The Slit Barn Wedding open house and Mediterranean-style shoot last summer were a complete success for everyone involved. I was happy to work alongside so many local wedding professionals who help create weddings that are truly one of a kind, bringing quality, uniqueness, and a complete wedding experience to young couples.

We had two shoots planned: the Mediterranean and the moody purple styled shoot. In this blog post, I’ll be featuring the colourful, summery, bright, and vibrant Mediterranean shoot.

The Slit Barn Wedding with Mediterranean flavour

Karima from Event Depot invited me to take part in a wonderful collaboration of local wedding professionals. Having worked with her on many weddings before, I was delighted to be included on her list of preferred wedding photographers. This list included NithRidge Estate, another venue she managed, as well as opportunities through her company, Event Depot.

Karima introduced me to Katelyn, the wedding planner in charge of the styled sessions. She was the one we would collaborate with more closely on the day of the open house.

Alongside me, two additional photographers joined the styled session. This allowed us to capture a wide variety of images within the same timeframe, and in different areas of the property, before the open house began.

The team beautifully arranged the Slit Barn, thoughtfully placing two distinct setups in opposite corners of the barn.

While I’m featuring only the Mediterranean shoot in this post, I photographed both sessions. The other was a moody, purple-inspired shoot that I look forward to sharing in my next blog post.

It was incredible to witness such a stunning showcase of decor, florals, food, and stationery.

Every vendor and wedding professional poured their time, expertise, and creativity into bringing their vision for this Mediterranean Slit Barn styled shoot to life.

My own vision was to seamlessly capture the models—portraying a bride and groom. In doing so, I aimed to portray them as though they were living their roles on an actual wedding day.

Wedding Professionals at an Open House

Katelyn had shared a detailed plan with a busy schedule for each photographer ahead of the styled shoot. So once I arrived at the barn, I jumped right into photographing.

Instead of following a traditional wedding timeline, we worked around the open house start time—which I was also a part of. After completing the photo sessions, I also needed to set up my company’s display for the couples visiting The Slit Barn. Since this was my first time photographing at the venue, I was excited to capture every single display. I approached it just like I would on a real wedding day.

To fully immerse myself in the styled shoot, I imagined it as a real Slit Barn wedding unfolding in real time. I began with the bride in her getting-ready space and worked from there. Although there was less pressure without actual guests present, the energy of so many talented wedding professionals made the experience feel very real.

It was important for me to document each of their contributions thoughtfully. I wanted to give them beautiful photos they could use for their portfolios and marketing. Along with reconnecting with vendors I had collaborated with before, I was also delighted to meet many new ones.

The Slit Barn Wedding Reception Area

After finishing the getting-ready photos, I headed straight to the reception setup. There, I began capturing the incredible displays of flowers and decor. It was truly impressive to see how each vendor contributed to the styled shoot. In fact, every detail was thoughtfully arranged and ready for the photos I was taking.

At this Slit Barn wedding styled shoot, I approached everything just as I would at a real wedding. Specifically, my goal was to give future clients a genuine glimpse of what their wedding could look like with the support of a wedding planner and professional vendors like the ones involved here. Importantly, nothing was overly staged or exaggerated—just honest moments, captured through the lens of my camera.

Once I finished photographing the reception setup, I then shifted my focus to the wedding ceremony, which was about to begin. By this time, the decor and floral teams had already prepared two beautiful ceremony setups, both fully ready to be used. Overall, the entire day flowed smoothly, allowing me to capture each special moment as it unfolded.

The Outdoor Wedding Reception at The Barn

The wedding ceremony area was set just behind the house, serving as both the getting-ready space and the wedding suite. The house offered shade for the guests, providing a refreshing spot to cool down on a hot summer day.

The wedding couple—who were models—were so natural and at ease in their roles. If I hadn’t told you they weren’t a real couple, you likely wouldn’t have guessed. I made sure to weave the colours of the flowers they carried into the outdoor ceremony photos. Paired with the lush green grass and clear blue sky, the result was a fresh, summery atmosphere. It brought a beautiful Mediterranean touch to the scene.

The Creativity of this Mediterranean Slit Barn Styled Shoot

As we wrapped up this part of the shoot, I already had plenty of ideas for photographing the couple in one of the limos generously provided by the vendors.

On a typical wedding day, I don’t often have much time to photograph my couple in the limo. Since it’s usually reserved just for transportation, the opportunity to create photos inside it is rare. This time, though, I was excited to get creative with the beautiful light and reflections the limo offered.

With the limo parked, I experimented by slightly opening the windows. That let in just the right amount of light to softly illuminate my couple. At the same time, I used the reflective roof to capture unique compositions and create striking images. My couple posed so naturally that I can honestly say they perfectly executed the limo photo session—something anyone could easily recreate at any Slit Barn wedding.

To bring in more creative elements for this Mediterranean Slit Barn styled shoot, I incorporated decor from the harvest tables into the session with my couple. The tones tied in beautifully with the groom’s suit and the bride’s flowers, creating a seamless, well-balanced look.

For the final touch, I chose to use the barn’s wooden doors as a backdrop. Normally, I would save this part of the session for later in the day when the light is softer. Still, with the open house set to begin in just 30 minutes, I positioned my couple by the doors. I captured a mix of creative silhouettes and candid shots of vendors putting the finishing touches on the event.

The Slit Barn Open House

As I wrapped up the last photos with my couple, I packed away my equipment and set up my display area. Guests for the open house began to arrive slowly, and before long, the entire barn was filled with people. I loved seeing so many happy faces, with guests chatting and enjoying conversations with the vendors. The fantastic selection of food and drinks added to the warm, welcoming atmosphere, giving us all a glimpse of what a Slit Barn wedding can truly feel like.

A heartfelt thank you to Katelyn for creating such a well-planned agenda for this Mediterranean Slit Barn styled shoot, and to Karima for inviting me to be part of this wonderful event in the city of Cambridge.

Here is another barn wedding. In the blog post Ultimate Guide to perfect barn wedding with Samantha and Adam.

The Wedding Professionals Part of The Styled Shoot:

Venue: The Slit Barn
Planner & Designer: Katelyn from Forever and Fancy
Linens & Decor: AWE Events
Florals: Urban Jungle
Stationery: Red Bicycle Paper CO.
Place Setting Decor: Simply Settings
Chairs: abc party time
Catering, Cocktails & Cookie Favours: Little Mushroom Catering 
Late Night Pizza: Mercasa Inc.
Cake: Fancy That Cake
Cupcakes: Never Enough Thyme
Hair: Studio1990weddings
Makeup: Amy Somerville Esthetics
Dress: Kiki McDonald Bridal
Suit: Stars and Strauss
Jewelry: Telosia Jewelry
Violinist: Kristi Coleman
Audio Guestbook: Nitro Music
Marquee Letters: Lumina Marquee
Pinata: Ten Go Pinatas
Popcorn Bar: ThunderStorm Productions
Photobooth: Southlands Weddings CO.
Officiants: Bill Judge,  Blauwatters
Spray Tans: Sugar and Savvy Beauty Boutique
Model: Sydney
Model: James