We have a floral-inspired soft painterly, romantic wedding that celebrates all things country garden on today’s blog post! It portrays just how beautiful nature can be and is full of epic florals that create a beautiful romantic vibe. Ellen Dalton of Bridal Hair & Make up Kent was the creator behind the shoot at The Gardens in Kent and we hear from her and the rest of the team to find out all about how this summer floral shoot was created…
Inspiration
“This shoot was inspired by fun and everything garden. After all of the disappointment, restrictions, sadness and postponed weddings, we wanted to capture and celebrate the very essence of a happy, pretty, quintessential English wedding, where everyone can have a good time. From the cake, naughty chocolate treats (yum), chic tailored suit, hand-dyed silk ribbons, sparkly wedding dress, lush home-grown wildflowers and foliage, lawn games, lounging furniture, romantic stationery, delicious-looking cocktails, hair and make-up soft and relaxed to compliment the vibe, and so much more. This theme is perfect for couples who want a relaxed, fun and super stylish day. Pick a fabulous venue with amazing outside space and suppliers that compliment the vibe. Most of all think fun and garden party! We created a peachy popping look with soft velvety sage and gold notes as we predict that weddings in the summer of ’22 will be colourful, vibrant, embrace the outdoors and be full of Va Va Voom!”
The Venue
The Gardens is exactly how the name describes it; a beautiful garden wedding venue in Yalding, Kent with 16 themed gardens in 12 acres of grounds. It has an outdoor ceremony area right in the middle of the gardens offering panoramic views of colourful flowers and scents of lavender and blooms, alongside a barn and rustic Nordic style tipis. It’s the perfect venue for a whimsical and romantic wedding, followed by a fun festival-style reception. It’s a venue with endless photo opportunities and quirky details like the grand Victorian greenhouse and it’s passionate about English country gardens!
Photography
Photographer – Tom Cullen
“For this shoot, we kept things natural to celebrate the beauty of the gardens. From a photography perspective, the colour scheme was great to work with. The bright colours of the flowers really pop and create a fun vibe to the photos. When finding a photographer for your wedding there are lots of things you need to think about. This goes without saying but you’ve got to like what they do and their style of photography. Check their Insta, social media, website etc. Make sure you meet them or at the very least have a zoom or skype call. We are one of those unique suppliers that will be with you and your guests for most of the day so it’s important to have a chat and see if you get along. Check testimonials and previous work. This is a good indicator of what service you are going to get and how the photographer works with their couples.”
The Bride
The Dress – Victoria Elaine Bridal
To get this look, try to find a designer who is daring with a plunging neckline, open back and modern lace patterns! Hayley Paige, the designer of this dress, designs all their own lace patterns and creates some through ‘micro beading’! This adds a subtle shimmer to the dress and makes your bridal style completely different to what else is around! And by having a champagne coloured lining, the detail will only stand out more! Don’t be frightened to try non-ivory gowns when wedding dress shopping.
By adding a flower crown, it transforms the look into a boho style, but a gown like this one could just as easily be glammed up with a sparkly hairpiece for the evening too! And just wait for the disco lights to hit the glitter tulle in the skirt! It comes alive while you dance the night away.
Hair and Makeup – Bridal Hair & Make up Kent
“In this shoot, we decided to keep hair and makeup very natural, in keeping with the garden outdoor theme. We wanted to compliment the amazing flower crown with makeup that was peachy/ coral tones. We didn’t want to go heavy with black liner, so kept it very soft and natural with fluttery strip lashes. We kept the foundation medium coverage with a dewy tone and accompanied this with coral blush/ gold-toned highlighter and coral/nude lipstick. Hair was achieved with loose curls brushed out which worked so well with her beautiful auburn hair colour and that spectacular flower crown.”
The Details
Flowers – Hellebores & Hedgerows
“Peonies, garden roses, foxgloves, nigella and sweet peas were just some of the gorgeous British flowers I chose for this shoot. The vibe was relaxed yet glamorous and I wanted the flowers to reflect this so I designed arrangements reminiscent of wildflower meadows, which paired beautifully with the more traditional hand-tied bridal bouquet and the show-stopping flower crown. The peonies and garden roses gave a luxurious element to the designs. The freestanding arrangements were made with eco-friendly mechanics and could be moved around the venue – a great option if you’re trying to make the most of your budget. To achieve this look for your wedding flowers choose a florist that specialises in British flowers and “wildflower style” designs. If peonies are must have at your wedding you need to factor this in when choosing your date, as they are only available in May and June.”
Cake – Hannas Cake Creations
“For this shoot, I chose a fondant finish which is more stable in hotter weather. Fondant cakes still require keeping in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. Keeping the cake in a cool place and bringing it out into the garden for photographing and cutting is best to avoid any unwanted melting or tiers sliding! The colour scheme used was white on the top two tiers and a soft sage on the bottom to complement the tablescape and foliage. The cake was finished off with lashings of gold leaf, pretty fresh flowers provided by the florist and hand dyed silk ribbon. We added delicious fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate and covered in gold and cake lollipops to add a stylish twist to traditional favours”
Stationery – Emily Smith Designs
“Rustic and romantic stationery featured on the beautifully flora-inspired styled tables. Mixing elegance with Boheme through handcrafted invites and table stationery, featuring rustic twine, luxurious hand-pressed wax seals and miniature pearls to add that touch of class. Eucalyptus and soft peachy roses featured heavily in this collection, alongside tones of gold and peach. When choosing your wedding stationery make sure you choose something that reflects your personality and wedding theme. Tying in the colour scheme of your decorations and styling will work wonders!
Village Vintage Hire
“The beautiful glasshouse was the perfect setting for a rustic table which with the addition of a selection of flowers & candles transformed into an exciting dining space. Our original peacock chairs looked great surrounded by the bursting flower beds & provided the perfect setting for the bride & groom to have a unique & spectacular seat!”
Garden games – Rose Royce Events
“Who doesn’t love a good game? So why should your wedding be any different? Adding some giant garden games to your day will make it a memorable one for sure! Besides the fun aspect, the vintage games make great photo opportunities for you and your guests. Examples of the games included are Giant Noughts and Crosses, Coconut Shy, Tin Can Alley and Hook a Duck, all classic games that are appropriate for all age groups. Make garden games a must for your wedding… I promise you won’t regret it!”
Jewellery – Lelu Fashion
“Lelu Fashion provided perfectly styled jewellery for a perfectly styled day. For this shoot, we wanted the jewellery to be simple, elegant and timeless, but still bold enough to add the perfect finishing touches to the outfits and accessories. With the lace-detail bridal gown, Jemima Joy Ingamells (model) wore the freshwater pearl set of ear studs, a single rope bracelet and cluster necklace. The more minimalistic sleeveless gown accentuated the model’s slender frame and flawless skin tone, so we kept the jewellery more dainty and minimal. The model wore the sleek and luxurious 18-carat gold plated flat snake bracelet, with a simple stack of three gold ball stud earrings”
Photobooth – I Tower
“Think outside the box when it comes to creating fun photo memories. Keep guests entertained and capture the moments of madness with our tower Selfie Kiosk! Modern, sleek and interactive producing not only photographs but Insta worthy fun gifs and side-splitting boomerang video clips too – a machine to most definitely put a capital F in photobooth fun!! Simply email or text your photo creations straight from the booth to upload onto social media – Click, Capture, Repeat. Your photo booth doesn’t need to be like anyone else’s!”
Photographer Tom Cullen @tcullenphotos
Hair and Makeup and Concept Bridal Hair & Make up Kent @bridalhairandmakeupkent / Venue The Gardens @TheGardensYalding / Dress Victoria Elaine Bridal @victoriaelainebridal / Groom suit and accessories Couchman Bespoke @couchmanbespoke / Florist Hellebores & Hedgerows @hellesandhedges / Cake Hanna Willis @Hannascakecreations / Photobooth Temptation Towers @temptation_
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