Styled Shoot

The Romance Of Spring. An Elegant Wedding Inspiration Shoot At Lambton Castle

Rachel Hirst

If regal elegance with a cool, modern edge sounds like what your bridal dreams are made of, then prepare to fall crazy in love with this wow-worthy styled shoot…captured at a North East castle, no less!

Envisaged and executed by incredible makeup artist and UNVEILED Network member Alexandra Edgar of AJ Edgar Makeup Artist, this shoot has an ‘all-about-the-bride’ emphasis that we couldn’t be more here for!

As such, you can expect the most amazing wedding gowns, gorgeous bridal accessories aplenty plus, with Alexandra at the helm, insanely beautiful big day makeup that is pretty as it is flawless!

Add an uber dreamy colour palette of pinks, white and gold, romantic florals galore, carefully considered details and the most enchanting setting, and you’ve got some seriously magical big day inspo!

With images by UNVEILED Network Member Jane Beadnell Photography, portrait images by Joe Laws Photography

Concept

Alexandra says: After a year of restraints, it was April 2021; the lockdown was lifting so it was the perfect time to get creative. As an artist who loves the wedding industry, I was making lots of exciting plans during that period to stay positive and keep focused on the future. It was a time to get excited about the wedding industry coming back to life, for people to mix and celebrate together. This breathtakingly beautiful shoot marks a time of new beginnings with all the optimism that spring brings. Welcome to The Romance Of Spring.

To showcase my bridal makeup services, I wanted to produce a gorgeous film and photoshoot inspired by a British Vogue short film. Bold, elegant, cinematic with all the romance and detail of a wedding day. I brought to life my dream day. The kind of day I would imagine for a quintessentially English, stately home wedding. After the year we all had, it’s time to get extravagant, no matter how big or small your day will be!

Documenting your day is paramount – all the details and special moments are trusted to your photographer. As such, I took great consideration when it came to those who would capture the shoot. I chose to work with two photographers. First, Jane Beadnell for documenting those details with romantic, honest and intimate images – featured here – plus she instinctively knows what a woman wants. Then, I chose Joe Laws for his editorial style and masterful use of lighting, making you feel absolutely gorgeous with decadent glamour all the way.

The gorgeous film was created by Steven Lee Sinclair of Nord Films UK. I adore videography, and I wanted a light, luxurious, fun, high-end film to showcase my services and reflect how I see my brides on their wedding day. Relaxed, confident, happy and excited. I had every second noted, and they created exactly what I imagined with a piece of music I chose called La Valse, edited to perfection.

Location

I really wanted somewhere utterly beautiful and unique for the location of the shoot. I’m from Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham, and I knew there was a special, exclusive wedding venue on Lambton Park Estate called Biddick Hall. It’s a Georgian mansion house and looks so beautiful. I called the estate manager Bob Duff (what a gem of a man!), who enjoyed my eccentricity in describing my vision for the shoot but informed me that Lord Durham was residing at the mansion house and that property was no longer available to hire. Instead, he suggested another property of theirs, Lambton Castle.

Not going to lie, I was initially disappointed. I wanted the big windows with the light streaming in, and a castle just didn’t fit my vision. Then Bob told me it did have large windows and was, in fact, a stately home. Immediately I arranged a viewing. Driving through the private estate, I was already in love with the place, and when I saw the house, it was certainly the most beautiful, dreamy and incredibly romantic place where I could clearly see the shoot taking place.

The property is very Bridgerton and decadent, bursting with detail, fireplaces, history, craftsmanship and thousands of acres of private estate exclusively yours on your big day.

Styling

The shoot centred around a romantic and luxurious palette of gold, pink and white. It was truly feminine with an all-about-the-bride emphasis.

A top priority of mine would be a wedding planner and event stylist. As such, I called upon award-winning Qube Events, a fellow UNVEILED Network Member. I love working with director Debbie Marks, and I clearly recall our telephone conversation getting super excited with all my ideas and hearing her bounce her own ideas back. Debbie confirmed they had a three-metre floral arch to make an impact in the huge space, plus they could supply all the glassware, crockery, table linen, napkins, floral displays in exactly the vision I wanted to create. Qube produce spectacular luxury events, and if you think of it, they’ve got it.

The spectacular flowers were by UNVEILED Network Member Vicky Laffey of The Floral Quarter. Vicky translated my vision beautifully, creating a stunning bouquet of traditional white roses and adding her creative flair with the most incredible white orchids. Ideal for a grand, naturally beautiful look. She also created the gorgeous fresh florals surrounding the doorway to the castle, and it’s magic how you can move them around your venue to feature again when everyone is indoors. We did this during the shoot by placing them next to the neon.

UNVEILED Network Member Sophie Dunleavy of Walter and Winnie Paper Studio creates luxury wedding stationery with a personal touch. For the shoot, she created stunning menus, which I had made entirely vegan (in case you noticed) with wax stamps, tiny pieces of gold leaf and the prettiest raw silk ribbons.

A personal favourite addition to add a touch of glamour to the shoot, with a cool, modern edge, was the neon! It was supplied by UNVEILED Network Member Chris McLoughlin of I Do Hire. The Moon and Back design is a delightful, large crescent moon in my favourite gold with beautiful neon, which helped bounce light around the room. Super instagrammable and super fun!

A wedding needs a wedding cake, and I discovered the perfect vegan find. Kate Emmett of The Jesmond Cake Company created my new all-time favourite 100% vegan cake. Rose, cardamom and pistachio. It was honestly the most delicious cake. Obsessed!

Attire

For the bridal fashion element of the shoot, I called on the services of fantastic expert Wendy Jackson of Bridal Wish. This lady knows what will suit you and buys the most incredible gowns from the finest suppliers. Remember, it’s all about luxury! I had chosen my model, and I knew I wanted a striking silhouette princess ballgown called Green, fit to swan around the huge rooms in, like lady of the manor. I chose Ellen, which is a slinky, halter neck style for the change to evening celebrations. Both gowns were by Pronovias, and I couldn’t resist a gown by Jesus Peiro.

I’m crazy about jewellery, and so when it came to the rings, I looked to Kirsty Taylor Goldsmith for unique, handmade designs that are fair trade and traceable. I picked out bridal ring sets in yellow gold with salt and pepper diamond, a rose gold wishbone ring and a tanzanite with diamonds. Kirsty makes bespoke designs that are handmade to order whilst stocking exquisite pieces in her Corbridge shop.

Accessories-wise, UNVEILED Network Member Sarah Vuong has a treasure trove in every metal shade and finish covering hair, earrings, necklaces and rings. I often use Sarah’s accessories and have recommended her to friends and brides. For the shoot, I chose precious pearl earrings and a pearl hairband to complement the princess ball gown and beauty look.

Finally, I went traditional English with a lucky horseshoe created by Nicola Wellard of Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe, only to discover she makes swoon-worthy hairbands that I just had to have. A luxury wedding for me naturally involves an outfit change for the evening, and I fell in love with her celestial masterpiece to complete the look.

Beauty

As a wedding makeup artist, I’m all about elegant bridal looks that are timeless and effortlessly stylish. I have a very detailed approach with decades of experience, so I know how to make brides look their very best with flawless, natural-looking makeup.

I’m all about a luxury service from start to finish. You only walk down the aisle once, and all eyes are on you! I wanted to convey this to my brides-to-be and help you see why you should list your bridal beauty as a top priority.

The stunning bridal look I created for model Georgia – which was, of course, entirely vegan – focused on delicate petal pink hues. This is the perfect palette for all skin tones and looks so pretty for spring/summer. It catches light beautifully, is classic and timeless with a gentle nod to being a fashionable, modern bride. I added eyelashes to make the eyes really pop and look amazing.

Georgia’s hair was set in heated rollers for a romantic ‘done and undone’ style.

One of my very top tips when it comes to bridal beauty is to focus on the lead-up and look for a makeup artist that can help with such… like me! It’s about getting your skin in its best condition, getting the right nutrients to feel amazing, and working together to get you looking and feeling your best across face, body, skin and overall wellness. It’s having a new friend you trust. It’s looking in the mirror and feeling beautiful in your own skin with sky-high confidence. It’s your day, and you only do it once, so invest in yourself because all eyes are on you.

Results

I understand how difficult planning a luxury wedding can be. There is so much to do and think about; it can be so utterly overwhelming and stressful when it should, in fact, be fun. To alleviate the pressure, you need a team of suppliers who appreciate getting to know you, respect your vision, have your back and honour your ideas. Then, with the right team of experts, it can literally be stress-free, which is exactly what I found with this shoot.

The team was made up of some of the finest luxury wedding suppliers from the UNVEILED Network, as well as new discoveries, all of which you can bag for your own wedding! I loved working with them all right away! They got me, had fun and embraced my creative direction throughout. Absolute rockstars!

The model I chose for the shoot, Georgia, was an absolute delight too. I wanted her to reflect a genuine bride’s fun and carefree spirit coupled with confidence, which she did perfectly.

Overall, it was such a busy day for me, but I enjoyed every minute of it! I got to eat delicious vegan cake and work with amazing people! What’s not to love?

You can discover my services as a featured supplier within the Brides Up North Find A Supplier Directory, or you can contact me via my website www.ajedgar-mua.com.

For those interested in hiring me, I will send you a link to book a consultation, either via telephone or Zoom, where we can really get to know each other. I will share my packages with you and, of course, can make them bespoke to your requirements. I also launched a private Facebook group called Bridal Beauty Insiders, where you can ask questions and get advice in the lead up to your wedding day. I use luxury vegan products with the greenest certification going to ensure you and your skin look radiant on your big day.

I look forward to connecting with you all, and I hope the shoot I created has given you lots of ideas for your big day!

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