Moody Bohemia at Manchester Park

If you are feeling the change in the weather and are reaching for another sip of that pumpkin spice latte whilst secretly jamming to Christmas tunes (its never too early right?), then this warming, deep-toned shoot will be right up your alley.

Featuring some incredible talent, including Marnie Cornell, Grace Loves Lace and one of our faves, Rock & Stone Weddings, this modern, bohemian take on bridal styling is both achingly beautiful and heartwarmingly cosy.

Amber, from Rock & Stone, explains that the team wanted to create an ethereal and organic bohemian vibe, amidst the cold, grey Washington winter earlier this year.

The venue, Manchester Park, is famous for it’s red brick building: a former torpedo warehouse, with windowless arches and a weathered beamed ceiling. Along with the gorgeous stone fireplace, the venue has become a coveted wedding spot. The mood board was full of earthy and natural textures and deep reds and browns, and wouldn’t you agree the team hit the nail on the head! We’re loving the deep reds of the flowers, interspersed with cotton heads and feathers for a wonderful bohemian vibe.

With stunning macrame and silks, oodles of candles and just the right amount of styling to retain an effortless air, the tablescape with added cake by Sift & Gather is easily one of our favourite aspect of the teams efforts…although the model in a stunning Grace Loves Lace gown comes in a close second; perfectly primped and preened by mega babes Pacific Brides.

And would you look at that gorgeous stationery by the super talented Ink & Sable…we’re loving how the powdery pink edges tie back to the cake and the napkins. Just perfection!

Amber explains that the shoot had a couple of pressure points…

“The shoot was originally scheduled for February but we had to bring it forward after our stunning model was asked to fly to Milan for fashion week castings right after Christmas! She was leaving the following day so it made it extra special that she got to take farewell photos with her love.”

The bridal look is something we haven’t really seen before, so when Amber sent over the images, we were so excited by them. The turban, by Bridal Turban based in Italy, made for a gorgeous accompaniment to the gown and made a change from all the flower crowns we are used to seeing both as part of shoots and real weddings. Great to see something totally unique!

Supplier Love

Photography | Marnie Cornell

Design, Styling & Florals | Rock & Stone Weddings

Cake | Sift & Gather

Stationery | Ink & Sable

HMUA | Pacific Brides

Dress | Grace Loves Lace

Headpiece | Bridal Turban

An Elopement Set in The Wilds of Vermont

This was our first ever submission. But because Kelsey and Liam are such mega, committed photographers, this blog has been a work in progress. I mean, can you imagine our jaws dropping at the beauty of all of this? Wild forests, waterfalls and mountaintops…this shoot has it all, including the sweetest couple, an awesome floral installation and off course, stunning camera work. 

Speaking to Kelsey and getting to know her during this process has been a dream. And she kindly told us the story of how this shoot came to fruition…

“Having grown up spending our winters in the mountains of Vermont, I’ve always dreamt of getting married in the middle of the woods in a place that means so much to me. As I’ve gotten older and introduced Liam to Vermont, we’ve begun to create our own memories and know that we will get married here when do we make it official. Since our love for this place is so strong and with my sister Lindsey launching a new event planning business Wildflower Event and Design with her sister in law Dara, we knew we had to create our ultimate fantasy elopement that in our dream world, we would create for ourselves! The ideas started flowing and within days Lindsey and I had created mood boards, reached out and solidified vendors and putting our grand plan into motion! “

The day of the shoot began with dark and rainy skies…perhaps not ideal for a real wedding, cos who likes soggy socks and frizzy hair…but in fact, it’s the perfect shooting weather for photographers (no direct sunlight and heavy shadows).

The sweetheart table was set up on the back porch of Wildflower Event and Desing’s log cabin, overlooking Stratton Mountain, which was covered in rolling fog throughout the entire morning. The tablescape, created by Wildflower Events and Design, was a mixture of mauves, mustard yellow, blue, blush and purple florals, with high purple pillar candles, the most beautiful linens from Silk and Willow and hand painted menus by Louelle Studios.

“We had to constantly run the full tablescape in and out of the rain as it became heavier and then slowed down. We even had some of the girls standing over Jess and Andrew as we were taking photos of them just so they didn’t get too wet!”

The team drove an hour north to Kelsey & Liam’s favourite waterfall, Thundering Falls, a mountainside waterfall tucked deep into the woods on the Appalachian Trail. With 100 pounds of flowers in tow, the team grabbed a bucket of florals and started their trek down the half a mile long boardwalk that lead to the waterfall base. Hannah, the florist, built the most insane floral/moss garden that climbed up the side of the mountain overlooking the falls.

To end the most magical day, the team made their way to the top of an unmarked scenic overlook in the Green Mountains to create the most snuggly cuddle session ever, including cake and champagne!

“We got to the top and with about 45 minutes of sunlight left and we rallied together in the rain to bang out the most magical scene, with Wildflower creating and bringing the tepee vision to life and Hannah from Hudson Botanica building vines of flowers up the side of the tepee as the sun was setting fast behind us.”

As with all shoots, and real weddings, the project was a challenge. Especially as the locations were all around 40 miles apart from each other. And finding vendors with a shared vision and love for the aesthetic was of course, a challenge in itself. But, as Kelsey explains…

“The instant connection and bond that was created by eleven strangers in a matter of minutes was something that I will forever carry with me through my adulthood and career – everyone was creatively vulnerable and worked effortlessly, having never met before everyone came together to cultivate a vision that we had only dreamed of! With our kick ass team of boss babes and Liam of course, we created a magical fairytale scene that blew our vision out of the water!”

Well, team, you completely blew our minds! Hats off to such a stellar team:

Supplier Love

Photography | KeLi Photography

Curator and Stylist | Wildflower Events and Design

Flowers | Hudson Botanica

Makeup | Lyndsie Lord, La Boutique Photo Mua 

Hair | Nomads Creative Corner

Dress Designer | Sweet Caroline Styles

Silk & Linens | Silk and Willow

Calligraphy | Louelle Design Studio

Models  | Jess and Andrew

Dark & Stormy Feels in Brighton

A different vibe for todays styled shoot…dark and stormy with a touch of sleek glamour, whilst still embracing some of the hallmarks of the bohemian trend; beautiful, abundant florals, gorgeous styling and oodles of special little touches.

Led by Emily Dall, a florist based in the UK, the shoot took place at the moody, emotive pub, The Pond in Brighton and incorporated a stellar lineup including the uber talented Bunston Bakes and Wed in The Wild favourites, Lo & Behold Bespoke.  We absolutely LOVE it!

Emily explains more…

“Our Dark & Stormy shoot is the achingly beautiful bohemian marriage of darkness with romance. A love which almost certainly began on a brooding autumn day and which is so overpowering that you could describe yourself as ‘utterly intoxicated’ with your partner.”

Emily chose the rich colours of teal & burgundy to offer alternative autumnal hues and provide a contrast with both the fluttering candlelight & the stunning ivory Ossie Clark-inspired dress.

” As an autumn lover, I have always adored a brooding, dark colour palette and I thrive on cinematic styling & drama. As a result, I would say there was certainly a subtle combination of inspiration from the album The Bride by Bat for Lashes, my lifelong love of Wuthering Heights (the ultimate moody & windswept romance on the moors!) and the Instagram feed of Susie Bick, Nick Cave’s wife.

Shooting an autumnal wedding in June wasn’t not easy but the team were ‘blessed’ with a moody weather forecast on the day which was ideal…no sunlight pouring through the windows to pull the tone away from the mood the team wanted to portray.

As always, we love to ask about the submitter about their favourite aspect of the shoots and for Emily, it was a hard choice (and we can see why).

“The tablescape came together just as I hoped it would, with the huge peonies & wild roses perfectly interlacing the elegantly ornate brass candlesticks, but when Ami from Lo & Behold hung the hand-painted banner on the wall behind it was just the cherry on top! Receiving those images back from Paloma made my heart sing. Also, if I may mention one other aspect, Arabella went to the trouble of mixing a bespoke lip colour on the day of the shoot to match the rich burgundy colour of the peonies. This attention to detail is everything I adore in wedding design & styling.”

Supplier Love

Photographer | Photography By Paloma

Stationery & Styling | Lo & Behold Bespoke

Flowers | Emily Dall Flowers

Dress | Hope & Harlequin

Florist | Bear Claw Catering

Cake | Bunston Bakes

HMUA | Arabella Hewitt

Venue | The Pond

 

 

Real Wedding: Michelle & Michael

Oh my wow, what a treat we have for you today! A Joshua Tree elopement featuring a BEAUTIFUL Rue de Seine dress, gorgeous florals and doughnuts…all captured by mega babe, Ariele Chapman.

If you don’t follow Ariele on Instagram, then you should. Not only is she the caption queen, but she also shoots the most amazing couples in stunning elopement sessions. Her work is raw and authentic. And I have half persuaded her to come shoot with me here in the UK.

Anyway, without further ado…

Michelle and Michael chose Joshua Tree for their elopement, and seemingly, the relationship with Ariele was meant to be when they surprised her with doughnuts on the session…

“I formed a bond with the couple right off the bat, we had a phone call and we both had a love for a donut shop called California Donuts. They may or may not have given me some that they brough with to their elopement.”

I mean, what is love without doughnuts?!

Based in California, but open to travel, Ariele is passionate about shooting love around the globe. It has given her the chance to meet so many amazing couples who are head over heels in love.

“It’s truly the best experience in the world to photograph and capture such love. My favourite thing to do is shooting the bride and groom. They are such intimate special moments where I can capture them and take them to be just by themselves for photos. It gives them time to just be with each other.”

The bride, Michelle, wore a stunning Rue de Seine gown…perfect for floating along, with tassel embellishments offering some truly mind-blowing movement. She also wore a beautiful, seasonal flower crown by Fleur.ish, with accompanying bouquet.

Although the images portray a picture perfect day, there were some challenges thrown in for good measure. Michelle and Michael eloped on a holiday weekend and as Ariele explains, this added on tonnes of time spent waiting in traffic…

“The normal 2 hour commute took almost 3-4 hours, so we lost time because the couple were coming from a bit further away.  When you photograph in certain areas (like by mountains) you lose a lot of light much quicker so we had to be prepared for the hour we lost.”

So there you have it. Most likely one of the most beautiful real elopements you’ll have ever laid your eyes on…and here are some parting words from Ariele on love…

“Love to me means sharing food, and picking up your favorite candy even though you are on a diet…but they wanted you to have a piece anyways because they know you get hangry. But on a more serious note, love to me means not quitting; working everyday at something, even if is hard. It means doing the same things you did in the beginning to win someone’s heart, and to never stop doing those little things. It means making sacrifices, it means through thick and thin. It means that giving up shouldn’t be an option. Love can move mountains within.”

And we couldn’t agree more.

Lulworth Cove: A Wild Bride

When this delicious shoot landed in our inbox, we knew we had to share it with the world. It’s wild, romantic and, well…wild some more! From the flowing dresses, to the abundant flowers, the whole shoot is a perfect juxtaposition between the rugged landscape and the soft, romanticism of the bridal styling. And when something is shot so authentically, it’s hard not to fall in love hard. We could feel the emotion behind the camera and photographer, Elena Popa, tells us more…

“Dorset – and in particular Lulworth cove and the Jurassic Coast – has for a long while held a special place in my heart. Many happy memories stem from this corner of the world, not to mention I am a total sucker for a dramatic coastline, so naturally the day arrived when I decided I just had to shoot there. I’d already sourced a couple of dresses should the occasion arise – and I wanted to keep it quick and simple, so I contacted wonderful model Holly Drinkwater and super talented flower queen Elspeth Louise Flowers who were kind enough to say yes to this adventure.”

Elena’s concept incorporated both her love for the location and her desire for adventurous weddings and elopements to become more of a thing in the UK.

“There’s nothing quite like tying the knot in the midst of an epic landscape like this and I wish UK laws could accommodate this for those who wish to marry in the wild.”

Elena chose two dresses in completely different styles. One, a simple white wrap dress from Asos – the neckline and sleeve combination being incredibly flattering. The other dress was the ethereal dusty pink Supernova gown from Needle and Thread. The look was complemented with a boho white tassel throw, brown shearling jacket and boots.

We are complete suckers for abundant bouquets, and Elena is of the same mind…

“Oversize bouquets are the way to go and Elspeth truly outdid herself with this one – all the while using flowers that were still in season. I absolutely love the flower crown she created, in keeping with the autumnal vibes I was trying to incorporate in the shoot.”

Of course, the biggest concern with the shoot was the unpredictable British weather; but Elena explains that Holly (the model) was such a trooper during the shoot! The wind was fierce but the team spent a good couple of hours shooting on the breathtaking clifftops surrounding Lulworth Cove, before returning to their cars for warmth. The flowers held together remarkably well in the windy conditions too – Elspeth, the florist, must have put them together with magic!

We asked Elena, what her favourite aspect of the shoot was…

‘The simplicity of it – not having to worry about a huge production – and the way all the elements came together to provide the dramatic aesthetic I was striving for”

And we completely agree Elena…you and your team smashed it!

Supplier Love

Planning | Elena Popa Photography

Flowers | Elspeth Louise Flowers

Model | Holly Drinkwater

Dresses | Needle and Thread and ASOS

 

Rustic Vibes, Chickens & Cows, in Beautiful BC

We are super excited today, not only because its launch day, but we able to finally show you this picture perfect, rural shoot set in the most beautiful location in Canada.

Kimberley Solecki, from Borrowed and Blue Events, submitted this beautiful shoot in response to our first callout on Instagram. A wedding planner from Vancouver Island, BC, Kimberley is a self confessed planning fanatic, which is obviously why this styled wedding inspiration, shot by Myrtle and Moss, is just everything.

Comprising a stellar team of creatives and the most perfect models, the concept was realised at Birds Eye Cove Barn; a hand-cut timber frame facility which nestles into the grassy fields of the 300 acre property. Leaving the colour palette neutral, the styling, fashion and the surroundings speak for themselves. Even the farmlife matched the colour scheme perfectly…scroll down for highland cows and chickens galore!

Kimberley told us that the team faced a few challenges. As the property is located right at the base of a valley in the inlet of a bay, the wind posed some issues. The ceremony arch broke, but the team were able to come up with a plan b…showcasing just how fast a team of quality creatives can resolve an obstacle.

It’s super hard to not love all this beautiful wedding inspiration…we particularly love the flowers by Bespoke Blossoms, the macrame on the tablescape and the beautiful Pronovias gown (loaned from Blush Bridal) worn by Jilliann, the bridal model. And who could forget, the chickens…!

Supplier Love

Planning | Borrowed and Blue Events

Photographer | Myrtle and Moss Photography

Couple | @jilliannjones and @mrjonesisstoked

Venue | Birds Eye Cove Farm

Florals | Bespoke Blossoms

Decor, Rentals & Styling | Darling Vintage Rentals

Cocktails | Twist Victoria

Jewellery | Melissa Caron

Mens Attire | Outlooks for Men

Stationery | Emma Allen

Hair | Salon Muse

Makeup | Erica Harris

Bridal Boutique | Blush Bridal

Gown | Pronovias

Chairs | Wise Co.

Cake | Schur to Please

Fabrics & Linens | Sheer Florals

Vows | Crimson Letters