Happy Halloween y’all! In the spirit (geddit?) of the spooky season we are sharing this incredibly beautiful styled bridal shoot put together by a talented team of Yorkshire creatives.
We love the juxtaposition of the glamorous, Bardot neckline ballgown and dark, dramatic makeup against the natural setting and gloriously autumnal rustic styling. As gothic themes go, it ain’t scary, but goodness it’s pretty. And pretty is our favourite.
With words by Something Lovely Styling, get ready for a bit of a treat…
Inspiration & Location
Something Lovely Styling says
: We took inspiration from the season and wanted to stage an Autumnal/Halloween shoot that had gothic elements – without being too obvious. We work closely with Farmer Copley’s and know that their annual Pumpkin Festival is one of the biggest in the UK, visited by thousands of people each year.The pumpkin fields and views beyond are an incredible sight and we really wanted to stage a setup right in the field. We liked the sense of exposure and the contrast of glamour against what turned out to be a very, VERY muddy setting peppered with pumpkins!
We were given the go ahead by Farmer Copleys on the proviso that it had to take place the following week as the festival was due to begin and it would not have been achievable amongst all the visitors. So! With just a week to go we arranged the shoot calling on local industry collaborators who got on board to make it happen.
It was the most beautiful, crisp, autumn day weather wise, although heavy rain on the lead up had affected accessibility but we pushed on though! Trudging through thick mud with wedding dresses, in wellies and carrying heavy props definitely paid off in the end!
Styling & Floristry
For the table styling we chose a colour palette of rusts, mustards and coral with a touch of black. We used macrame to lighten the look and give a natural, boho vibe inspired by the natural surroundings of the farm. We contrasted this with a (much loved) mustard velvet chair that gave a pop of colour and thankfully escaped from the field unscathed.
The flowers were designed to emulate the stunning array of colours that appear with the changing of the seasons. The bridal bouquet is inspired by the autumnal hues that can be found in nature, with beautiful rust tones of the chrysanthemums effortlessly complemented by the fawn shades of the calamagrostis, both of these being accentuated by the rich browns of the amaranthus and autumn dyed eucalyptus. This bewitching combination of autumnal tones and textures, along with the delicate macrame lace trailing tie on the bouquet, give the flowers a relaxed bohemian vibe to ensure that they compliment both the gothic style of the bridal gown and the rural setting of the open pumpkin field.
Attire
Kelly-Ann from Klue Doll Bridal provided two black dresses and a full length tulle veil to compliment the theme. It was a pleasure to work with a local, independent brand, who make bespoke gowns in an array of styles from alternative to traditional. Their design and sewing studio is based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
The Nova dress is a black off the shoulder fitted sweetheart gown with a lovely stretch quality and a dramatic gathered mermaid hem finished with a smoked crystal waist detail.
The Maeve dress is a cupped mesh bodice with hand sewn lace, organicly placed around the bodice and up onto the straps, the skirt is in 2 layers a semi fitted column inner skirt with a full gathered tulle overlay hemmed in a scalloped edge lace. Both dresses are from a capsule collection called Noir Ivoire.
Mini Quinni Alternative Weddings provided a second veil with a lace edge which gave a totally different Latin-style look reminiscent of the Day of the Dead festival. They are based in Doncaster and offer a bespoke design service for wedding veils.
Beauty & Hair
Lisa Cooper Makeup Artist compliments these beautiful gothic styled dresses with a dark, edgy makeup look. An oxblood lip colour by Illamasqua in shade Growl paired with a smokey purple eye works brilliantly, skillfully finished with Doll Beauty Eva lashes to really complete the look.
Janine Wathen Hair created a dramatic glam look incorporating textured curls, contemporary waves and a gothic quiff at the front of the hair to complement the striking style of the dress.
Our model Lauryn gave an impressive performance. Firstly, she looked absolutely amazing and so natural. Secondly, she‘s tough. She showed true warrior spirit wearing just a dress in an exposed field without complaint- especially doing the dress change right there in the open elements!
Photography & Results
We were thrilled with the finished shots. The photography is always in safe hands with Freya Raby. Freya worked her magic on a stunning set of images that are both dramatic yet have a beautiful stillness about them. There’s almost a Miss Haversham feel, the use of dried leaves/foliage and Lauryn’s solitary figure in Klue Doll’s full length veil contributes to this.