Whirlowbrook Hall Sheffield, Wedding Photoshoot Part 2

Now it's time to brace yourself for the fashion shoot...

This was the plan.  We had a quintessentially English backdrop.  I wanted our brides to fit the scene, but all bring something different to the party.  So, we went for different decades. 1910, 1920's, 1940's and 1950's.  Each bride, though traditional, would aim to capture an era.  But this wasn't meant to be a costume play. It was about catching the essence of a bygone time with a contemporary twist on the styling.

I can't begin to praise and thank everyone involved in this enough. 

Let's start with the models, Hannah, Hannah, Lauren and Rose.  All beautiful in different ways - and got exactly the moody, magaziney look we were after.  It is quite unbelievable that they are not professional, just ordinary girls doing something different from the day job.  All had the patience of saints, and I felt so ridiculously proud of them.

Julia Jeckell was our make up artist for the day.  I searched high and low for someone that mega high standards: someone in the league of TV with masses of experience and genuine flair.   I got a bit giddy when I came across Julia's website, as it was poles apart form anything else I'd seen.  Note that she has two sites.  One is her bridal make up and another for her commercial work.  Both are well worth a look!  This girl really knows what she's doing, and is lovely with it.

Jam hair salon (0114 2302894)  on Oakbrook Road graciously opened their doors on the their day off just to style the girls.  Natalie, Kirsty, Alex and Hayley took a model each - and did a wonderful job.  They are great at what they do - and more to the point love doing it.

So, to the dresses. The dresses!! I have always loved Freya Bridal.  Opposite Endcliffe Park, I have looked adoringly through its window more times than you can shake a stick at.  There was no question as to whom I would approach when we got to this bit.  And Emma, Freya's owner, was fantastic.  She said 'yes' straight away, and totally engaged in what we wanted to achieve.  We set too choosing the dresses, and  I've got to say it was a huge amount of fun! Freya also provided all the hair accessories for the day.

So, I left the girls behind and disappeared to Whirlowbrook to set the stage.  By 12 noon I was starting to get a bit giddy (again!) as I knew they were due to arrive.  I just couldn't wait to see them.  So much plotting and planning - and finally it was all going to come together.  The first one I clapped eyes on, fully kitted out, was Hannah M - our 40's bride. Wow - she looked amazing!!



After seeing Hannah, the first to emerge from the dressing room, I couldn't resist and bolted upstairs to see the rest of them.  Julia was applying final touches of lipstick, Emma was pinning the dresses, and all our Jam hairdressers had come along to make sure it was all perfect.  And it was!  I'll stop waffling now, and let you have a good old look at the results and Shoot Lifestyle's amazing photography.

And so it ended: four models, eight dresses, and one very happy stylist.  A million thanks to Jo & Simon of Shoot Lifestyle for their stunning photography and being so fab to work with.  Without them none of this would have happened, and I'm so very glad it did.

The End

Whirlowbrook Hall Sheffield, Wedding Photo Shoot - Part 1

Well, here it is at last - and so very much worth the wait. I promised you some serious wedding eye candy - and now you have it!

Organising and designing this shoot at Whirlowbrook Hall is honestly one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  It looked sooo beautiful. I can hardly believe that our models had never been in front of a camera before - and the sun shone for us big time! We were after a 'summer' look - and we certainly got it. Four gorgeous girls posing in freezing temperatures - but you'd never know. Not a peep of complaint out of any of them, and it looks like a balmy summer day - perfect!

It all started at the Jam hair salon on Oakbrook Road.  I met there with the four models (Hannah, Hannah, Lauren and Rose) Julia Jeckell (make up artist) and our four brilliant hairdressers; Natalie, Hayley, Alex and Kirsty. The work began, and off I shot up to Whirlowbrook to start 'at the business end'.

So, here is Part 1. Before the models arrive, the fabulous Jo & Simon of Shoot Lifestyle Photography motor on with photographing the set.  I'd been inspired by some exquisite china; Royal Albert's 'Old Country Roses'.  I fell in love with the rich plummy and apricot colours, and decadent gilt edging.  From there sprang all the ideas - luscious fruit, gold pearls, lace cloth and antique furniture. Traditional Old English styling with a romantic, opulent twist.

A sumptuous spin on the traditional tea table, with antique cut crystal and elegant lace.  Silver and chrome finishes have been very popular in recent years. I really wanted to go back in time to the era of gilt and gold.  I loved the dimpled gold vases, and I set too and made gilt scatter roses and favours boxes. I deliberatley 'crammed' this table full of all things pretty.  Sometimes less is more, but on this occasion I wanted it to brim full with gorgeousness.

I just love the colours and the way the sun strikes the flowers and the glass on the next shot.  Not to mention the composition.  Jo & Simon are sooo talented and have captured the essence of the theme beautifully.

And a million thanks go to Catherine of Petalis, her     

flowers couldn't have been more perfect.  They had a real

country garden look, but mirrored the deep, luscious colours

of the china.  Catherine just 'gets it' when you explain a brief - you can see the light go on and you get instant confidence that she totally understands what you're trying to achieve. And how I loved the way she decorated the hanging bird cage lantern - just beautiful!

I went a bit giddy when I found the sparkly gold and diamante table number 5.  It lended itself so well to the mood of the day.  I've said it before and I'll say it again; small details make a big difference!

  





A few more detail shots, just because I have no self control and could look at them all day long!

Whirlowbrook really is such a lovely venue, and the ceremony room below is wonderful.  The sunlight  flooded in through the huge casement windows and the whole room took on a honey glow.  If you've ever visited, you will know that the gardens and building speak for themselves.

And Part 1 isn't over yet.  Oh no - you haven't seen the cakes!  There is no-one that can match her; Rachel Edwards is THE best cake designer I have come across.  If you want attention to detail - just look at this!  All I did was brief the theme and give her the Old Country Roses jug so she didn't have to memorise the colours. And this is what she produced...

And yes, every single rose and leaf is hand made with sugar.  And that's not it by the way - check these out...!

A tea setting wouldn't have been complete without cupcakes; and they were just perfect. Colour matched to a tee, and made with utter dedication.  And we're not quite finished yet.  I think this might just be my favourite...

Thanks to Shoot's amazing photography, you really can see the detail and the passion that has gone into making these cookies. It doesn't get much better than this!

I am now bursting to write Part 2.  For models, make-up, hair and dresses that will make you swoon - watch this space!!

Wedding Event with a Difference: It Did What it Said on the Tin!

Wow - thanks so much to Abbi and Lydia for organising what was, by a long chalk, the best wedding fair I have ever attended. The Wedding Event with a Difference, held at the Roundhouse Derby yesterday, was fab with a capital 'F'!  For starters, the venue was beautiful. As well as having style, character and wonderful natural light, it also had a sense of space.  No-one was confined, and this meant we could display our work to the best advantage, and be comfortable!  The fact it was open plan rather than a grid of 'booths' was lovely. And every exhibitor clearly had great taste and high standards. I couldn't resist taking a few snaps of my stand. What a perfect setting; I seriously was one happy bunny!

I met so many lovely brides yesterday. Thank you to all who came to chat. I loved sharing your ideas; and there were some real highlights for me! I just adore hearing about unique themes and quirky venues. It's a privilege to engage with your ideas and I hope I have the opportunity to bring them to life!

Keep Watching

Just so you know - there's going to be some SERIOUS eye candy on the Go Glorious blog very, very soon!  I have styled two amazing photoshoots in January - and I'm awaiting the results...it's nearly killing me!  The first shoot was for the launch of a stunning new venue near Matlock; the very prestigious Stancliffe Hall.  What a place - it'll knock you sideways, I promise!  The photographs will be used for all their official launch material, literature and web, so I tell you it was quite a privilege. 
The second...well, it just blew me away.  We staged it at the lovely Whirlowbrook Hall. The models, who have never modelled before, were unbelievable. Honestly - I felt so proud of them! 'Beautiful' doesn't do them justice . And as well as being jaw droppingly gorgeous, boy did they pull those poses out the bag!  The sun shone for us, and everyone involved (Shoot Lifestyle, Petalis, Julia Jeckell, Rachel Edwards, Freya Bridal and Jam) worked their socks off to produce stunning results. It's coming soon to a blog near you...don't miss it!

Mood Board - Inspired by Natural Wood and Pearls

Well, a couple of months ago I blogged a bit about a mood board I had started - with an organic theme.  It's been long since finished - but my bride only collected recently - and I didn't want to plaster it all over my blog before she had seen it; that just wouldn't be right!

I thoroughly enjoyed putting this board together. I love it when I can produce something original and very personal to the bride's wishes.  A mood board plastered in bark? A little odd sounding, but not when you start thinking silver birch and pearls.  Add some gorgeous moss, sparkle and tones of cinnamon, chocolate and mink - and we're getting somewhere.

The overall board

Strips of silver birch, with natural, cinnamon and chocolate pearls. Swatches of mink and coffee taffeta - just lovely!

What a cool idea! How natural and charming - nailing individual gilt frames to a tree.

Gorgeous pearls and AB finish crystals to pink up the hues of green.

Oh how I love this dress! So flattering and the most perfect colour for this theme.

Big leaf vibrant green foliage adds natural glossy brightness to a woody theme.

I do believe my bride went away happy. Thank you Jo - I love your style!

Vintage Mood Board

Well, I've had a lovely time over the last couple of weeks assembling a mood board for a creamy, lacey vintage wedding. My bride wanted lace and sparkle, but also quirkiness and originality.  The only colour that had been pre-determined was orange - as she had fallen in love with a bouquet including tiger lilies.  I put together a palette of colours that would work. We kept the orange very toned down, as the overall theme begs for softness and subtlety. So, blending muted orange tones with a dusky pink, soft grey, mink and ivory - we ended up with a really pretty board. As well as lace, we've introduced some gorgeous style with calligraphy and artwork.  My bride had also picked out some heavenly luggage tags, adorned with vintage images of Paris, New York, birds and teasets. Picking up on the postal marks used on some of the tags, I suggested getting a stamp made in the same style, with the couple's name and wedding date etched into it. It will look aged and antique (using a sepia ink pad), but also adds a  personal touch.  There are so many ways of using it too; on favours (we're thinking of vintage miniature bottles with ribboned tags and buff stickers), placecards - even on the front of the invitation envelopes - how cute!

Below is a picture of the whole board, and you'll see we used oodles of lace, pearls, beads and diamante - but all this is offset with the vintage buff and neutral tones so none of it looks 'over the top'. They all compliment one another, and though I say myself, I think it looks beautiful.

I'll add a few more close ups so you can see the details. All images can be zoomed in on further if you click on them. Got to admit, I'm in love with the flowers in that aged silver teapot!

I'm really into buttons, so I couldn't resist adding these. I think that the mother of pearl is lovely with its natural lustre. And it fits so well with this particular palette.

Gorgeous beads! What a lovely colour in that soft muted peach. The AB finish adds a vintage feel. And believe it or not, they won't break the bank either.

The top loop of the pearls are 'baroque' style, the rest are classic smooth. I put both on the board so the bride could chose which she preferred. Both are fab if you ask me!

I love the design of this brooch. A starry shape with a retro feel. Perfect for top table napkin ties or menu decoration. And it would be a lucky guest getting this for her wedding favour!

This is a five tiered cake, with tiers two and four piped to give a lace effect.  The plain tiers are adorned with satin bows and exquisite brooches, and I think you'll agree the effect is stunning.  Many thanks to Cakes By Rachel Edwards for this amazing design.

I doubt very much that my poor attempt at photography captures the beauty of this Nottingham lace. I nearly fell over myself when I saw it! It is utterly gorgeous, and I am hoping my bride with let me make her a table plan using this.  A carved ivory frame with an apertured mount and this lace trapped under the glass will be, in my humble opinion, as divine as a table plan gets.

I had the best fun making up this board. Many thanks to Liz for allowing me to meddle, and for having such good taste!

Wedding Event with a Difference

I'm so thrilled to be taking part at Save the Date's Wedding Event with a difference. Do check out the link, because this event is going to be absolutely fab. A bit different and more stylish than the usual fayre....including a 'bloke's corner'. Abbi and Lydia, the organisers, have thought of everything. If you're serious about your wedding - you MUST come! It's all going on at the Roundhouse in Derby, 6th Feb 2011. http://savethedatemagazine.co.uk/events/  Be there or be square! x