Huzzah! Love Eternal

April 2022 – Medieval Engagement Editorial

Shortly after my husband proposed, I knew a traditional engagement photoshoot was not for us. Wholly enveloped in my own personal 60s Medieval Revival craze at the time, I began mischievously envisioning something a bit more playful. We landed on what you see below: a medieval-inspired feast staged inside a deteriorating abandoned church in Chicago. Bountiful fruit, freshly baked bread, and glimmering antique objects evoked a convincing air of decadence as we shivered under our crowns in the absence of a long-gone heating system, paint slowly peeling from the walls. This is how it feels to find love alive amidst decay.

I developed the photoshoot’s concept first, then worked backwards to bring it to life. I identified and secured the location, styled our wardrobes, and designed the feast table with antique serveware, fruit, candles, and collected objects. Our photographer, Riley Valentine, provided Louis’s ruff collar, handcrafted by Kansas City-based leatherworker, Katy McRoberts. Riley captured our visual world entirely on film, lending her distinct eye and creative perspective to the final images.

Concept Development, Location Scouting, Set Design, & Wardrobe Styling: Jessica Packard
Photography and On-Set Creative Direction: Riley Valentine
Handmade Leather Ruff Collar: Katy McRoberts

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