It’s unusual for us to receive an editorial submission involving a couple, that doesn’t include shots of any faces, but this beautiful collection of photographs represents something a little different from the norm.
The purpose of these images was to not only capture some beautiful, moody, winter wedding details, but primarily to focus on the love expressed through body language, hands, hugs and those little natural moments in between couples in love. I think Anne Ladegast-Chiu and her team have done this exceptionally beautifully. Anne is the lady behind Hilde, who was responsible for the concept, production and styling on the day. Her words follow.
Images by Jessica Williams
“Visually the inspiration came from the couple itself – a real couple and two beings with individual and shared visions, preferences and styles. There is her, the bride, who prefers clean lines, lighter hues and considered aesthetics, but also has a love for gold and vintage elements.”
“On the contrary there is him, the groom, who seeks a moody vibe, bold graphic design, textures and contrasts. Together, they pursue meaningfulness and a wedding design that reflects who they are in a genuine way.”
Photography
“Shot on a grey day in late November, Jessica at Jessica Williams Photography weaved her magic capturing all the carefully curated elements with a sense of calm and richness. The couple felt relaxed around her, which is evident from the shots we have of them.”
Photographer Jessica says “Winter is one of my favourite times to photograph weddings because of the soft, defused natural light you can get. With limited daylight hours I advise all of my couples to plan around when the sun will set so that you maximise the light that you have.”
“Even if it is raining I like to use the natural light from big open windows to capture portraits.””Considering key elements such as light and location helps to create images that accurately reflect the mood of your wedding day.”
Flowers
“When I approached Carla at Still Life Flowers, she understood and shared my vision straight away. Carla created three centrepieces per table – one only using lighter elements, reflecting the bride’s preferences. One that has both, lighter and darker colours.”
“And one that uses mainly darker flowers, reflecting the groom’s vision. Repeat that across a large number of tables, and you’ll achieve a beautifully diverse rhythm of opposing tones, textures and heights – anything but expected.”
Florist Carla says “Anne always presents me with the most beautiful and considered briefs with real heart and sincerity, devised from exacting research into the couple. I wanted to reflect the strong individuality of each person but also their shared characteristics; where they overlap and find common ground. I created two starkly different arrangements (namely in their colour) that stood proud on their own and introduced moments where they physically collided and interacted.”
“Within these two different arrangements or ‘beings’ I used flowers of similar textures to further develop the idea of individuality and connection cohabiting. Using only cyclamen and touches of a dried and bleached foliage for the brides bouquet, I designed a monotone arrangement to reflect her love for clean and considered aesthetics. I love how the commitment to such a pure design focuses the attention on the shape created by using such little variety.”
Stationery + Ring
“The stationery was brought to life by Natalie at Sixfold Studio. We put a lot of emphasis on the graphic design – it wanted to feel bold and light at the same time, to reflect the groom and bride in equal measures. We aimed for a modern classic vibe with a touch of 20’s vintage, all printed to matt high quality paper with a leather feel.”
“The diamond ring was kindly provided by CompletedWorks, who’s aesthetic I adore – it’s influenced strongly by reductionism, high quality materials and purist elements.”
What They Wore
“Our bride wore a sleeveless Halfpenny dress styled with a sheer Halfpenny top, featuring epic sleeves and details. Her hair was loosely tied back to a low pony tail, and her nails and make-up were kept natural, all reflecting her love for understated elegance.”
“The groom wore a tailored Spencer Hart suit in a dark navy, which complemented his character and skin tone so well.”
“All plates were specially made by the dear Karina from Leu, who really listened to our brief. She designs the most simple and beautiful every day things that clay can make you – definitely one to keep in mind for when it comes to meaningful wedding presents.”
“The cutlery was provided by João at Cutipol Portugal, the two tone Bauhaus set was the perfect addition to our design concept, featuring clean lines with an edge, perfectly merging purpose and beauty in flatware. An investment for life and yet another one to be considered for the registry.”
Credits & Thanks
- Photography – Jessica Williams
- Dress – Halfpenny London
- Florist – Still Life Flowers
- Stationery – Sixfold Studio
- Concept, Production & Styling – Hilde
- Groom Attire – Spencer Hart
- Ring – CompletedWorks
- Crockery – Leu
- Cutlery - Cutipol
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.
