A few weeks before this shoot took place, the venue wasn’t exactly wedding ready. The lease for Continental Square Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania, had only recently been signed. Furniture left behind by previous occupants was still scattered throughout the space and construction was ongoing. Most planners would have waited until the dust settled before bringing in photographers and models but Kyla Edwards of Eternal Moment saw it’s potential.

“The venue was still under construction when we did the shoot, so our photographers were challenged to be creative and think outside of the box”, she explained. “They had to find ways to either hide or incorporate the dust and debris into all of their photos because there was not a single part of the venue that was completed!”

Kyla approached the unfinished venue as a blank canvas. The building’s soaring 40-foot ceilings, intricate carvings and original bank vault door offered plenty to work with. Rather than covering up the character of the space, she highlighted it. Inspired by the Beaux-Arts architecture overhead, the shoot balanced historic details with a contemporary approach to colour, styling and fashion.

“I wanted to mirror the elegance and luxury of the ceiling while also making it feel modern and contemporary. The old bank vault door and the detailed carvings throughout the space were also inspiring, and I wanted to bring in as much texture and colour as possible. The photographs are beautiful and editorial, and it inspires couples to think about the potential that the venue has. I think the most important takeaway is that things don’t have to be perfect to be special. Whatever challenges you face through the planning process or any problems that arise on your wedding day will pale in comparison to the feeling of marrying your best friend and being surrounded by your favourite people.”

So, for Kyla, the project wasn’t about creating a polished fantasy wedding shoot. It was about gathering people who shared the same values and seeing what could happen when perfection was taken off the table.

“I’ve planned several styled shoots in the past, and they were always centred around perfection,” she explains. “Finding the ‘perfect’ models and dresses, scoping out the ‘perfect’ locations, bringing in the ‘perfect’ décor. Knowing that the venue was in such rough shape allowed the vendor team to let go of the idea of striving for perfection and embrace their creativity.”

This was also reflected the people behind it. Kyla, the photographers and the models are all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Several of the models are plus-sized. That representation was intentional from the start. “The venue owner actually pulled me aside at the end of the shoot to thank me for featuring queer couples,” said Kyla. “She explained that she’s hosted countless styled shoots in all of her venues and the default is always white, skinny, straight couples. I built Eternal Moment to be a safe space for everyone, especially those in the queer community, so I’m always excited to have an opportunity to bring more inclusion and representation into the industry.”