A couple eager to take engagement photos in the Italian countryside couldn’t exactly travel across the world for the photo shoot–so they improvised.
Carlsey Bibb and Caden Mills got engaged not so long ago and have begun planning a wedding for later this year. So when it came time to snap the engagement photos, the two already knew exactly the type of vibe they wanted to capture.
Unfortunately, they live in Tennessee where the Italian countryside is far out-of-reach. So the couple got creative and used Olive Garden as a substitute, which to the internet’s surprise, actually worked–the photos turned out great!
The success of the photo shoot was all thanks to Shea Craven, a talented photographer and a close friend of the couple.
Bibb posted some of the final photos on Instagram, but it wasn’t until Craven shared even more shots–in a video posted to TikTok–that their engagement shoot went viral.
“tennessee but with Italy Vibes✨,” the caption read.
Speaking with Buzzfeed, Bibb said, “I asked Shea (our photographer and longtime friend) if there was anywhere she had been wanting to shoot but hadn’t yet. That’s when she mentioned Olive Garden!”
Craven told the publication that she thought to take photos at the restaurant one day while eating lunch there with family.
(scroll to keep reading)
“I looked over at the building and said to my mom, ‘This would be a cool spot to take some photos,'” she said.
Craven owns Hunter Lashea Photography and has worked as a photographer professionally for a long time now.
According to her website, Craven mainly practices wedding photography, but she also offers general and non-celebratory sessions for couples.
“I crave documenting the real, raw, and meaningful moments that happen during a wedding day—all the butterflies before first look, the tears during the vows, the constant giddy smiles, and the ultimate dance party—those are the moments I love to capture. I would be absolutely honored to be a part of your adventure.”
It sounds a little out-of-the-ordinary to shoot engagement photos at a chain restaurant, but according to Craven, “When we started planning to do Carlsey and Caden’s engagement photos, Carlsey had full trust in my idea, and I’m so grateful.”
To make an Olive Garden look like Italy, takes skill–and Craven is obviously talented.
You can view the end result of the cheesy photo shoot in the embedded video above.
More Pop Culture:
