Beautiful blooms, plush foliage and an abundance of greenery provide the ‘au natural’ backdrop to today’s stunning styled bridal shoot, which takes place at the charming Sheffield Botanical Gardens.
Keen to profile independent businesses in the Sheffield area, photographer Alexandra Cavaye, took inspiration from this fabulously quirky setting, as well as her models, who brought a gothic, bohemian vibe to the shoot. As you would expect, the surroundings really set the scene, effortlessly illustrating how a couple can get creative with their venue.
An autumnal feel exudes from the photographs too, thanks to the dreamy warm palette and, of course, the wild bouquets, flower crown and plants tumbling all around the couple.
If you love all things flora and fauna, and want inspiration on how to make the most of your floral displays, then look no further! We’ll hand the blog over to Alexandra to tell us more about the shoot and this picture-perfect venue…
With images by Alexandra Cavaye Photography.
alexandra says
: This was the first styled shoot I had organised myself. I had visited Sheffield Botanical Gardens often, picturing a styled shoot and what I could do. I wanted to create a shoot that worked with local Sheffield-based suppliers, making the most of what Sheffield’s independent business’ community has to offer.
I was very much inspired by the couple from the shoot, and the season. The couple are very edgy and heavily tattooed, but the bridal model also has a bit of a bohemian vibe. So this was much of my running theme. I also wanted to incorporate autumnal colours because the shoot was just on the cusp of autumn, the leaves were changing, and the Botanical Gardens’ plants were a huge inspiration. I wanted to keep a really natural element, focusing on fauna and flora and using it to complement the couple’s style.
I have always loved looking at the plants at the Botanical Gardens, and I think they were my initial inspiration, and when I finally found the couple to model, they drove the concept. I focused on the couple because this is how I photograph my weddings; capturing the essence of the day that a couple has spent so long organising and making just perfect.
I chose two bouquets for two different looks, supplied by Tracey of Campbell’s Flowers, specifically because of the changing fauna throughout the Botanical Gardens – I wanted to make sure that the bouquet always worked in the shot. I had one that was focused on autumnal colours, leafy and lush, and the other was a mix of light greens, leaves and foliage and really natural. I also had a small flower crown that used primarily autumnal colours.
The makeup, applied by up and coming makeup artist Izzy Rose, specifically used autumnal colours, with a bold dark lip. The hair was natural, tousled and relaxed, and styled by the talented Lindsay of Julia Jeckell. I wanted it to reflect the bridal model and tie in with the colours of the flowers and surroundings.
I chose Kate Beaumont’s Delphinium dress, for its sleek, glamorous yet simple design, that gave a sense of elegance and luxe to the shoot, and lifted the entire concept. It gave that extra something amongst all the greenery.
The day of the shoot went really well, despite some last-minute changes and a short amount of time. I am so happy with the outcome! It definitely achieved what I wanted, and it was a pleasure working with some of the best and most established wedding professionals in Sheffield.
