Happy New Year lovelies! Let’s get straight to it, as more is more for today’s styled shoot! This styling features more colour, more table-accessorising and more joy than your average wedding and we’re here for it! No January blues in this corner of the internets.
Today we’re popping along to Alcumlow Barn to get the scoop on UNVEILED Network Member Jen’s delightful, bloom-rich concept – and who better to do wildflower styling than the woman behind Wildflower Hair Co herself?! Turning her talents for relaxed and effortless bridal hair to styling, Jen has joined forces with a team of other incredible suppliers to craft something utterly beautiful. It’s then all been captured by Sasha, natural, documentary-style wedding photographer extraordinaire. Perfection!
The best part is that it’s actually all been created using sustainable means. All of the mechanics used by clever florist Laura to construct the floral installations were floral foam free, and utilised re-usable structures or containers. We love the double-whammy of pretty AND environmentally conscious. So sit back and allow yourself to be inspired as the team shows us all how it’s done…
With images by Sasha Lee Photography
CONCEPT
Jen says: After lockdown we wanted to highlight how beautiful a small wedding setup could be, whilst showcasing the best of British and utilising what you have around you. We also thought carefully about sustainability for the shoot, and wanted to choose suppliers and products with the environment in mind, reusing and upcycling where possible, and making mindful choices about aspects such as the flowers and food.
LOCATION
Our venue for the shoot was Alcumlow Wedding Barn, a dog-friendly rustic barn, dripping with fairy lights, set in the Cheshire countryside.
We wanted a rustic barn that could facilitate an outdoor ceremony as well as inside, and one that felt like nature was first and foremost everywhere. As the shoot took place in September, it was also the perfect time of year to feature the venue’s stunning corn fields as a backdrop for some of the images.
STYLING
Sustainable nature was at the core of the shoot. All of the flowers by Laura of Green Earth Flowers were completely seasonal, sourced either from local flower farms or foraged from the surrounding countryside.
Based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, Laura specialises in seasonal, unstructured florals for wedding and events, using sustainable methods and blooms to reflect the season and nature.
All of the mechanics used by Laura to construct the floral installations were floral foam free, utilising re-usable structures and containers. The intimate table setting was dressed with grazing platters of locally sourced food, with place names drawn onto foraged leaves and menus written onto recycled wine bottles. All the crockery was vintage and the flowers were displayed in old stoneware bottles. The colours were inspired by the changing of the season from summer to autumn.
The wine goblets were from Bramble Lane. Based in Staffordshire, Hayley has a wonderful array of props to hire whether you are after a vintage, boho or traditional vibe.
The gorgeous styling and stationery was by UNVEILED Network Member Helen of T-ink. Helen can provide you with everything from sustainable stationery to dressing your venue, sourcing incredible props and even planning your wedding if you don’t have the time! The stationery was printed onto Kraft card which is made from recycled card and is fully recyclable.
Finally, the jacket and signage was by Jodie Illustrates. Jodie paints incredible jackets and can write and illustrate all your signage, even menus and table decorations.
ATTIRE
We wanted the attire to all be from UK designers from boutiques close to us. The Pulp Fiction dress was handmade and hand dyed in Essex by Lucy Cant Dance, a small business made up of five people and then brought to brides through Rock the Frock in Cheshire. They create made to order or made to measure gowns and celebrate body confidence. Dress lengths, sleeve lengths and skirt fullness can all be adapted which is a bonus of it being a local product.
The crystal crown was from Howling Moon and the jewellery was by Bodika Rocks Jewellery and made in Cheshire.
Our groom’s suit was from Whitfield and Ward, a family run business based in Cheshire that allows you to stand out from the crowd whether you want to hire or are after bespoke tailoring.
BEAUTY
For hair and makeup, we wanted to enhance Emma’s natural beauty. We used an all vegan kit for both hair and makeup. For the hair we wanted to create soft yet edgy waves that were super wearable. With makeup we went for a modern-day, English rose brief.
My fellow UNVEILED Network Member Makeup by Lauren Poole loves to make you feel the perfect version of yourself, ensuring you can walk down the aisle with a sense of elegance, radiance and confidence that will last long after the wedding day.
Hair was of course by me, Wildflower Hair Co, in my signature style of relaxed, effortless wedding hair.
RESULTS
Our aim was to show how beautiful a small intimate day could be using local, foraged, upcycled elements with as little footprint on the world as possible! I feel we smashed this brief, truly creating something beautiful.
Highlights included the cornfield as a background, the many photo opportunities around the venue, the fun we had on set and the uplifting atmosphere after the stress of the pandemic.
