Love My Dress Wedding Blog

What If Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby Got Married?

The media has gone a little all out bonkers, hasn't it, it advance of the release of The Great Gatsby movie. I didn't want Love My Dress to turn in to a cliche because of it, full of photoshoot after photoshoot that ended up overwhelming rather than inspire you.  After all, if you want to learn about chic and elegant 20's bridal style and how to be creative in drawing influences from the era to style your wedding day, you'll simply have to buy my book  :) But it would be rude not to pay homage somehow to this much anticipated movie, especially as I adore the book so much (only recently read it!).

And so I'm pleased today to be sharing these images with you this lunch time, courtesy of Andy Griffin Photography, who worked with a creative team led by London based wedding planner Nicole Adeyale.  The collaborators on this project are all London based who share a passion for styling amazing weddings and events. The team wanted to work together to produce imagery that illustrated how Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby intimate big day might have looked, had their story not been one of unrequited love.

I think what drew me initially to these images was the fashion.  Both gowns on this shoot (a short and long sleeved one) were supplied by Rock My Vintage Dress.

Photography Copyright (c) 2013, Andy Griffin Photography

The long sleeved open back dress above (which I would frankly kill for) is by designer Lillie Rubin (founded in 1946 in Miami, Florida they specialised in special occasions ware).

The Rock My Vintage Dress collection of gowns includes designs by Dior, Oscar De La Renta, Givenchy, Channel, Carolina Herrera, Valentino, Oleg Cassini, Ted Lapidus and Alfred Fiandaca whom has dressed likes of Audrey Hepburn and a long list of Hollywood celebrities.

I think I need to pay Rock My Vintage Dress a visit!

Just look at that shot below - what an amazing potential wedding venue! The collaborative team chose the backdrop for their photoshoot to be the historic country house, Down Hall, which dates back to 1540 when it was sold by Henry VIII to a William Glascock. Quite incredible.

'Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium provided all cakes, sweets and biscuits, including ‘daisy’ cup cakes and a wedding cake. As well as all clear glass items.'

The creative team worked with a palet of pastel shades and gold accents, which I always thinks looks super pretty and feminine.

'To help set the 1920's scene, we used a vintage Rolls Royce called ‘Gabriella’ supplied by Lords Cars.'

'Sara of Bespoke Occasions did an excellent job creating a fresh, soft and pretty look incorporating pastel shades whilst, subtly enhanced the natural beauty of Sally who played the role of Daisy Buchanan.  Kirsty beautifully styled Daisy’s hair with soft pinned curls, the look finished with a pearl and diamante hair brooch.' 

Bohemian Beach Bride On Sunny Croatian Shores

Bank holiday weekend May 2013.  Ahh, I remember it well, that hazy sunny afternoon, so warm in fact it felt like a July summer's day somewhere on the continent. Just beautiful. But things are a little cooler now, and so I'm left to dream about the warmth of sunnier climes, of having the opportunity to down tools with my family over the summer and relax, feeling a gentle breeze caress my bare arms as I lounge next to the pool reading my book. With a G&T close by, of course.

It's incredibly how good photography can evoke so many feelings and emotions - memories of the past or a desire to be elsewhere. These images you see here today, submitted by international wedding photographer Sarah Falugo (whose work under the guise of Sarah Falugo and Green Photographic, we're pretty big fans of here at Love My Dress) make me want to pull out all my maxi frocks and go and stand by the sea and feel the soft fabric of my dress flutter around and embrace my legs in the breeze. Aren't these photographs beautiful?

The model in these photographs is non-other than Vicki of Pocketful of Dreams - the creative event design duo who regularly contribute to Love My Dress (watch out for their latest inspiration board coming up this Friday morning).

Photography Copyright (c) 2013, Sarah Falugo

When Sarah Falugo was invited to photograph a wedding on the breathtaking island of Hvar in Croatia, she knew it would provide the most perfect opportunity to create a totally different styled shoot - pared back and utterly gorgeous.  Working with Vicki DeBlasi from Pocketful of Dreams the stunning backdrop of Hvar was the muse for their laid-back look, designed to inspire the free–spirited couple wanting to break away from rigid structures and traditions.

Drawing from the beauty of the surroundings and the relaxed vibe of the Mediterranean, an intimate elopement picnic scene was designed by Sarah and Vicki...

"Our vision was always to celebrate the beauty of the surroundings so we created a colour palette of simple neutral tones and then added a pop of yellow to perfectly complement the rocks and the vivid turquoise sea.  Simple yet thoughtful styling touches enabled us to embrace the Mediterranean way of life with a relaxed and laid-back look".

'In keeping with our free-spirited concept, we were keen to ensure that we kept a beautiful simplicity to the look and did not overload with excessive amounts of décor and detail.  We wanted to give the sense of a bohemian couple so in love that they simply couldn't wait and planned a very a spontaneous wedding,  followed by a celebration picnic at sunset.  In keeping with that concept, details needed to be stripped back with key focal points to create a very beautiful, but effortless look.

Naturally weathered wood was laid on the rocks to create an informal table and cushions were covered in a 1970s inspired fabric providing a vibrant flash of yellow.  Fresh produce, flowers and herbs were at the centre of the picnic scene to ensure that we stayed true to the surroundings. 

A trip to the local fruit and vegetable market gave us the most delectable local product: fresh figs, capers, beautiful dusky purple plums, lemons and freshly baked bread.  Warm gold goblets, ivory handled cutlery with an intricate fish design and a yellow glass bottle were vintage finds that perfectly complemented our look.  Food was then displayed on rustic wooden platters and in woven bread bags from Rowen and Wren.'

'Lavender grows wildly in Croatia and was used as a key visual motif throughout the shoot, adding the cool grey lilac colour to our colour palette.  We created a simple lavender bouquet, loosely wrapped in fabric and used individual lavender flowers to create floral ice cubes for our bride to enjoy.  Rosemary is traditionally given out at weddings in Croatia so to pay homage to that, we incorporated sprigs of the herb into the table set up.

The beauty of this shoot is in the pared back nature of the styling; details were kept to a minimum but well thought through, incorporating fresh produce and incorporating local wedding traditions to capture a romantic and peaceful look".

This inspiration shoot also doubled up as a 'rock the dress' shoot for Vicki, who had the opportunity to carefully pack and transport her wedding dress out to Croatia for the opportunity to wear it again in a more casual setting.  Hair was left loose with plaits adding a bohemian feel and she wore exquisite jewellery pieces designed and made by the extremely talented London jeweller, Anna Loucah.  Jewellery pieces drew inspiration from nature, pulling you back once again to that beautiful backdrop.

"The outdoor and international nature of this shoot certainly threw up some challenges from a styling and photography perspective, but it was a real thrill to work on creating something fresh and different from the standard wedding inspiration shoot.  And what better place to spend a few days working than on such a beautiful island where jumping dolphins watched us set up our picnic?!"

Heavenly!

May I just say, how stunning you look in these photographs Vicki! You made such a gorgeous bride (readers, you can see Vicki's actual wedding here) but there is something about these photographs that I adore - a combination of Sarah's beautiful photography, your natural elegance and the heavenly Croatian backdrop.

Thank you so much for asking us to share these divine images with our readers.

I have to be honest, I never thought Croatia would be a place I would like to visit, now I'm determined to see it soon as I can.

Anyone planning a beachside destination wedding right now - have these images whet your appetite sufficiently? :)

Annabel

 

Photography: Sarah Falugo
Design and styling: Pocketful of Dreams and Sarah Falugo
Stationery: Charlie Scribble
Dress: Jenny Packham
Jewellery: Anna Loucah
Platters and Bread Bags: Rowen and Wren

An Eco-Friendly, 1920's Vintage Fashion Inspired Bridal Photoshoot

The concept of styled shoots on wedding blogs haven't half come under wraps of late; once considered wedding blog fodder of choice (fun for those shooting with almost guaranteed publication on one wedding blog or another), after the masses realised they could produce their own styled shoots by collaborating with other colleagues and relatively easily get their work published on reputable wedding blogs, the blogosphere was soon awash with every kind of styled shoot imaginable with a focus on every possible 'theme' and 'trend' and wot-not.  It all got a bit much at one point and even I backed off featuring anything much in terms of styled shoots - having developed a probably irrational phobia of them sometime last year.  But it's true to say that when wedding blogs hit that 'styled shoot saturation point', the wedding industry (including bloggers) started to turn their back on these visual collaborations and focus more on everything else; real weddings, discussion posts, DIY etc etc.

Today, I want it to be my mission to demonstrate that a styled shoot done properly is still of great value to me as a blogger (beautiful, inspirational, unique images) and my readers too (styled bridal fashion doesn't mean it needs to be unobtainable or inaccessible just because it's so 'out there').

Images Copyright (c) 2013, Will Strange

But look, I'm not here to argue the fors and against of styled bridal shoots - that's not what this blog is about or what I ever want it to be about. I know my readers are primarily brides who aren't interested i that level of discussion - they want to come here to be inspired by beautiful visual inspiration, ideas, and suggestions be they conceptual and creative, vintage, retro, traditional, classic, whatever  - you name it. 

I will very happily (and willingly) feature styled shoots that make a strong connection with me, even if it involves just 21 images like those you see on this page here today. And another thing - I will admit that occasionally, a submission is sold to me based on one imagine alone. This particular shoot was one of them.

Just look at that veil and headpiece...

I wanted to feature these 1920's bride inspired images, because they explore a particular bridal style and fashion era that I know isn't a look for everyone or that everyone can pull of as well as model Holli Dillon here - the look suggested here takes the notion of vintage and convincingly presents it as an achievable, modern day style - I could totally see one of my readers wanting to achieve a similar look like this on their own wedding days.

The dropped waist style made popular in the 1920's was a reaction by the fashion world to the more restrictive, confined and way more modest fashions of the previous decades (corsets reigning women in, body limbs fully covered with long sleeves, high collars and floor sweeping hemlines for example).

The look tends to suit those with a more 'straight up and down' body shape (see this post for more info on straight up and down and other key body shapes). But what I love about this set of images is the way they capture a very authentic 1920's inspired style within a modern day context. The look is obtainable. It is beautiful, it is vintage and modern all round in to one, thanks to a clever combination of original vintage fashion with modern day hair and makeup styling and flowers.

These photographs were shot by Will Strange who tells us more about how these particular images came about and why they are so important to him on a personal level...

"I conducted this vintage bridal fashion shoot in February 2013.  The background to the shoot was that I wanted to create some images that would mirror my green-y credentials - i.e. one that would promote the re-use of vintage garments as an alternative to buying a brand new dress which may have had a less than ethical supply line.

This is something that struck a chord with the collaborators on the shoot - Emma Carvell, who presents herself as a vegan make-up artist, came on-board first.  The actress Holli Dillon was next, attracted by the idea of modelling vintage garments." 

"Pennies Vintage kindly agreed to lend us a range of their garments and also the location - a gorgeous Georgian drawing room above the shop. 

Finally Flor Unikon florists lent us two gorgeous bouquets of flowers to round off the looks.  A great day was had by all and everyone has derived a lot of pride from the resulting images."

I'd love your thoughts - be it your musings on the value of photoshoots to you as a reader or your reaction to (and hopefully appreciation of) the images above -even if you aren't necessarily a fan of 1920's style.

You can see more styled shoots on Love My Dress here. Also check out our pages dedicated to 1920's inspiration.

Kudos and respect to the creative team listed below, especially photographer Will Strange, for choosing Love My Dress to be the place to feature these beautiful images.

Annabel

 

Credits

Photographer - Will Strange
Wardrobe and location - Pennies Vintage, Amwell Street, London
Model: Holli Dillon
Make-up: Emma Carvell
Bouquets: Flor Unikon, Amwell Street

Rustic and Whimsical ~ Pretty Countryside Wedding Day Inspiration

My lovely friend Naomi Kenton came to stay recently.  Naomi is a really talented photographer - I love her use of natural light and the beautiful, luminous images she creates.  She is also someone who I have the pleasure of having worked with myself (she took the photographs for our beauty tutorial series, my most recent White Gallery visit, and this feature on wedding day perfume).  She is also a photographer who many of those new in the field of photography look to for inspiration, which is why, recently, she took some time out to collaborate with a small group of female photographers (at various stages in their photography career, some very new and just starting out, some a little more experienced) to produce a set of inspiration photographs.

One of those photographers Naomi collaborated with was Kerry Diamond, who explains a little more about how these images came about...

"We are a small group of female only photographers that met online through Facebook this year.  We decided to plan a fun weekend away together, with a bridal styled shoot included to help inspire us all and have fun taking photos together.   We also hoped that the images we produced would be worthy of sharing on Love My Dress to inspire readers, with their focus on pretty florals and a romantic couple styled rustic, country wedding aesthetic."

Image Credit - Kerry Diamond Photography

"Last month we all headed up North to the gorgeous little town of Glossop, Derbyshire, where we stayed in a camping barn on a farm over the weekend.  In bunk beds.  It was brilliant!

It was like we had known each other for years.  Plus after a few glasses of wine and a trip to the local pub for food (across a couple of fields in the dark without a torch!) we didn’t stop chatting and laughing all weekend!"

Image Credit Naomi Kenton Photography

"Our styled shoot was amazing and we managed to get the most glorious sunshine in between weeks of snow.  Although it might look like a lovely summer’s afternoon, it was actually freezing and there was still snow everywhere!  Photographer Natalie Leech agreed to let us use her parent’s farm for the shoot, which is in the most beautiful location right in the mountains of the Peak District."

Image Credit - Penny Young Photography

Image Credit Naomi Kenton Photography

Image Credit Natalie Leech Photography

Naomi told me "I was so excited when Kerry Diamond messaged me and asked me to join her group as I love making new photographer friends.  In our little group, some of us are more experienced and some are complete beginners, so this was just for fun, but I really hope that the photographs offer something in terms of inspiration for Love My Dress readers.

It was great to have a weekend away with some lovely girls and plan a styled shoot together.
Our theme was rustic whimsical and filled with flowers – we shot on a farm in the middle of stunning mountain scenery.  We had haybales everywhere and so many gorgeous flowers from Bex at Blush Floral Design   A sweet local couple Jade and Andy came along as our models and also some cute local children were our bridesmaid and pageboy.

It was an amazing few days away for me – as afterwards I went to stay with my lovely friend Annabel at Love My Dress, at her gorgeous new house in Whitby for a couple of days!  I totally fell in love with Whitby and the surrounding countryside and moors – thank you for having me come and stay with your gorgeous family and for being such a lovely friend!"

Awwww, pass the tissues! 

Image Credit Naomi Kenton Photography

Little Miss Photography

Image Credit Natalie Leech Photography