Malaga Inn Mobile Review: The Styled Shoot I Almost Didn’t Do
Updated: Aug 10
I was getting ready for my first styled shoot. Doing my makeup, finding my earrings, putting my hair up… The whole time I kept telling my husband, “I really don’t want to do this.”
So let me back up a minute.
A few weeks earlier, Jessica, the editor of Now Weddings Magazine, asked if I would like to participate in a styled shoot.
I’d always wanted to do one, and I was honored to be asked, so of course I said yes.
If you’ve never heard of a styled shoot, it’s basically a fake wedding.
The organizer gathers all the vendors needed for a real wedding—photographers, florists, decorators, caterers, musicians, even (apparently) caricature artists.
The whole point is to get photos of different wedding vendors interacting with a model bride and groom. The photographers, videographers, and magazine all get beautiful content, and the vendors build their portfolios. It’s really a win-win for everyone.
The theme for this styled shoot was color, so I guess they figured caricatures are colorful, so they invited me. I was especially excited because being invited meant they knew who I was and wanted me there.
The funny thing is, I’m actually pretty shy IRL. When I’m among a group of people, I’m socially awkward. Anytime I’m forced to mingle, I get social anxiety.
When I’m drawing, though, it’s different. When I’m performing, I come out of my shell and I’m totally comfortable.
At weddings I’m sitting behind my easel talking to one person, or maybe one couple, at a time. I joke around, have fun, and people assume I’m an extrovert.
I’m not.
I’m an ambivert, which means I’m somewhere in the middle and can relate to just about anyone. I can also mask really well due to having ADHD.
So put me behind my easel and I’m completely comfortable.
Ask me to walk into a room full of strangers and make small talk?
That’s hard.
So anyway… I had mixed feelings about this styled shoot. I knew it would likely be good for my business, but it would also put me way outside my comfort zone.
I had to force myself to go.
The styled shoot was at the Malaga Inn in Mobile, which was my first time there. I hadn’t planned on writing a Malaga Inn Mobile review when I arrived, but as I wrote this story, I realized it was the perfect opportunity.
The moment I walked through the doors, I forgot about being nervous.
The lobby was beautiful, but then I looked through into the courtyard and just stopped.
It was breathtaking.
It was like a secret garden.
The Malaga Inn is a three-story old Southern mansion with a wraparound porch that has been transformed into an inn. It’s reminiscent of New Orleans, only quieter. The courtyard is paved with old brick and decorated with wrought-iron furniture, a gorgeous fountain, ferns, and flowers—a riot of summer colors like fuchsia, lavender, and vermilion.
It honestly felt like stepping into another world.
I remember thinking how much my son Matthew, a history buff, would love this place.
My Malaga Inn Mobile Review as a Wedding Vendor
A quick disclaimer: I am not paid to review wedding venues, nor am I compensated in any way for my reviews. Malaga Inn did not ask me to write this. I review venues because I work at so many of them, and I want brides to get the kind of honest, firsthand perspective I would want if I were choosing a venue myself.
And yes, I have one other motive: I hope while you’re here, you’ll discover just how much fun live caricatures can be at a wedding—and maybe you’ll decide to hire me for yours!
Since I was at Malaga Inn for a styled shoot rather than an actual wedding, I can’t tell you what it’s like to be a bride there. But I can tell you what I noticed after spending an afternoon and evening there as a wedding vendor.
First, the place was immaculate.
The central courtyard is much larger than it appears in photographs, with the fountain in the middle and the rooms of the inn looking down over it. The white railings along the upper levels are exactly what you picture when you think of the Deep South.
There’s also a second courtyard toward the back of the property, surrounded by a brick wall and leading toward the parking area.
For a wedding, what I really liked was the way the indoor and outdoor spaces connect.
The Indoor Reception Space
There is an indoor reception area with a bar and restrooms that opens onto both the central courtyard and the back courtyard.
The indoor space itself isn’t enormous, but combined with the courtyards, I could absolutely see Malaga Inn working beautifully for a small to medium-sized wedding. Guests can move between the indoor and outdoor areas instead of everyone being confined to one room.
And having an air-conditioned indoor space available is particularly valuable during a Mobile summer.
Trust me on that one. More on that in a minute.
Location and Parking
Malaga Inn is right in the historic heart of Mobile, near museums, parks, historic buildings, and other downtown attractions. It’s a beautiful part of the city and a great location if you want your wedding to actually feel like Mobile.
The inn does have its own parking lot, although it isn’t enormous. Based solely on what I saw, I’d estimate it at around 50 cars, but that’s my eyeball estimate—not an official capacity.
There’s also on-street parking nearby, including around a park just a short walk away. For a larger guest list, I’d ask Malaga Inn what parking arrangements they normally recommend for weddings.
My Impression of the Staff
I wasn’t actually a Malaga Inn client, so I didn’t have the same interaction with the staff that a bride planning a wedding would. But I did get to observe them while we were there.
Considering we were doing a styled shoot outside in a 109-degree heat index, they were very attentive about trying to keep everyone comfortable and made sure we were offered water.
The staff were quietly going about their normal business while dozens of wedding vendors took over the property for the styled shoot. At one point, while I was drawing inside, I could hear the receptionist talking with clients on the phone, and she was consistently polite and pleasant.
I also met one of the newer employees, who told me how much she loved working there.
I always think that’s a good sign. You can learn quite a bit about a business from the way the people who work there talk about it.
Would I Recommend Malaga Inn for a Wedding?
Based on what I personally experienced, yes.
I think Malaga Inn would be particularly beautiful for a small to medium-sized wedding where you want the venue itself to be part of the experience, and especially if you love Historic Wedding Venues.
It doesn’t feel like a generic wedding venue that could be anywhere in the country.
It feels like Mobile.
And that’s probably the thing I liked most about it.
The Styled Shoot
Okay, back to the styled shoot.
I parked at the Inn right on the premises. I did have to go around the block because I missed the small entrance, but it wasn’t a big deal.
When I got inside, I texted Jessica, and she told me there were chairs in the courtyard and I could set up wherever I wanted, so I picked a spot right in front of the fountain. Once I got everything set up, I wasn’t quite so nervous anymore. It was just muscle memory. This is my job. This is what I love doing. I can do this.
I took a few pictures of my setup and then went inside to find everyone. The bride and groom were in a room having photos taken, with all the other vendors buzzing around them. I stood around watching and taking pictures of everyone else who was taking pictures. I felt awkward, but I pushed through.
Eventually we all headed outside for my part of the styled shoot.
It was HOT.
About 3:30 in the afternoon in July with a heat index of 109. We were all melting. Thankfully, Jessica brought out huge white umbrellas and held them over our heads while I drew. Someone else stood there fanning us.
Usually I draw no matter what the circumstances. Heat. Cold. Rain. Heck, even snow once or twice when I lived up north. Here, with the umbrellas and the fanning, I felt so spoiled.
As I drew, the faux groom kept saying, “You’re so fast!”
“That’s why people hire me,” I joked.
But seriously, speed really matters at weddings. Capturing a likeness matters, of course. Making drawings people actually like matters too. But if an artist is drawing so slowly that guests have to be turned away, that’s a problem. That’s why I’ve always worked so hard on my speed. I truly believe that when hiring a live artist, speed is just as important as style to the success of your event.
When I finished the drawing, I did the reveal, and the groom loved it. The bride was a little taken aback, which I found funny. Most brides who hire me LOVE my work, but they also know what they’re getting into. This faux bride really had no clue. I finally told her, “Try to look like you’re having fun,” which made her laugh.
After the reveal I said, “Let’s go inside. I can color in there. We’re wilting out here.” Remember what I said about appreciating that air conditioning?
I took a photo of the drawing with the bride and groom so I could remember the colors, then went into the nice, cool lobby to finish coloring it. By then, people knew who I was, and a few people stopped to ask what I was doing. Jessica came over, raved about the finished drawing, and whisked it off to take photographs of it with the bride and groom.
Then I moved my easel into the reception area for the evening vendor showcase. I had no idea that the best part of the day was still ahead.
I’d never done a styled shoot before, so honestly, I didn’t really understand how the whole thing worked. Since I live across the bay, it didn’t make sense to drive all the way home just to turn around and come back an hour later, so I stayed. I figured I’d set up my easel and be ready.
Meanwhile, all the other vendors went home, showered after melting in the July heat, and came back later to set up little displays for their businesses. I didn’t realize that was what a vendor showcase was.
Since I’d been sitting there the whole time, I had accidentally taken part of the Dixieland band’s space.
Oops.
As they were setting up, I could see they were squished, so I asked, “Do you need me to move?”
One gentleman smiled and said, “Maybe.”
So I moved over, and I think that actually broke the ice because we made friends after that. Pretty soon, people started sitting down for drawings.
These are people who spend their lives serving everyone else at weddings and events. They almost never get the chance to be the ones sitting in the chair, so it was really fun getting to draw them.
Drawing the Wedding Vendors
The first person I drew was the florist. He told me he’d spent a pretty penny of his own money on the flowers for the styled shoot. They were absolutely gorgeous and really helped create the ambiance. He was worried because a few of the flowers had wilted in the heat, but honestly, they still looked amazing. I told him he’d done a beautiful job because he really had.
Then the hair and makeup artists sat down. Their makeup had survived a 109-degree heat index, which honestly impressed me. They asked what I thought of the bride’s makeup, and I told them that while I was drawing her, the bride had actually asked me, “Am I melting?” I told her no. She looked perfect. Whatever products they were using worked!
Then I drew the Trail Maids. If you’re not from Mobile, the Trail Maids are young women chosen to represent the city at special events. They wear colorful antebellum-style dresses with hoop skirts and serve as ambassadors for Mobile, so they have to learn the city’s history as part of their training.
I always enjoy drawing them because of those gorgeous dresses. One of them showed me the pantaloons and hoops underneath, and no wonder they have trouble sitting down! We got to talking about Mobile’s history, and as a history nerd, I loved every minute of it.
Then the director of the Ezell House sat down. I’d already done a wedding there, so she started asking me questions about how I work.
“How many guests can you draw?”
“What packages do you offer?”
“What do you do if it rains?”
Those are easy questions because I answer them all the time. I explained why I mostly offer four-hour weddings now instead of cocktail-hour-only. It’s simply not a good guest experience to have me pack up halfway through the wedding.
I told her I can usually draw around a hundred guests during a typical four-hour wedding, and she was surprised.
Then we started talking about her. She told me she’d started working at the Ezell House, fell in love with it, and six years later it had become her career.
I smiled because I knew exactly what she meant. This is my career too. I never planned on being a caricature artist. I just kind of fell into it, and somehow here I am 27 years later.
Then the wedding planners sat down, and they were a lot of fun. I told them my ideal bride is bubbly and fun and wants to give her guests a great time. They actually had me check my calendar for one of their brides, but I was already booked. Maybe next time!
As the evening went on and I kept drawing people, I realized everybody in that room really knew what they were doing. That’s what struck me. Nobody was trying to outshine anybody else. We were all working together to create the best styled shoot we could.
It reminded me of what happens at a really good wedding. When you have experienced vendors who really care, we work together like a well-oiled machine, even if we don’t know each other. Everybody has a different job, but nobody is more important than anybody else, and we all pitch in because we’re working toward the same goal: giving the bride and groom the best day we possibly can.
One of the musicians from the Dixieland band started trying to flag me down. Every time I looked over, though, either I was drawing someone or he was busy playing hos tripped out flugelhorn (imagine those words all being said together!) We kept missing each other. I told him - eventually!
Then a shy thirteen-year-old girl who came over holding a sketchbook. She wanted me to draw not only her, but also one of the manga characters she’d created. As she told me about her story and her characters, I realized she wasn’t just an artist. She was a writer too. I remember being that age, so I tried to encourage her to keep going.
Then her mom, a violist, got drawn with her viola. She actually held the viola for me so I could get it right. I encouraged her to encourage her daughter in art, and it sounded like she was already doing exactly that.
Yay! My work here is done.
Eventually the gentleman with the flugelhorn finally sat down. We’d both been busy all evening, so this was really the first chance we’d had to talk. While I drew him, we started picking each other’s brains about marketing.
I told him I couldn’t figure out why my social media wasn’t growing because, really, we’re not that different. We’re both performers.
He asked where I was posting, and I said Facebook.
He laughed. “Facebook is for old ladies.”
Then he told me I needed to get serious about TikTok. The funny thing was, he was the second person that week to tell me exactly the same thing.
Maybe everybody was trying to tell me something.
Before I knew it, everybody who wanted a drawing had gotten one. I packed up my easel, thanked Jessica for inviting me, finally had a chance to eat a little bit of the food, and headed home.
On the drive home, I called my husband.
“You know,” I told him, “I really didn’t want to come today.”
Then I laughed. “But I think this was probably the best thing I’ve done for my business all year.”
It wasn’t until I started writing this article that I realized why.
I need to do more events like this.
Put me behind my easel and networking just sort of takes care of itself. People sit down for a drawing, we start talking, and before I know it, I’ve made another friend. It’s way easier for me than trying to mingle at a traditional networking event.
It also made me realize that these aren’t just “other wedding vendors.” These are the people I work with. We may not have a traditional office, but they’re still my coworkers. I see the same planners, photographers, DJs, florists, venue managers, musicians, and other entertainers over and over again at weddings and corporate events.
Heck, one of my best friends, Jenny, is a balloon artist. We met at an event. In fact, I’ve met a lot of my friends at events.
I spent the whole morning worrying about going to my first styled shoot, and I had to force myself to walk through that door.
Now I’m really glad I did.
Now, about that TikTok account… 😄
Check availability and learn more at
Styled shoot info
Styled by: Bella Victoria Events@bellavictoriaevents
Venue: Malaga Inn @malagainn
Florals: Eufleuria Events @eufleuriaevents
Catering: Barron's Catering @barronscatering
Wedding Cake: Underground Custom Cakes @undergroundcustomcakes
Bridal Gowns: I Do Bridal & Formal @idobridalformal_mobile
Tuxedos: Men's Wearhouse @menswearhouse
Photography: Rae Leytham Photography @raeleythamphoto
Content Creator: Amelia Rose Creations @ameliarosecreations
Linens: Connie Duglin Linens @cdlinen
Invitations: Bella Oak Creative @bellaoakcreative
HMUA: Shameless Hairtique @shamelesshairtique
Musicians: ALPEZ Music Events @alpezme
Classic Car: A Bride's Ride @abridesridepensacola
Rentals: Port City Rentals @portcityrentals
Brass Band: C Hosey Productions @choseyproductions
Caricature Artist: Caricatures by Kathy @kathybuskett
Special Guests: The Azalea Trail Maids @mobileazaleatrail
Models: Anne Theriot @theriotannemarie and Ashton Koontz @ashtonkoontz for @chicnouvellemodels
As Seen In: NOW WEDDINGS MAGAZINE
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