We’re still officially actually in the season of Summer so we’re not done with sharing beautiful summery editorials with you yet.
These gorgeous images were sent in by Sama Hemsley, wedding stylist extraordinaire going of Utterly Wow, whose words are below.
“The concept for this shoot came from one of my most favourite times of year, which is the end of May. The days are warmer, summer is stretching out ahead of us, and poppies (which I adore) are starting to appear.”
Images by Voyteck Photography
“Where I live in suburbia, these are often found sprouting from concrete, whether it’s on the side of a pavement or the centre of a mini roundabout, and I was really keen to explore this notion of delicate, natural beauty against a contemporary, more urban backdrop. Simple, earthy, bohemian and minimalist with a modern twist was the brief.”
“I had known of The Winding House since it launched as a wedding venue three years ago and knew it would be perfect for this shoot. A former coal mine, it is now a vast, light-filled, contemporary space in the depths of the Kent countryside.”
“With industrial features and white-brick walls, it was important to create softness with the styling without going too girly. We did this by using a variety of natural textures (wood, dried grasses, rattan) and elements of concrete for that urban edge. The colour palette was warm and inviting with all the rich colours of summer- pinks, oranges, yellows, reds.”
“Gemma from Iris & Co absolutely nailed my floral brief. I wanted to avoid green foliage completely, using dried grasses instead, and she found these fantastic concrete-effect vases for the table, from which the poppies and other flowers could ‘sprout’ from organically. The flowers were sensational.”
“Hire Love provided a perfectly curated selection of furniture and props, and we borrowed grey stoneware plates, copper cutlery and blush pink glasses from Place Settings. The tablescaping was simple but impactful. Quite often styled shoots can be abundant and almost ostentatious with the styling, but I was really keen to provide inspiration that was achievable for brides and grooms, both from a practical and a financial perspective.”
“Stationery from Mathilda Lundin was elegant and minimalist in warm, gentle shades, and she created a hand-drawn poppy motif, which we used throughout the shoot, from the invitations and place settings, to the ‘tattoo’ we drew on our model’s wrist. “
“Nadia fromCake Me By Surprise created an incredibly contemporary, abstract cube cake with hand-made sugar flowers. It was a real cake (not usual for styled shoots!) in a lemon and poppyseed flavor, which we all devoured after shooting it, natch. And our Dining set-up was completed with the most mouth-watering grazing platter as provided by Steph from Grazing Social.”
“The lovely Pipa from Be You Weddings was on hair and makeup, and our two dresses were from Blackburn Bridal Couture in Blackheath. The first look featured the Sierra dress by Rish Bridal, which, with its crochet detailing and boho charm had the whole team smitten! Pipa turned our model, Jade, in to a sexy boho goddess with smokey brown eyes, nude lips and a bronzed glow.”
“Hair was half up half down; we wanted to keep it bohemian and romantic but with a little nod to J-Lo for a hint of urban sass.”
“For the second look, Pipa kept the beachy waves but pulled Jade’s hair back in to a low pony, which I adored. We needed to keep the look quite paired back and casual here, as the second dress was a fully sequined, slinky number by Anna Campbell.”
“Last minute, Pipa fashioned a delicate flower crown out of some unused stems, and our bride looked incredible. Of course, I also have to mention our most handsome groom, who was kitted out in a mis-matched, super relaxed but extremely stylish suit from Slaters. Our models, Jade and Ryan, are a real couple and are getting married next year. They literally sizzled on camera- I was a very happy planner!”
“Talking of cameras, the mega talented, passionate and infectiously enthusiastic Voyteck was behind the lens capturing everyone’s efforts superbly. And finally, we have our promo film by Matthew Doyle which shows off the shoot in all it’s technicolour, moving image glory.”
Annabel
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Annabel is the founder of Love My Dress. She lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, two daughters Eska and Leanora and three dogs. She is passionate about photography, supporting women in business and in life, and is in her element being surrounded by nature and the countryside.