Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn is my favourite season, by a million miles.  I simply adore the amazing colours that the natural autumn outdoor light brings.  I love the fallen leaves, being able to get out my winter jumpers, wrapping up warm, that sense of holiday time being just around the corner – it's always a time of year I truly adore and find so inspiring.

This set of photographs was sent in by photographer Nikki Cooper and designer Jo of The Couture Company, who collaborated recently in creating a set of images to inspire brides who love autumnal,  woodland style. I love how the creative team have presented the idea of a romantic autumnal elopement – quite beautiful, and the floral crowns in this feature are just divine. I dare you to wear one, beautiful autumn bride!

'Rich colours, blustery days, Halloween and pumpkin carving, autumn is bursting with creative possibilities, and yet it often gets ignored as a wedding season. I love the vibrant colours that the change in season brings, and the warm golden days that you get right at the beginning of October.  As a photographer, there’s nothing better than getting to play with warm tones and great light. So this year I couldn’t resist exploring an autumn inspired wedding shoot.'

Photography Copyright (c) 2013, Nikki Cooper

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'The Couture Company helped to make the shoot with their beautifully crafted layered tulle skirt. It was adorned with vintage lace skeletal leaves and funghi inspired embroideries, and we teamed it with a low back lace corselette that is also available to buy from The Couture Company's boutique in Birmingham.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'Warley Woods in Sandwell proved to be the perfect location for the shoot. I spent my childhood exploring the woods and having picnics there, so I instinctively knew the great photo spots, such as the tree with the great swooping branches.

I guess as a child I always imagined that it would make a great location to fall in love and have romantic picnics under the chestnut trees.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'I wanted to keep the shoot quite simple, playing on a tale of a woodland elopement. The models, Anna and Jake, both have an affinity with fairy tales and woodland, so the story fitted perfectly with them.

Anna regularly models for vintage wedding fairs and she was really excited to take part in a creative photo-shoot. In her day job she works as a school librarian and is writing a thesis on themes in children’s fairy tales.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'Jake is a fascinating and warm-hearted gent, with aspirations to own a farm one day… for now though he cares for chickens, ducks, rabbits and few cats, alongside working as a teaching assistant. Their style complimented each other perfectly. Jake wore his own vintage suit, with accessories kindly provided by Urban Village, based at the Custard Factory in Birmingham. 

Jake usually uses a penny-farthing as his mode of transport, however it unfortunately had to go in for repairs, so we made use of his back-up bike, and customised wooden basket to cart the picnic around the woods.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'I was keen to use local suppliers for the shoot, and as a fairly new photographer I also wanted to help showcase another new business, Bee's Cakery , run by Donna, an old college friend of mine. I was so impressed by her creations that kept popping up on my Facebook feed, that as soon as I had the shoot planned out I knew I needed to get Donna involved.

She suggested a naked cake using winterberries and cinnamon sticks. It fitted the theme perfectly, and many passers by commented on how great it smelt and looked… and I can confirm that it was delicious too!'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'The headdress and the bouquet were made from foliage from the woods, together with a few discounted supermarket flowers. I think you can come up with the most amazing creations with a little time and effort.  I’ve become quite fond of making flower headdresses for photo-shoots now.

To create the headdress I start with a wire base that has ribbon wrapped around it. I then add the flowers and foliage individually, securing them one by one with wire.  It takes an hour or so and it’s mainly trail and error.

We also did some of the shots with a beautiful plum coloured flower crown that you see at the start of this post, from the wonderful Crown and Glory.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

'Jade Crean created the fantastic make-up and hair. She really wanted to play with the autumn colour pallet, using a deep plum-red for the lips and gold leaf around the eyes. Jade also did an amazing job of styling Anna’s beautiful auburn hair.'

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration


Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Autumn Woodland Wedding Inspiration

How beautiful and inspiring.  I adore the work of The Couture Company and thoroughly advise any bride living in the West Midlands, and looking for a bespoke gown, to contact designer Jo for advice – she's rather brilliant.

Huge thanks to Jo, photographer Nikki Cooper and the full creative team for so kindly sharing these images with our readers today.  Are you planning your own Autumn wedding for next year maybe? What about a woodland theme?

Annabel

Heart

Photography – Nikki Cooper
Models: Anna James + Jake Redfern
Make-up and Hair: Jade Crean
Bridal Wear: The Couture Company
Groom's accessories: Urban Village
Plum Flower crown- Crown and Glory
Cake: Mrs Bee's Cakery

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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