Some garden wedding inspiration on the blog today, set at Tall John’s Weddings in Wales, it provides some beautiful ethereal fairy vibes, natural rustic styling and the team have given some top tips along the way for your own big day. Here we catch up with wedding stylist Michelle Peverley from Peverley Perfection and the rest of the team involved to find out how this fairy garden wedding was created…
“When Michelle Huggleston (photographer) and I first met last year we both quickly knew that we wanted to work together to create a styled shoot that was fun, creative and captured the rustic and natural style we both love. We also wanted to work alongside other great like minded local suppliers, all being creative and having fun, producing images and a style that is achievable for a couple.”
“I always find that traveling is the most inspiring thing you can do, with this in mind the shoot was inspired by a residential street in San Francisco where the owners of the properties had created miniature Fairy Gardens under the trees that lined the street. As I walked past several Fairy Gardens I couldn’t stop myself from marveling over the little details, from the miniature doors and chairs to the beautiful blossoming flowers. So this is where the idea of a Fairy Garden themed shoot began, after all who doesn’t want to believe there are magical fairies out there, having their own beautifully styled weddings?”
“Some of this year’s trends also influenced the shoot, such as the Pantone Colour of the Year; Living Coral, the Grazing Board trend and the use of colour in a bridal dress.”
Venue – Tall John Weddings
“The venue was a very exciting find, as there aren’t many rustic and natural blank canvas venues in the South Wales area. The incredible never-ending fields surrounded by beautiful trees would make a natural playground for fairies, and so it was a great backdrop for our shoot. The natural stone barn truly complemented the woodland table set up and the rustic surrounds created great contrast with the coloured flowing bridal dresses.”
“The venue truly is a blank canvas and allows a couple to style it exactly as they would like. The colour scheme options are endless and the wooden beams allow a couple to create some beautiful showstopper floral installations. The options really are endless.”
Garden Wedding Styling and Stationery- Peverley Perfection
“I really wanted to incorporate the fairy garden magic into the painting but without it being too obvious, so I focused on the tree house element and worked alongside the florist to incorporate the flowers that were going to be used on the shoot. For me wedding stationary sets the tone for your wedding, it’s the first thing guests will see and it’s a great way to express your personality. Using a stationery designer that can paint like myself gives you so many options, there are so many elements about the wedding day or your personality that can be painted and used in stationery design.”
“The Styling was based around my own interpretation of a fairy wedding, from the coloured bridal dresses and the beautiful headpieces, which conveyed a fairies trinket collection, to the natural coloured veils that I imagined could have been made from a flower petal.”
“The table was styled with natural materials from my own prop collection along with natural foliage and moss, to create a simple but effective set up. A moss runner is a simple and cost effective way for a couple to add a rustic and unique touch to their table set up. The hanging chandeliers with growing moss were styled to look as though they were growing from the trees, a style that can be used in beamed venues. The chandeliers and hanging flowers add a touch of magic and elegance that is associated with a fairy tale wedding.”
“For the shoot I wanted to do something a little different to the traditional wedding cake, so instead I incorporated the Grazing Board trend and styled a fruit table. The fruit table is a great alternative for couples that don’t want to be traditional or maybe don’t like cake. It also is an alternative dessert option for couples on a budget, and it can easily be styled using props to add height and dimension.”
Photography- Michelle Huggleston Photography
“I wanted the photographs to have a little bit of movement in them. As the grounds were muddy we were limited with what we could do, with this in mind, I wanted to create slight movement without the bride actually moving in the dress much. One of my favourite shots is the movement of the veil in the wind, which on a real wedding day I’m thrilled if the wind comes at the right time!”
“I wanted to show all the details like I would on a wedding day, the table details, the flat lays that I’d typically capture during bridal preparations. The overall feel of the photographs for me is a slightly moody fairy tale. I love colourful photographs, but images that have a slight edge to them.”
Bridal – Laura May Bridal and Pretty Perfect Boutique
“The bridal dresses needed to capture the magic and elegance of a fairy. When finding a dress supplier for the shoot, my goal was to find a flowing romantic dusty blue dress. The perfect fairytale dress that captured childhood memories of watching Cinderella. I was thrilled to come across Pretty Perfect Boutique”
“The boutique is currently a pop up shop in Laura May Bridal so I took advantage of this and also took some bridal dresses along to the shoot. I wanted to also capture the fairy garden style in a more traditional subtle way so that the brides who would not choose a coloured gown also had inspiration.”
Flowers – Rock Rose Floral Design
“To achieve the floral style I incorporated a few of 2019/20’s floral trends, starting with Pantone’s colour of the year, Living Coral. I used a complimentary tonal colour palette with accents of vibrant coral for a fun, summery vibe.”
“Textured flowers are one of my favourite trends as they add such interest to arrangements. I used lots of beautiful garden roses, ranunculus and delicate Icelandic poppies, which were complimented by soft silvery foliage of dusty miller and eucalyptus in the bouquet. A curved meadow display in front of the outdoor tree garland, added that playful fairy element. Working with the shapes and movement of the flowers, I added dried seed heads to create a more natural look. Meadows are extremely versatile and can be re-purposed after the ceremony, to save on your overall spend. This floral style works particularly well for couples looking for a more natural and romantic feel.”
Veils and Cape – W Collective
“For the shoot I pulled together a selection of pastel toned veils, my particular favourites being the grey and blue hued veils, which offer a hint of colour for a subtle yet alternative bridal look. Other key accessories included our peach ombre veil – hand dyed for a pop of colour that fades up to classic ivory, and our ethereal velvet spot tulle cape, which features a high low hem for a flowing and whimsical feel.”
“I always think that accessories are a great way to showcase your personal style and can be used to punctuate an outfit, and your wedding day look is no exception – an ombre veil or a cool cape is the best way to say ‘this is my vibe’!”
Hairpieces- Clare Lloyd Couture Bridal Accessories
“Michelle’s vision for the shoot was so full of beautiful colour with the most amazing shades of blue in the dresses that I wanted to pick up these gorgeous blues and also compliment the delicate beading and floral lace details on the dresses with the shapes and colours used in the headpieces. Introducing soft subtle shades into your accessories can be a lovely way to add more colour into your look. Shades of blue can work really well with antique silvers as well as golds, they can look incredible with corals and adding just a hint of a colour can completely transform a headpiece into something contemporary”
The Team – Garden Wedding with Blue Wedding Dress and Ethereal Fairy Vibes
Bridal Dresses- Laura May Bridal @lauramaybridal
Coloured Dresses- Pretty Perfect Boutique @theprettyperfectboutique
Florist Rock Rose Floral Design @rockrosefloraldesign
Hairpieces- Clare Lloyd Couture Bridal Accessories @clarelloydaccessories
Photographer- Michelle Huggleston Photography @michellehugglestonphotography
Garden Wedding Stationery, Styling and Props- Peverley Perfection @peverleyperfection
Venue- Tall John’s Weddings @talljohnshouse
Veils and Cape- W Collective @w_collective
Looking for more garden wedding inspiration? Check out our online magazine BOND BRIDE
