BE INSPIRED BY WHAT IS READILY AVAILABLE
As a floral designer, choosing to only work with British flowers, means that my wedding season typically starts in April and runs through to the end of October which makes use of all those stunning, locally grown flowers that bring a natural beauty to any wedding.
Of course, weddings do happen outside of these months and for this Photoshoot, Winter Wedding Inspiration, I was keen to show how it could be done without using imported flowers or a plethora of greenery and berries which nods to Christmas.
In short, working with what is immediately available in these colder months is creatively challenging, but for me, this is where I find my happy place and maybe, if I’m lucky some floral magic might happen… What do you think?
The Team & The Brief
When you decide to organise your own photoshoot, you need like minded suppliers… suppliers that you connect with, who have similar taste, whose clients align with yours but also those who allow you the freedom to create and try new things.
Enter Kat of Captured by Katrina & Laura of Studio 81 Events; both talented in their fields of photography and styling but also the nicest people to work with!
Kat had kindly photographed me earlier in the year and we had discussed to the idea of doing a Winter shoot, so we started to hatch a plan. Early on in our chats, we had ear-marked Bredon Manor as our choice of venue. If you’ve not seen or heard of Bredon then you really should check it out. Peter and Charlie, the owners, have done a beautiful job of renovating and restoring the property and grounds… it also has the perfect backdrop for a contemporary photo shoot; whitewashed walls, natural light and high beams.
Ordinarily I work to my clients briefs, but the beauty of organising your own shoot is that you can dictate the brief. I’ll admit- organising a shoot for mid Summer is just not an option for me as a Wedding florist, so rising to the challenge of a Winter shoot was really appealing.
I suppose, using dried materials was always part of my floral plan too. I had visions of minimal interiors to off set the beautiful tones and textures of the dried materials however (and this is where I needed Laura) I knew Kat & I needed a stylist to help bring our ideas together.
Shoot days for me are exciting but also pressured. Not in a bad way but you are fully aware that your fellow suppliers want some great shots too for their portfolios, so of course you want to do your best to deliver something beautiful. Bringing in Laura on the shoot was a no-brainer… she’s so cool and collected with the sharpest eye for design. It also meant that I could keep creating and tweaking while she curated the table styling which brought the whole shoot together perfectly.
The key focal point was the dried cloud – made using an array of dried materials, including Bracken, Honesty, Larkspur, dried foliage’s, Beech branches and blossom which I loved using! It created the perfect opportunity to create a ceremony set up too – simply paired with a blossom filled jug and pillar candles to bring the romance.
The Blackthorn blossom that fills the hedgerows in February is one of the first floral glimmers after the long cold months of Winter. It certainly added some “pretty” to the shoot and I love how the simple grouping of arching stems reach towards the dried cloud – unifying the hanging install, table styling and candles.
Concrete runners and ceramic vases allowed for single stems of grasses, seed pods and dried Ammi to bring warmth and texture to the overall look, with Laura pairing the florals with cool stoneware crockery and linen.
I love the idea of clean modern details acting as the backdrop to the abstract shapes and colours that seasonal British flowers and foliage’s bring. So I do hope this little corner of my world has inspired you to consider outside of the traditional Winter looks for your wedding.
While I’m here, I’d like to thank all my fellow suppliers who jumped aboard the concept and helped create the most beautiful shoot which I hope will give you the confidence to consider having Dried materials for your wedding florals.
FLORALS: BRIDE AND BLOOM
PHOTOGRAPHER: Captured by Katrina
VENUE: Bredon Manor
STYLING: Studio 81 Events
STATIONARY: Junie Poonie
TABLEWARE: Alba & Habitat at Sainsburys
