It’s such a pleasure to be able to share these images because they are full of the most beautiful blooms.
I don’t know if you are aware, but I live on a smallholding with a beautiful wildflower meadow and when I’m not blogging or creating content, I’m supporting my husband in managing our own beautiful little flower farm, ‘Moonwind‘, that suppliers local florists/floral designers and anyone who fancies dropping in to pick their own. I live amongst the blooms daily and moreso than ever over the past few months of seeing Moonwind bloom into life, I have come to realise how vitally important a role flowers play in our lives.
Images by Mariola Zoladz
Being able to share a bit of that floral magic with editorial images like this brings me great joy. As does being able to showcase the designs of one of our latest Little Book Wedding Directory members, Susanna Greening (her dresses are just so sublime!).
These images were styled by and sent to us by Marianne of Frances and Rose, a lover of seasons and quality, an enthusiast of natural beauty – and whose words are below…
“The idea for this editorial came about from simply wanting to bring together the best of the best wedding suppliers. Rather than working to a strict ‘theme’ per se, we just wanted every element of the day to exude quality and beauty, right down to the finest detail.”
“We asked all contributing suppliers to be themselves, be authentic and give their very best work, and that’s what they did! The flowers are the best of the season, the dresses, the most inspired in the collection. The photographer has the most artistic eye and the make up artist made our incredible model completely flawless whilst enhancing her creative flare. The venue prides its self on sourcing great products and adding wonderful touches to any event, they did not disappoint with stunning tableware and a cake of dreams from the head chef.”
The Venue
“We gathered under The Mowbray‘s ancient beams in the most beautiful of Sheffield’s wedding venues. The twinkling candlelight, decadent surroundings and the most delicious feast of food and drink made for the perfect setting for our gathering.
Our model Grace danced under the incredible bespoke reclaimed antique chandelier, drew the stunning 20ft Mowbray green drapes and relaxed in the luxury of the light filled entrance. We escaped up to the roof terrace to catch the last of the autumn light, enjoying every luxurious detail the venue has to offer.”
The Cake
The wedding cake was truly magical, freshly made in The Mowbray’s kitchen, it was indulgently divine. We dressed the cake with perfectly picked florals, fruit and styled candles for a wild hedgerow feel with cascades of romance and wanderlust.
Bridal Wear
“The incredible dresses provided by Susanna Greening Designs , added ethereal beauty to the industrial back drop. Susie uses the finest silks and delicate French lace to capture the true nature of her free spirited brides.”
“We used a selection of bridal separates to create three different outfits, opting for layers and sheer fabrics to capture the incredible light in The Mowbray.
The Hazel backless slip dress was the basis for all three looks, show casing the Ash tulle skirt, Laurel Peplum lace top and the Myrtle floral embellished skirt.”
“Susie specialises in bespoke wedding gowns, with her ethos being to make her brides feel comfortable and confident in celebrating their true selves, on their wedding day. This reflects one of the main reasons we chose Grace (aside from her incredible beauty of course!) to model in the shoot.
Grace is a talented artist in her own right, designing under the moniker Fem Sorcell. She was our muse for so much of the styling, her playful attitude, her wild nature and creative spirit are the qualities we love in our clients and it was so important to find someone who encapsulated this.
She is our ideal bride, even throwing on her own stunning jacket by Say Paloma was just the sort of thing we encourage from our clients, being yourself and showing your true personality.”
Flowers and Styling
“The flowers were, in essence, a representation of October at it’s finest. Marianne creates wild and natural arrangements from her Peak District cutting garden studio and she brought the best of the countryside into the stunning Mowbray.”
“Marianne styled the feasting table around her unique creation of the meadow arrangement, using delicate blooms, dried elements, grasses and ferns which she teamed this with apples from her orchard.”
“The candles, cutlery and crockery from The Mowbray’s eclectic collection added a quirky, creative look, all finished off with hand made linen napkins from Marianne’s own collection.”
“Freshly baked bread, fruit and fizz all added to the scene and the incredible table top of reclaimed gymnasium flooring was the perfect back drop to tie it all together.”
“The flower crown and bouquet were a feast for the senses: smells, textures and colours of 100% British blooms, finished with the finest silk and velvet ribbons. The crown focused on a hedgerow feel, berries, seed heads, leaves and rose buds, nestled in Graces wild hair.”
The bouquet was heavy with British garden roses, chocolate cosmos, ammi, phlox and scabious, exuding scent, texture and movement. Marianne’s designs are an expression of her time spent in nature, caring for her flowers from seed to bouquet means she pours love into every last leaf and petal.”
Beauty
“Natasha Lyons at Jenn Edwards & Co. opted for a natural look for Grace, her striking beauty as an inspiration in itself.
Subtle smokey autumn hues accentuated her eyes, a splash of colour on her cheeks, a matte rose tint to the lips. Natasha later changed the lip colour to a soft, mulberry red, reflecting the deeper colours in the roses, dahlias and berries.”
Graces natural hair was the perfect base, Natasha defined a few of her corkscrew curls to add drama and created a beautiful braid for the flower crown to adorn.”
Finishing Touches
“Nicola at Rose Press designed classic and clean table stationery for our gathering style feast, using luxuriously heavy paper with accents of gold and hand lettered name tags with eyelet details for a really unique personalization idea.
Rose Press designed the pieces specially for the shoot, capturing the essence of The Mowbray; classic, luxurious and contemporary.”
“This is also reflected in the enchanting selection of cutlery, crockery, glass wear and vessels, sourced and collected by the venue, curated for your perfect day with effortless style and ease.
On a cold, crisp day in October, we captured the best of Autumn in Sheffield’s most exciting new venue.”
Credits & Thanks
- Photographer – Mariola Zoladz
- Florist, co-ordination and styling - Frances and Rose
- Venue – The Mowbray
- Dresses - Susanna Greening Designs
- Hair and Makeup - Natasha Lyons at Jenn Edwards & Co.
- Model - Grace model + artist - Fem Sorcell