If your looking for an alternative wedding idea, then look no further – this styled shoot has beautiful scenery, blue skies, a touch of vintage and the grand opulence of the SS Great Britain as the venue! Here we catch up with shoot coordinator and photographer Lesley from Mayfield Photography and the team involved to find out about this alternative wedding ideas shoot aboard SS Great Britain…
Alternative Wedding Ideas – SS Great Britain Vintage Boat Wedding
“The shoot itself took place on a blazing hot day in May at the historic ship the SS Great Britain in its dry dock in Bristol and was an alternative take on a Victorian theme – two brides, two bouquets and a LOT of vintage lace. Style-wise, suppliers took their cues from the unique 1843 ship venue and Lesley tied it all together by calling in hints of regal purple throughout.”
“I wanted to do something that wasn’t the norm and fitted in with the age of the venue. I personally love the Victorian age and wanted to make the shoot vintage, but in a style that the modern bride could achieve.”
Bridal – Atelier 19
“I provided both dresses which were vintage (one original Victorian and one more 50s but Victorian style). The Victorian one originally dates from the 1820’s and was handed down to various maids until it was remodeled in the 1970’s using the original lace. I also provided an organza coat that I had made with embroidered lily of the valley and an original Victorian lace veil with the original wax flower headdress. I love to mix old and new for my label “something old…something new” anyway and thought that this style of original and reworked Victorian would be perfect for the amazing venue and fit perfectly with the theme. I have a selection of vintage dresses in my shop Atelier 19 alongside my own embroidered garments and accessories but also love to incorporate family heirlooms including lace, costume jewellery etc brought in by the bride or indeed embellishing an existing dress.”
Garter – To Be Adorned
“This delicate, vintage-inspired piece is handmade with fine crochet lace and golden beads. To tone in with the florals in the shoot, and as a modern twist on the ‘something blue’ idea, I threaded it with purple velvet ribbon. I’m based in Bristol and create all of my pieces by hand, incorporating vintage materials where possible. It’s always such a joy to create a garter with a custom colour or embellishment!”
Hair – Lauren Gosling
“I was really inspired with the old Victorian theme and hairstyles from the era to create my chosen styles. I wanted to stick with the very classic curled and set look. Using chopstick curler gave the same look as wrapping the hair in wraps, so not the same technique but the same outcome.”
Tiara – Gemma Sangwine
“The tiara featured in the shoot is made up of pieces of diamante from old costume jewelry, all taken apart and re-assembled by wiring them together into a dramatic shape which sits on the forehead in a similar style to Indian bridal headdresses. The inspiration for it was bohemian opulence, which in this case fitted in with the Victorian theme by referencing the Raj and it’s exotic influence on British fashion. Vintage costume jewelry has a lovely soft patina and gentle sparkle to it which is more flattering to wear, enhancing the bride rather than distracting from her. When working with brides I can also personalise a piece by incorporating any heirloom jewelry of sentimental value into a tiara, making it even more special and unique. This particular tiara is available from Jan’s shop Atelier 19. Jan stocks a range of my hats and hair accessories and we often collaborate on pieces together.”
Flowers – Lace-Tied Bouquet – Purple Violets Floristry
“To fit with the purple colour scheme and Victorian style, the flowers I used were lilac roses, lilac stocks, dried wheat, blue thistle, eucalyptus, white spray roses and green amaranthus, tied together with hessian and lace.”
Flowers – Second Bouquet – Lucy Coco Floristry
“As the Victorian Era brought with it the publication of flower dictionaries; the language of flowers. I felt this was extremely important to use in my flower selection. The bouquet was rich in natural perfume, from the lavender, mint, sage and rosemary (synonymous with remembrance), reflective of the Victorian era when cut garden flowers were heavily used. It was feminine, ornamental and opulent consisting of shades of pink roses, carnations, peonies, ranunculus, lilac dahlias and campanula. Pink featured heavily due to it symbolising grace and elegance, also pink roses meaning happiness provided an added a vintage charm. Ammi and asparagus fern were also used to provide movement to the bouquet and a natural finish. This bouquet would work beautifully for a modern bride as its beauty is transcendental, being so rich in beautiful symbolism. Also, the natural perfume is an added
beauty as so many flowers have lost their scent – its unique and feels extra special to have such a scented bridal bouquet.”
Make-up – Hepcats Barbershop & Beauty Parlour
“I provided makeup for this shoot, working alongside the super talented hairstylist, Lauren, which was a real honour. As the style we were going for was Victorian inspired, I created two slightly different looks. One was lighter, more of a classic English rose style for the model with red hair. This really complimented her hair and skin tone. The other was a darker style for the model with darker hair. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your makeup look on the big day, as long as you have trialled it first! Darker eyes or lips can be a great look when paired with a darker or more dramatic dress. It’s all about balance and less is more.”
Lace boots – House of Elliot England
“House of Elliot England designs handmade lace boots inspired by the original wedding boots of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Each pair features luxurious soft lace and a satin ribbon side detail. For this shoot the Bride wore our ‘Lizzie Elliot’ ivory lace ankle boots which feature a vintage almond toe and heel. As they were inspired by popular ‘half boot’ which Victorian ladies wore they were the perfect choice for this shoot which encompassed elements of this era’s fashion and of course the SS Great Britain itself is a jewel of the Victorian times!”
Photography: Mayfield Photography
“My photography style is very much documentary. I like to focus on capturing true moments and emotions that happen in a wedding day. Moments aren’t staged. I keep everything relaxed and natural and posing to a minimum. Instead I aim to get to know the couples I work with to know how to get you both to relax and let you be yourself in front of the camera. No stiff, awkward or unnatural posing. I also prefer using natural light which means I can work a lot quicker, leaving time to enjoy the wedding to its full.”
Additional Accessories – Starbox Weddings
“The jewellery and additional hair accessories that were used in the shoot were of a classic nature that can be worn by either bride or bridesmaid. The rose gold hair vine is a classic colour that is still a very popular colour in 2019.”
The Team- Alternative Wedding Ideas – SS Great Britain Vintage Boat Wedding
Photography: Mayfield Photography @lesleymayfieldphotography
Location: SS Great Britain @ssgreatbritain
Bridal: Jan Nibbs, Atelier 19 @atelier19chelt
Hair: Lauren Gosling @laurengoslinghair
Make-up: Hepcats Barbershop & Beauty Parlour @hepcatsofnam
Tiara: Gemma Sangwine @gemmasangwine
Flowers Lace tied bouquet: Purple Violets Floristry @purplevioletsfloristry
Second bouquet: Lucy Coco Floristry @lucycocofloristry
Lace boots: House of Elliot England @houseofelliotlaceboots
Garter: To Be Adorned @tobeadorned
Jewellery and additional accessories: Starbox Wedding @starboxwedding
Models: @bethanyjade47/@savannahbetts.
Looking for more alternative wedding ideas? Check out our online magazine BOND BRIDE
