Romeo and Juliet Inspired Wedding With Vintage Charm At Apton Hall, Essex

Some vintage charm storytelling on the blog today with this Romeo and Juliet inspired wedding at Apton Hall, Essex. It’s full of romantic vibes and dreamy details and is all about the love in the room! We catch up with shoot planner and makeup artist Stephanie Pratt of Stephanie Christy MakeUp, who tells us all about the styled shoot, from inspiration to styling, and some top tips on how to achieve the look for your own big day…

 

Inspiration

“This shoot was inspired by two features: Storytelling and Shakespeare. I have always been enamoured by a couple’s romantic journey among the pages of literature – the first glances, the falling more and more in love, all culminating in the happily ever after. So the team and I knew that this shoot, would be all about storytelling and capturing those loving moments that would resonate in the hearts of our audience. Our aim was for our readers to be transported back to their own first moments as they took in our couple’s story – the first time they saw each other, first kisses, and all the moments that led to their forever after. And despite its tragic ending, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seemed to us to be a truly beautiful fit for an iconic romance with all its intensity of first falling in love and the gorgeous Renaissance aesthetic. It also gave us the opportunity to finally give our tragic young literary lovers their happily ever after!”

 

Creating The Look

“As we were telling such an iconic love story, we wanted to make sure that the decor and styling of the shoot did not overpower the story itself but instead complimented it. I would recommend to a couple looking at something similar to always remember – understated elegance has just as much transportive power as overt opulence! The stylists often would reuse decorations that they had set up for shooting in one location to another to be the most eco-friendly and sustainable, but then style it in a different fashion. In terms of styling, we incorporated a lot of natural elements in pastel shades for the wedding ceremony and in our bridal party’s fashion all inspired by woodland in springtime: a beautiful hand-sewn flower wall; trailing eucalyptus and ivy with candlelit lanterns; a stunning tree trunk cake table with blossoms entwined within it – all reflecting the blossoming relationship of our young lovers. To tie in the Renaissance regality and the opulence of the world our sweethearts both came from, we had the location of the masquerade ball filled with warm bronzes, golds, ivory and cream lace in the form of elegant candelabras; golden lace table runners; rich floral designs and dramatic backdrops.”

 

 

Venue

“We shot at Apton Hall – a venue steeped in history dating to 1086 – perfect for a renaissance romance. It had the perfect combination of rustic, vintage charm in its wooden beams, cast-iron chandeliers, exposed brickwork; whilst still having those elegant modern touches. There was even a wishing well that had been discovered on-site during renovations which really adds a sense of magic to the venue’s atmosphere! I also loved that Apton Hall had a wide variety of locations that allowed us to really tell a story: blooming country gardens, tree-lined walkways, a vintage lamppost, an outside gazebo to dance under the stars in, and a snug bar for cosy late night cuddles. Whilst still having its own story and history, this venue also allowed you to really express your individuality as a couple and be truly representative of your day.”

 

Photography

“We had two photographers for this shoot – Dani Dunne Photography and Courtney Dee Photography – both who brought their own unique styles. As this shoot was exploring the progression of a couple’s relationship – from first romance to becoming one – we wanted to show this progression through the aesthetic of the photography. Courtney, with her light, airy, fine art style, beautifully captured the first flushes of love. Whereas Dani, with her more intense, dramatic aesthetic, was ideal for capturing our couple’s love deepen and their intimate wedding ceremony at dusk.”

 

Styling

“The styling for this shoot had two slightly different aesthetics – ethereal rustic fairytale, and Renaissance regality. When it was Romeo & Juliet’s wedding, we chose to stage it in The Stables with its exposed bricks and wooden beams to add a real intimacy and warmth to the moment that would also lend itself well to the wild nature aesthetic to the decor. The aisle was lined with candle-lit lanterns and foliage weaved around them; whilst flowers cascaded over the front table onto the floor in a beautiful waterfall. To add a real wow moment, we had this incredible hand stitched flower wall as a backdrop to the couple taking their vows. For the ball where our two sweethearts see each other for the first time, we went for a more opulent and regal look with a much warmer, heritage aesthetic. Throughout the entire shoot, we made sure the decor reflected the part of the story we were telling at that moment.”

 

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The Bride

Dress

“For Juliet, we chose two dresses with slightly different styles but that both reflected her delicate and romantic nature. To encapsulate that ethereal and romantic feel of our love story, both dresses included tulle for its light and airy element but for the wedding ceremony itself, Juliet’s dress took the form of a long lace sleeved dress to provide a more regal look as she walked down the aisle. For our bridesmaids, we chose similarly styled tulle gowns for that fairytale, romantic feel.”

 

Hair and Makeup

“To complement the beautiful and revered romance we were telling, I wanted the makeup and hair to have a similarly timeless, romantic aesthetic to it. The hair often took shape in soft curls or beautifully intricate braided styles. For make-up, our models had luminous skin, a flush of colour across the cheeks, a wash of cream-based shimmer across the eyes, and rosy lips to keep their natural beauty. I used a base of Light Wonder from Charlotte Tilbury to create a light, even coverage whilst still allowing the skin to show through. A cream blush was blended on the apple of the cheeks and outwards to the ear, with a similar shade being chosen for the lips to give that overall naturally blushing bride beauty. For Juliet’s wedding, we changed her look so that her soft curled hair was in a braided updo reminiscent of the Renaissance and a striking red lip.”

 

Veil

“Rebecca is a master at embroidered veils that tell a story in themselves, and the veil she created for Juliet was nothing short of stunning. Along the hem of the veil was the famed line of ‘Star Crossed Lovers’ and across the edges were embroidered flowers. It encapsulated both the history, the romance, and the aesthetic of the shoot in one beautiful accessory.”

 

The Details

Flowers

“The styling for these flowers was all about textures and muted colours. Using a mix of blush pinks, mauve and peach, along with a mixture of rose varieties and some clematis created a country garden look. Adding lots of foliage, rosemary, willow and coffee coloured lisianthus brought the texture and vintage rustic feel as well as echoing the old gold theme in the dining room. The Grooms extended buttonhole design made a really nice change from the standard rose and was a particular favourite of mine. It allowed the groom’s flowers to really match with the long line vintage style bouquet.”

Cake

“Rebecca created a truly beautiful, intricately designed cake that reflected all of the stylistic elements of the shoot. From the scattered gold leaf across the tiers to the intricately crafted sugar flowers that adorned each of the tiers; the cake had a beautiful balance of opulence and simplicity that made an ideal centrepiece to our story.”

 

Stationery

“As our story was based on a work of literature, the stationery was always going to be an integral part of the storytelling. Tracey created an incredible set of letters, menus, invites, and envelopes on aged paper adorned with gold leaf and filled with the words of Shakespeare to reflect the story of our lovers. The love letters shared between our couples were sealed with individual ‘R’ and ‘J’ wax seals that were colour matched to the colour palette of the shoot. Parcels of letters were tied together with string, sealed with vintage stamps, and two different complimentary styles of script font to reflect Romeo and Juliet’s individual handwriting. The level of detail Tracey dedicated to each individual piece of stationery for this shoot was really a work of art.”

 

Ring Pillows

My Billet Doux says: “Two of our ring bearer pillows were used for the shoot. Each one made of silk, 19th century fabric with designs of roses and silk ribbons. They were used to present the rings at the ceremony but also to bring secret letters to the lovers. My Billet Doux ring pillows are envelope shape and are also used to send and keep love notes, read and keep wedding vows but also can be used to give small items such as jewellery. Billet Doux comes from the French “love letter” (sweet note) and was also a container to exchange love notes in secret in the 18th century. Each cushion is unique and made in a very small series so as to match a wedding colour theme. For couples fond of romance, these pillows are beautiful for a handwritten note and keepsake of their special day.”

 

Videography

“The main goal for the Apton Hall Romeo and Juliet styled shoot video was to convey a condensed version of the Romeo and Juliet love story using their wedding as the centrepiece of the story. Similar to the way I film and edit real weddings my focus was for the video to evoke emotion in the viewers whilst showcasing the intricate detailing of the wedding styling.”

 

 

The Team – Romeo and Juliet Inspired Wedding With Vintage Charm At Apton Hall, Essex