Peaky Blinders meets Great Gatsby 1920's Wedding Inspiration

If you’re a fan of the show or even just looking for some alternative wedding inspiration this Peaky Blinders meets Great Gatsby styled shoot will not disappoint. Crammed with super cool, authentic details, and lots of great styling ideas, it will give you inspiration on how to get the look for your own big day, whether your wanting to incorporate a little nod to the era or going full on Great Gatsby/Peaky Blinders theme. Here we catch up with Caz from Caz Holbrook Photography who tells us all about the inspiration behind the shoot and how you can get the look…

“I’ve always been a massive fan of Gatsby styling and 20s fashion and Pinterest has tonnes of great images which helped with the planning. As soon as I’d had the idea for the shoot, I got in touch with a handful of suppliers that I always turn straight to when planning anything like this.”

“The shoot had two halves – the first (wedding) half had glamorous Gatsby styling. The stunning interior design of this cocktail bar based in the heart of Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire has restored this grade 2 listed building to its former glory, creating an elegant but casual drinking & dining experience. I’d never been into Leonards but loved the photographs I’d seen online and knew that the impeccable styling would perfectly fit with the first bit of the shoot and Darren & Charlotte Leonard (the owners) were more than happy to get involved.”

“Holly ‘the bride’ had a slightly alternative look that really suited the vibe of the shoot, her (real life) boyfriend Anton was also more than happy to come on board. It’s great to have models that are actually a couple especially for shoots such as these as then they aren’t too embarrassed when asked for those all important intimate shots. The other models were Jake and his wife Izabella, Rob, Sam and Nat.”

“I shoot styled shoots in much the same way that I would a wedding. Any wedding day is pretty high energy with the aim of as well as getting posed formal shots also getting lots of natural spontaneous images too. I have a back ground in art and am always on the look on for a different angle so I’ll lie on the floor or get up really high to get the right shot. I love using smoke grenades as they create a great bit of drama and add an explosion of colour. For this shoot I used white ones but for weddings I often match the smokes to the colour scheme the couple have chosen.”

“Holly’s beautiful wedding gown was kindly provided by Bridal Outlet, and Louise Hickman of the fabulous Lilly Dilly’s made all of the beautiful accessories for the first half of the shoot- Louise doesn’t just think outside of the box – she thinks like there is no box! I’m always stunned and thrilled by what she comes up, I know nobody else that does what Louise does and her attention to detail really is something else”

Accessories – Lilly Dilly’s

“Peaky Blinders theme suited my styling completely. The models we had were all very different and I wanted them each to have a unique style but for all of them to work together. For the bride, I wanted to create something unusual and push the boundaries of bridal accessories, putting a modern twist on a vintage look. For the other two female models, I wanted to showcase alternative styles for themed weddings, in keeping with the ‘Gatsby’ era and to compliment the dresses and the models features. For the groom and groomsmen accessories, I chose classic Paisley patterned fabrics in modern colours to contrast against the tweed suits.”

Hair and Make up – Simply Stunning Hair and Beauty

“Looking into makeup for the shoot was extremely interesting as the women in the 1920s era had a very natural look with soft nudes and browns with peachy cheeks, whereas in the evening  it was a lot more glamorous with bolder eyes and more colour on the ladies lips, definitely showing more glitz and glamour. It was lovely to play around with more softer makeup to create the looks for the shoot”

When I was asked to be involved in a Peaky Blinders shoot: the general look would be soft but messy with finger waves and pin curls being the most popular of styles at that time. The Great Gatsby made me really get a feel to how the hair was worn by the woman at that period in time.”

Florals – The Florist on the Corner

“For me, as a florist I was inspired by the art deco styling but also wanted to incorporate current trends in the floristry industry. This included using, seasonal blooms and lots of foliage, but those that allowed the style of the 1920s to shine through. The use of anemones with black centres added to the drama of the bouquet, with roses and astilbe to add form and texture. Ferns were very typically used in 1920s style bouquets. The burgundy anemones, added that lovely depth and wintery feel, perfect for the season in which it was shot.”

Ladies Dress – Vintage Tramp

“Kelli’s shop is a real cornucopia of gorgeous second hand and new and unusual clothing and she not only provided the Gatsby dresses for the first half of the shoot but also ALL of the clothes for the girls for the second half. Nothing was too much trouble or too much to ask for and she even ordered in a new pair of the Gatsby shoes.”

Cake – The Chocolate Strawberry

“I wanted to create something with simple elegance that reflected the understated luxury style of the shoot. I loved being able to use striking, bold coloured tiers. Wedding cakes shouldn’t just be white or cream. I think the cake looked stunning in the setting with the bold black and gold of the wallpaper and the golden mustard walls.”

China – Vintage Gold China

“Amanda came very highly recommended by another China hire firm who thought that her stock would be more suited to the style of the shoot and the venue. Having confidence in the suppliers and knowing that they can get on with the job required on the day is invaluable. The table just looked stunning with so much attention to detail.”

“For the second half of the shoot I wanted more of a ‘civvie’ feel with more everyday clothes. I wanted this second half of the shoot to be full on ‘Peaky Blinders’ so the location needed to reflect the era but also needed to have more of a dark feel to it.”