As spring ushers in summer and sunshine, I invite you to imagine the charm of a laid-back, bohemian-style wedding in a peaceful and tranquil outdoor space where all you can see for miles is nature. Wonderland Sussex is the perfect location for this beautiful bohemian-inspired wedding editorial, brought to life by the Arabian Tent Company.
Nestled in the heart of the glorious English countryside, this hidden gem is ideal for an intimate outdoor ceremony for couples seeking a relaxed and natural setting for their wedding. It offers guest glamping accommodation, including bell tents, airstreams, and shepherd’s huts.
Organic fabrics, natural and earthy tones, a grass carpet, and elegant marquee draping by the globally sought-after designer Mia Sylvia set the scene. Sustainability was key, with a team chosen for their creativity, ethics, and proximity to the venue. Ethical fabrics and delicate floral installations reflected eco-friendly elegance.
With panoramic views and a secluded location, Wonderland Sussex offers a surprise element that makes every wedding feel like a stumbled-upon paradise. I hope you enjoy a glimpse into this magical space.
We’re all for vibrant colours and bold choices at Arabian Tents, but golden hour in a boho paradise is what sparked our imagination for this particular shoot. We wanted to create that warm hazy glow of falling in love, or your first cocktail on honeymoon in a faraway place.
Earthy, natural tones and organic flowing fabrics were a must, a clear marquee to let in the light and showcase the natural magic of Wonderland all around it.
Sustainability was equally as important as style and so we chose our talented team based on distance, creativity and ethics, and low and behold they came together at Wonderland, and magic happened…
It is actually quite difficult to find our secret festival wedding venue hidden down a mile long bumpy dirt track in the Sussex countryside. We aim to keep it feeling stumbled across, a real surprise when you arrive- as if you have tripped and fallen down a rabbit hole.
This huge light and airy space was then divided into a dining area and a lounge area carpeted in cream, and in the centre the grass was left exposed as a beautiful natural carpet.
Here was to be the statement piece, a life sized jigsaw tree by Head of House Designs (we were honoured with its first ever outing, and amazed to see this flat pack creation arrive in the boot of a car and then come together to form such a huge and magnificent spectacle).
Here we erected a clear marquee with panoramic 360 degree views outside to sky, grass, earth and the gambling lambs in the fields. Next the space was dressed with beautiful ethical fabrics naturally died by hand by Mia Sylvia lending shape and shadow.
Delicate fresh and dried floral installations and meadows were crafted by Copper & Moss botanics, a soft and fluffy cloud of pampas floating above our huge and sturdy dark wood bar was a beautifully juxtaposed focal point to the lounge area.
Palm leaves and flowers were woven to create asymmetric pillars, a really gorgeous and organic alternative to a wedding arch which can be moved around from ceremony to reception and reused in many ways.
Virginia’s Vintage provided the perfect array of mismatching lounge and dining chairs and furniture on which was laid enchanting tableware and crockery.
And finally the stage was set for our beautiful models to be dressed in hand made dresses by Here you are Bridal and local bridal boutique Beyond The Veil…
The icing on the cake was the uber talented and always lovely Voyteck who aced every shot and came up with countless creative takes in the nooks and crannies of Wonderland.
All in all this team was a magical dream and this shoot taught us a lot: Sustainability and creativity really are a match made in heaven, you can create a dreamy destination in your own garden, and choosing more local suppliers and limiting your radius (and thus your carbon footprint) definitely does not mean limiting your vision!
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.
