A rustic woodland wedding in The Cotswolds today, with winter red styling, beautiful natural backdrops and natural details galore, and not forgetting to mention a snow-white dog with the cutest face! Here we catch up with shoot coordinator and stylist Dheyna Scholtz of Smitten Weddings and the rest of the team who tell us the finer details of how this shoot in The Cotswolds countryside was created…
“This shoot was created to draw attention to the beauty of the outdoors. Bringing out the best in nature is at the heart of this shoot; our motifs were leaves, wood, and florals. As we look towards being more environmentally friendly in our daily lives, we are also starting to appreciate our natural surroundings more and more. This shoot highlights how we can incorporate natural décor elements into a wedding, and be fully present in the environment. All weddings can incorporate little natural elements into the theme, so couples can be inspired by our images!”
“The lush woodlands of The Cotswolds were the inspiration for this shoot. As we start to become more aware of our impact on the environment, it’s great to also become more appreciative of our stunning local resources. As boho-rustic weddings become more popular, it’s great to give couples ideas about how to realise their local areas’ full potential! This is what we’ve done in this shoot – used simple motifs and colours to amplify the beauty of the woodlands.”·
DOWNLOAD BOND BRIDE MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 HERE
[line]“Our photoshoot took place in an excluded woodland area in the North Cotswolds. We got permission from a lovely land owner to stage the shoot on private land. There are lots of outdoor ceremony venues cropping up in the Cotswolds and we wanted to show couples what you can do with them!”
Styling – Smitten Weddings
“Styling for the shoot was centered around colours that complimented the woods and added opulence – gold and burgundy. I also used motifs of wood and leaves; obvious choices when working amongst stunning trees. These motifs work beautifully in outdoor venues, and with any boho or rustic themes. The motifs lead the décor choices: logs lining the aisle, pyrography place names and animals, wooden stands, wooden chairs.”
“The gold cake slice has intricate leaves on the handle, and the burgundy velvet love-seat has leafy patterns too. I chose a red and gold rug to compliment the love-seat and complete our lounge. For the dining table, I used gorgeous vintage plates with leafy designs and golden accents (cutlery and candle holders). Couples can take any of these elements as inspiration for their own wedding, and they can change up the colours too! I went for quite feminine colours but outdoor spaces are so versatile – any colour scheme will go.”
Photography – Samuel Kirkman
“To create fairytale woodland images, I used shallow depth of field to softly melt away the background behind our bride and groom. I kept the colours true to life – what you see is what we had! Thanks to our amazing florist, the rich red tones of the flowers contrasted perfectly with the dappled forest background, drawing your eyes to the couple. Our grazing table provided a complete kaleidoscope of colours, and it really did taste as good as it looks! A key aim for our wedding was to create a light and airy feel, so flash was used sparingly – only to fill in shadows falling on our couple, really bringing out delicate details, especially in the bride’s dress. I used a combination of wide shots to show off the forest setting, and contrasting close up imagery to highlight the skills of all the amazingly talented suppliers who helped make the day such a success.”
Bridal – Brides Boutique Buckingham
“It was an honour to work on this woodland shoot and what an amazing group of suppliers it was. I knew that the Modeca collection would be the best fit as soon as I saw the mood board. The words I would use to describe this collection would be “the grace of beauty” which is inspired by luxury, passion and spirit. Le Papillon, the dress used for this shoot, has an elegant boho style with delicate floral details – perfect for any boho brides who want a touch of glamour on their big day! Each range that I pick for the boutique is always picked with love, just like a relationship. My boutique suits brides who want a warm, welcoming atmosphere with internationally renowned designers and a friendly face to lend a hand when you’re looking for ‘the one”
Flowers – Flourish and Grace
“Creating romantic and wild florals that would encapsulate the natural surroundings of this woodland ceremony was the key inspiration behind this design. Earthy tones of deep burgundy were complemented with rich reds and a hint of blush, surrounded by scented mixed eucalyptus and ruscus foliage to create a luxury, boho style bouquet. Large garden roses were surrounded by dahlias, hellebores and cosmos with viburnum berries providing added texture and rustic accents. Hand-dyed silk ribbon completed the bridal flowers with a feminine flourish that drew attention to the stunning embroidery that adorned the gorgeous bride’s gown. A copper arch was the perfect ceremony backdrop for our woodland aisle and was adorned with lush foliage and focal flowers, it really encompassed the concept of the beauty in nature. This theme was carried through onto the table decorations where a simple mixed foliage garland created a lush and elegant centrepiece to the rustic table settings.” ·
Cake – Cake Daydreams
“When designing the cake, I had in mind the stunning colour scheme, and found inspiration from the elegance of the dress and mood board. I chose a marble-effect for the top two tiers of the cake to add some understated glamour, and the burgundy base adds some bold femininity! Touches of gold leaf along the side of the cake added texture and luxury to the design, and I finished the cake off with some gorgeous, bold roses! Overall, it had the wow-factor every couple wants from their cake! I always design my own cakes, taking guidance and ideas from brides and grooms, to ensure that you have a personalised wedding cake that suits you perfectly.”
Hair and Make Up – Sabiha Atcha Makeup and Hair
“I had the honour of doing up our beautiful model Laura. The inspiration for this look came from images of bold, glam gold eyeliner against very natural makeup, and I adjusted our vision to suit Laura’s lovely skin tone. We used glitter liner underneath her eyes to bring out her gorgeous colour, and a peachy blush finished with a pink lip to compliment the dress. This look perfectly summed up the elegant, fun vibe of the shoot! I styled her hair in waves with a central braid, and finished off by sitting her stunning hair piece directly underneath.”·
Pyrographer- MarMaya Creations
“I was inspired by the beauty, romance and tranquillity of the woodland when creating these pieces. The log slices lend a rustic, vintage yet elegant feel and inspiration for the hand burned artwork comes from the natural woodland environment with trees, leaves and woodland animals featuring. The name places and favours are unique pieces of art to gift to wedding guests and the luxurious cake slice stand is a beautiful keepsake for the bride and groom to look back on for years to come.”
Grazing table – Wild and Brie
“When Dheyna approached me with her ideas for the shoot and what she had in mind for the styling, I knew we were totally on the same page. For this particular feast, I incorporated lots of berries & nuts, looking like they had been freshly foraged from the surrounding woodland! I design and create each table with one thing in mind – it must WOW the guests! It should be packed full of fresh, mouth-watering food, include all the colours of the rainbow, and offer lots of different textures and tastes. These tables provide the ultimate sociable dining experience – people coming together around a table to chat over their love of good food! Grazing tables are becoming increasingly popular with boho and rustic themed weddings. They took totally at home in a tipi or a barn…. Or indeed in the middle of the woods!”
Jewellery – Odesia May Jewellery
“This serene backdrop of natural woodland with a (luxurious, whimsical dressing and rustic, elegant feel, inspired me to create two bridal headpieces, each with a slightly different influence emphasis. The main hair vine was an elegant affair of white rice pearls and champagne gold bead ‘leaves’ with Swarovski crystal element highlights echoing the luxurious embroidered leaf motif detail on the brides’ dress. The tiara headdress incorporates more rustic leaf and floral motifs with subtle hints of rich burgundy and forest green complementing the textural layers and colours in the bouquet. The look was completed by textural, handsewn, statement leaf earrings layered with Swarovski crystal elements. These headpieces could be re-interpreted for any romantic outdoor bohemian country wedding or midsummer night’s dream, or vintage themes in your chosen style. Styling tips for the day – be comfortable with what you are wearing and relax!
Suppliers – Woodland Wedding in The Cotswolds
Photographer – Samuel Kirkman @samuel_kirkman
Planner and Stylist – Smitten Weddings @smittenweddingsuk I Florist – Flourish and Grace @flourishandgrace I Cake – Cake Daydreams @cakedaydreams I Dress Designer – Modeca @modeca – Brides Boutique Buckingham @bridesboutiquebuckingham I Suit – The Cotswold Tailor @thecotswoldtailor I Hair and Makeup – Sabiha Atcha Makeup and Hair @sabiha_atchamakeup_hair I Jewellery – Odesia May Jewellery @odesia_may_jewellery I Catering – Wild and Brie @wildandbrie_ I Pyrographer – MarMaya Creations @marmayacreations I Model (female) – Laura @laura_scott7 I Model (male) – Wade @wolf_of_wine_street Dog – Teddy @theteddywolf I Rentals – Table, Cutlery, Glassware, Wood Slices, Candle Holders, Napkins – Luxe Touch @luxetouchevents I Rentals – Plates I – @vintagegoldchina I Shoot Mentor – Hollie Freeland Styling @holliefreelandstyling
IF YOU LOVED THIS LOOK PLEASE PIN IT!
If you love this The Cotswolds Wedding you may also like;
CLASSIC ENGLISH COUNTRY WEDDING WITH JEWEL TONED STYLING
ELOPEMENT WEDDING WITH INTIMATE ENGLISH COUNTRY VIBES
COUNTRYSIDE WEDDING AT APPLEWOOD HALL WITH GREEN AND GOLD STYLING
