Hannah Morrison

Spring Look with Madewell

 

I have been on the hunt for a good pair of denim that fits my 5’1 (AND 3/4!) petite frame for YEARS. I have tried all kinds, spent too much money- quickly regretted, and after such endeavors been left still with a void I cannot seem to fill. That is, until I finally went to Madewell after being tipped off by a fellow petite friend to give their jeans a shot. One of the workers at the North Park location convinced me to try on their hi-riser style, saying they are the best fit they carry for petite girls… and she was so right!!

A good pair of denim, higher-end that fit like a glove, have the ability to instantly make you feel on top of the world. Whether paired with a white tee (I suggest Everlane!) or a nice blouse and heels, I know that I am going to feel good in my Madewell denim. I have said it before, I will say it again, I believe in investing more money in two things: jeans and shoes. They are items that, if you spend more money on them, you will have to purchase far less frequently; ultimately, this saves you a whole lot of money. These are considered “investment pieces.” I promise, though painful in the moment, it is 100% worth it.

I have a fresh-faced look paired with my springtime outfit- perfect for days out and about as the sun makes its grand reappearance. I am, of course, wearing my favorite skincare from BareMinerals, a copper eye and lightly bronzed cheek with a quick swig of my Lash Domination Mascara. Shop everything I have on below!

Have a happy Monday! Love y’all.

xoxo- Han

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

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Wedding Vendor Series: His + Her Outfits + Cottonwood Road Photography

Have you enjoyed this wedding vendor series half as much as I have? I mean, I have absolutely loved featuring girl bosses who are so good at what they do. This styled shoot was two months in the making, and every ounce of work to get it done was worth it.

 

Today, to finish it off, I am talking about Hannah Hagaman of Cottonwood Road Photography. You have seen her name all over my blog, because she takes all my photos. She makes me feel so confident with every single shoot. In addition to my blog, what Hannah excels at is weddings, engagements, and couple’s shoots. Paul and I have had the pleasure of working with her a couple of times as a couple now, and we just know we are always going to be blown away by her work. Nobody gets more genuine laughs or shots out of you like Hannah. She is incredible at staging and directing, which -let’s face it- unless you’re a pro, you need someone who knows what’s going to make you look best. Simply put, Hannah is the bomb at what she does. If you need photos, I cannot suggest her enough. Her work is crisp, clean, bright and airy. She will deliver you the most dreamy photos that you get to keep for the rest of your life. These are the photos you will hang on your walls, and refer to for forever to remember you and your boo’s big day or engagement photos by. If you are on a budget, I cannot say enough times- do not budge on your photographer. It is the ONLY THING that carries on after your wedding day. Don’t cut costs there. Email Hannah!

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I really wish I could post EVERY PHOTO Hannah took… but I will spare you. Bottom line, she is amaze. She will make you and your boo feel so good (and she makes you look dang good, too.)

His Suit

I got so many questions about Paul’s suit, so I won’t leave that out! This suit is a heather navy suit from Jos. A Bank. (The 1905 line.) I have it linked below. This is such a nice suit, and it made Paul look dang good, if I do say so myself. His boots are from Aldo, but they’re no longer available. I linked a few similar ones.

SALE ALERT: Literally, this suit JUST went on sale from $695 to $278 (!?!?!) This suit is seriously incredible. It looks so good on. It’s trim and tailored fitting, the perfect slim fit.

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Exit Outfit

Last, but not least!, is my exit outfit for the shoot. I paired my blush tulle skirt from Space 46 Boutique with my sash and bolero I wore for my real wedding. This made for such a sweet, nostalgic outfit and I loved getting to repurpose these items. I wore an Aerie bralette underneath. The key to a great leaving outfit is to simply keep true to the feel of your wedding. This one goes perfectly with the blush pink chic wedding we styled. For my real wedding, I left in a sweet white dress with my blush pink flats I wore throughout the night. The call is yours, but I gotta say that this outfit is one of my favorites I have ever styled!

The bolero- IHeartBride; The Skirt- Space 46 Boutique; Sash- Abigail Grace Bridal.

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I absolutely LOVED doing this series for y’all, sharing the tidbits of information I know from planning my own wedding while introducing you to local vendors. If you have anything else you want to know, email me! Let me help you. Recently someone emailed me asking to help with their wedding playlist, and I loved giving suggestions! Whatever it might be- holler at me.

Love y’all! Have a happy Saturday.

xoxo- Han

Wedding Vendor Series: The Flowers + Calligraphy

Continuing our wedding vendor series, today I am talking all about these floral arrangements, flower crown, and calligraphy. So many memorable weddings aren’t just about the knock out gown or venue, but rather in the details. Your flowers, your calligraphy, your print outs- these are the fun things that make a wedding more than just a location. They set a vibe and reflect the personalities of the bride and groom.

The Flowers

All of the flowers you see in this shoot, from the gorgeous bouquet to flowers on the cake, are by Pollen Events. First and foremost, Andi is absolutely precious, which makes such a difference. You want to work with nice people as a bride, and Andi is definitely that.

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The Bouquet

I told Andi I wanted something fun, springy, and woodsy… clearly she NAILED IT. I am so obsessed with how this bouquet turned out. I love how loose and natural it was. The flowers she picked were so unique- all of us were asking her what each were because they were just types we had never seen before.

The Flower Crown

I wanted to wear a flower crown for my real wedding two years ago so badly but chickened out. They weren’t as “normal” as they have been the last wedding season and the upcoming one, so I ended up passing on it. I later regretted that decision so much, so wearing this flower crown was fulfilling a lot of unfinished wedding business for me. 😉 But, seriously, how gorgeous is this one? I loved it!

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The Boutonniere

We had to put a flower on the groom, and Andi’s choice was perfect! Simple, yet it completed the bride and groom look. Know what I mean?

Calligraphy

I was really lucky to have a bridesmaid who did the calligraphy for my wedding, but not everyone is so fortunate. Great news is that I have Fig and Flourish for you to hire for all of your calligraphy needs. Be it your invitations, place settings or cute details around the room, they are who you are looking for. I mean, look at how beautiful this place setting is shown above?! Andrea nailed the colors for a “springy” blush wedding. That ombre effect… yes please.

Wedding Vendor Series: The Venue, Cake, and Furniture Rentals

Okay, okay… so I may have a slight obsession with weddings… but I just love love! Today’s feature will highlight the venue, the cake, and furniture rentals. Next to your gown choice, these are major decisions that set the entire tone of your wedding- but don’t fret! I have you covered on who to hire.

White Sparrow Barn

The venue is probably the biggest (and most expensive) decision you will have to make in the entire wedding planning process. What venue you choose also maps out what kind of wedding you will have, so you kind of have to nail it. (No pressure.) You just have to keep in the mind your end goal- if you are a glamorous bride, an outdoor wedding venue might not be the best way to go… you know what I mean? Everything is dependent upon this choice. Great news… White Sparrow Barn is the ultimate chameleon venue for ANY KIND OF WEDDING you are wanting to do. If its boho, go for it. Glam, yes. Shabby chic, they have that for you, too. This venue is a massive white blank canvas dawned with gorgeous chandeliers, white wash wood floors, and tall ceilings that literally will take your breath away.

I first went to White Sparrow Barn for a friend’s wedding back in the fall, and I couldn’t stop gawking at it. It was so beautiful. The sun sets through the massive windows above you as you recite your vows… omg. Literally, I cannot get enough of this place. In addition to the main space, they have back and side lawns perfect for cocktail hour (or, should you get so lucky on weather, the perfect outdoor dining space.) The staircase shown in the photo below is also quite a statement, it’s truly just gorgeous- all of it.

They have respective dressing rooms for the bridal party and groom’s men- each with their own touches of masculinity and femininity to set the mood in the separate rooms.

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Moral of the story- get married here.

The Cake

No no, I don’t mean my blog… I mean the CAKE. The one you get to eat, take pictures of and with, and then stuff in your new hubby’s mouth. 😉 Like the venue, what cake you pick reflects your personality. Are you simple, glam, over the top, classic… the options are endless.

My big sister, Emily, is a professional pastry chef, so I lucked out on the whole cake thing for my own wedding. My sister made it, and it was perfect for me- sort of looked like if a ballerina was a cake.

But, since she is in North Carolina and not everyone is so fortunate to get that sort of hook up, allow me to introduce you to an incredible cake baker here in the DFW area. This gorgeous naked cake (perfect for the boho bride) was made by Chelsea Flaming, and (in addition to how it smelled) we couldn’t stop admiring how it looked. The flowers on top of it are added by Andi of Pollen Events who did the floral arrangements and flower crown for the shoot! You can contact Chelsea via Instagram right now (@chelseamakescakes), but she is about to have her official website up and running! We are so excited to feature her so early on in her baking career, and we can’t wait to see how she explodes from here!

Furniture Rentals

Again, just how the venue and cake say so much about you/ set the mood for your wedding, the furniture does, too! Unique Unique by Design is a McKinney based furniture rental business that is perfect for setting your space up exactly how you always dreamed. They have so much to pick from, whether you just simply are looking for a couple pieces to add character to your venue or need a whole space filled, these ladies are who you need.

I desperately wanted to take this blush pink chair home with me- I was obsessed. It meshed perfectly with our blush pink wedding shoot! That cake table shown below, too, has got me swooning.

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Wedding Vendor Series: The Dress, Hair and Makeup

If you read my anniversary post (here), then you saw some of our photos from a styled photo shoot at The White Sparrow Barn. I was so thrilled to work with some extremely talented women from in and around Dallas to put together this whole entire shoot, and I am so stoked to start sharing each vendor with you.

Brides- if you are planning your wedding in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area, be sure to keep up with this series as I feature every type of vendor you could possibly need: The gown, the venue, the flowers, the cake, the photographer, the furniture rentals… EVERYTHING.

Today, I will be highlighting my incredible gown and hair + makeup.

Watters Gown

I wore a Watters gown on my actual wedding two years ago and I still have women email me asking where I got it. Unfortunately, I just found out my gown, The Norma, went into retirement last month. But, what I love about Watters gowns the most is what lured me into buying the Norma in the first place, and that is the simple fact that they are unique and original looking. Additionally, they are locally designed and extremely well crafted- they are worth your money. You can find Watters in bridal boutiques, as well as on BHLDN– Anthropologie’s wedding website. Their headquarters is in the Addison/Farmer’s Branch area.

Watters uses a silk chiffon on their gowns that is unique to their brand; there is truly nothing out there like it. I went into my very first gown appointment knowing I wanted to try on The Norma. I put it on first, and was shocked at how light it was while still being so full on the bottom with a corset style top (that’s the beauty of their silk chiffon!). Every gown following Norma just didn’t compare to how COMFY she was (and, frankly, felt cheap in comparison). They all sounded like an elephant walking or were a workout to have on. The number one important thing about your gown is feeling comfortable and light or you will be miserable on your wedding day. 

If you are a boho bride, Watters is DEFINITELY for you. Yet, if you are a classic bride, Watters has beautiful options for you, too. I was a boho bride meets ballerina, and my gown, The Norma, was literally everything I had ever dreamed of. It embodied every piece of my personality I was looking to express through my gown.

The gown featured in this photo shoot is their Kai gown. Crafted with the same silk chiffon I had on my original wedding gown, I felt right at home in it. The bodice has beautiful detailing of mesh and lace that definitely channelled the boho in me, while the back was delicate and felt like the ballerina side of me. The Kai is the perfect gown for truly any venue setting. It would work perfectly for a backyard or barn wedding just as much as it would for a chapel wedding with a long veil.

Hair + Makeup

You have all heard me brag about her and I have sent multiple friends her way, but Kristy Rankin is the bomb at all things hair and makeup. Literally, just last week, someone stopped me to ask who does my hair color because it’s the best blonde they have ever seen. Who notices that?! Y’all, she is the best.

Kristy did my makeup for my actual wedding two years ago, and I wouldn’t have it any other way than to get her talent for this shoot. Kristy can literally do anything that you come to her with. I am a more natural makeup kind of girl, so for my real wedding day makeup, I dawned a natural colored lip and blush palette. But she is bomb at sultry, too. She even encouraged me to a darker eye than I would usually do for this shoot specifically and I loved it!

Follow Kristy on Instagram here to see her gorgeous face and cute family. Her son’s name is Gryffin- I mean does it get any cuter? And, if you have any hair or makeup needs, she is your lady.

Follow along over the next week for the rest of the incredible women I got to work with for this shoot! I am going to try my very best to practice self control and not overwhelm you all with the amount of incredible photos Cottonwood Road Photography got from this shoot, but… I can make no promises. Y’all, this lady is the best. I will obviously be highlighting her throughout this whole series with every photo shown, but more on her is also coming.

Love y’all!!!! Happy Monday.

xoxo- Han

 

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