The Styled Shoot I Almost Didn’t Do: The Historic Wedding Venue at Malaga Inn

Caricatures at a styled shoot at the Malaga Inn in Mobile, AL

This week, 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 the 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 being 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 so people assume I’m an extrovert.

I’m not.

I’m an ambivert, which means I’m in the middle and I can relate to 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 out of my comfort zone. So I had to force myself to go.

The styled shoot was at the Malaga Inn in Mobile, which was my first time there, and 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 transformed into an inn. It's reminiscent of New Orleans, only quieter. The courtyard was paved with old brick and decorated with wrought-iron furniture, a gorgeous fountain, ferns, and flowers. So many flowers in a colorful riot of summer colors like fuchsia, lavender, and vermilion.

It honestly felt like stepping into another world.

I don’t think people realize just how much history Mobile has. It’s one of the oldest cities in America. Before it was part of the United States, it flew the flags of France, Great Britain, Spain, the Confederacy, and the United States. Even Alabama had its own flag for a while. It’s known as the City of Six Flags, but the city was British during the revolution, so it sided with Britain, so they didn't include it in the thirteen colonies! Same goes for Pensacola FL, Natchez MS and Baton Rouge LA. I love that kind of hidden history.

I remember thinking how much my son Matthew, a history buff, would love this place.

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.

The lovely large fountain in the courtyard

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 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 huge white umbrellas out 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 also matters of course. Making images people actually like matters too.

But if you’re 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 live artists, speed is as important as style for 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 LOVE my work, but they know what they’re getting into. This faux bride really had no clue what she was in for. I had to tell her "Try to look like you're having fun" which made her laugh.

After the reveal I told everyone, “Let’s go inside. I can color in there. We’re wilting out here.”

I took a photo of the drawing and the bride and groom so I could remember the colors, then went into the lobby where it was nice and cool to finish coloring it.

By then people knew who I was, and a few guests stopped to ask what I was doing. Jessica came over, simply raved about the finished drawing, and she 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 it 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 just set up my easel and be ready.

While I was waiting, 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’d accidentally taken part of the Dixieland band’s space.

Oops.

As they were setting up, I could see they were squished. I asked them, “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 fun getting to draw them.

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. Really helped the ambiance. But he was worried because a few 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 the bride had actually asked me while I was drawing, “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 (because it’s 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 their guests a fun time. They actually had me check my calendar for a bride, 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 really 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 together because we’re all working toward the same goal: giving the bride and groom the best day we possibly can.

One of my favorite drawings of the night was 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 her 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 that. Yay! My work here is done. lol.

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 and said, “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’s trying to tell me something.

Before I knew it, everybody who wanted a drawing had gotten one.

So 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.

Way easier than trying to mingle at a traditional networking event.

It also made me realize these aren’t just “other wedding vendors.” These are the people I work with. It may not be a traditional office, but they’re still my coworkers. I see the same planners, photographers, DJs, florists, venue managers, and musicians 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. Most of my friends I met at events.

I spent the whole morning worrying about going to my first styled shoot.

Now I’m really glad I went.

Now, about that TikTok account… 😄

Check availability and learn more at

www.caricaturesbykathy.com

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