take photos!

My photography style is play-based, so instead of specific poses I gave this Mama and her kiddos prompts for connecting with each other. The work was so effortless with these three and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. My “model” Mama was thrilled too! Here’s an excerpt from her sweet review of our time together:

“We met Cassie at North City Studio…The space and beautiful florals by AE Events & Design exceeded my expectations…My toddler, who is initially shy around new people, showed her sassy and outgoing self right away…Cassie’s kind, encouraging, nurturing, and playful nature made the experience feel less like a photoshoot and more like a normal day of fun and chaos with my kids. It was evident how passionate and knowledgeable Cassie is about capturing moments that reflected the love between myself and my kids.

I am overjoyed by the photos I have received…and I cannot wait to work with Cassie again for future shoots. If you are looking for a photographer that captures the moments of love, beauty, and authenticity in a natural and comfortable way, Cassie is your girl!”