A Beautifully Bohemian, Free Spirited & Romantic Seaside Wedding Editorial, Featuring Shikoba Bride

This incredibly beautiful editorial shoot was sent in by a photographer whose work I’ve adored for a long time now, John Barwood.

The images are a result of John collaborating with a team of creatives who set out to produce a suite of images full of beautifully bohemian, romantic and free spirited vibes. I remember reaching out to John when I saw the image of model Olivia Harriet with her gorgeous headpiece. It’s also such a pleasure to support British bridal fashion brand, Shikoba Bride. Co-founder Rebecca actually used to write for Love My Dress. I hope you enjoy this beautiful film and images as much as I do.

Each Frame A Painting + Follow

Words provided are by photographer, John…

“We wanted to create a moment in time that is not only beautiful but deeply meaningful and entirely based around what a couple love to do in their normal life together. We love to work with adventurous couples, and lucky for us both Sam amd Olivia were up for an adventure too.”

John Barwood Photography + Follow

“We wanted to create a moment in time that is not only beautiful but deeply meaningful and entirely based around what a couple love to do in their normal life together. We love to work with adventurous couples, and lucky for us both Sam and Olivia were up for an adventure too.”

“My wife Soph and I shot both the film and stills at the shoot. We wanted to let the film breathe and let each moment be its own thing, to reflect how we shoot a real elopement. Our Moto is to ‘chase moments not photos’. We work very hard with couples to curate honest moments in beautiful light so that they can completely loose themselves and get swept away with the day.”

“We even used Olivia’s actual camper, envisaging a day where you wake up together in a rugged isolated bit of coastland, share coffee in the van before wild swimming in the sea. You would get ready just a couple of feet from each other but also hidden, which adds anticipation, keeping the level of intimacy and togetherness that is so important.

This styled shoot was inspired by a beautiful poem written by the amazing photographer, Yan Palmer:

I imagined my hurt as a thing that could explode ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
into a flock of birds every time you threw a stone⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But then i saw those birds as us—⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How even as they scattered they stayed⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
within formation—one. with. another—
making a shape bigger than what they could see from inside, and ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
that shape, oh god, that stunning shape…⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
expanding and contracting, ALWAYS⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
together like breath—⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For birds are still birds- ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
(And breath is still breath- ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
as it goes in.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
as it goes out.)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Despite their own small illusions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Of flying away. Yan Palmer

“Even the walk to the ceremony location felt like an adventure together. The spot we chose is only accessible by the adventurous, and only at certain times of day with the tide isolating it for about 19 hours a day.”

“This made it difficult especially for the amazing Laura Hingston to install her incredible florals directly into the rock wall, but a challenge she accepted.”

“However being this remote did ensure privacy, which kept the whole ceremony so special as it was just us. The florals being installed directly into the rock kept everything feeling natural and most of the flowers were picked from Laura’s own walled garden.”

“The ceremony was based around the above mentioned poem and for vows Olivia and Sam read one half of the poem each, beautifully written by the calligrapher Megan Riera on handmade paper using blue ink to bring in a sea element. It was also important that this amazing piece of art could be beautifully framed for the couple to keep afterwards as a keep sake.”

“The ring choice again was important, we wanted something organic and natural to reflect both the couple and the location.”

The amazing work of Eco Wood Rings ensured this, managing to fuse multiple elements including a guitar string and precious stones into the wooden rings.”

“The dress design was by the amazing Shikoba Bride. It was the perfect mix of glamour and free spirit, and was the Lynch pin that brought the entire shoot together. It was topped off by an amazing abstract floral crown by Laura Hingston.”

“We wanted the shoot to be a complete day and evening, showing our couple snuggled up around a beach campfire drinking gin and tonics. The gin was supplied by an amazing Cornish gin company Tinkature who distill right by the sea near Perranporth and that is the only clue we are giving about this location.”