Photographer Hollie Carlin created this editorial at The Barn at Botley Hill, bringing together a team of talented suppliers to explore a triangle seating arrangement designed with smaller, more intimate weddings in mind and using beautifully embroidered pieces by Heidi at The Embroidered Napkin Company.
These beautiful and thoughtfully produced scenes have been intentionally created so that modern couples can take the ideas here and recreate them for themselves – with nothing relying on scale or excess. The creative team have instead focussed on elevating a space with meaningful touches introduced with purpose.
Hollie’s triangle table layout opens up the space beautifully, allowing soft and gentle draping to fall through the centre while light pours in from the glass walls.
With everyone seated along the outer edges and facing inwards, this seating design enables guests into the same shared space rather than spreading them across the room. The open centre creates a natural point of focus, layered with soft draping, florals by Flossea Flowers, stationery and details by Lou Lou Events Design all lifted by the quality of the light moving through the barn and catching every surface.
I adore this beautiful editorial and hope that it provides you with some beautiful styling inspiration of your own.
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As a photographer, this time of year is usually a quieter period in comparison to the summer. I knew I wanted to use my down time to create something that excited me and inspired me for the wedding season ahead. I had this idea of a triangle seating arrangement swimming around in my head and just ran with it, unsure if it would be successful or not. I managed to find a team of talented and like minded creatives to help me bring it to life.
We all wanted the shoot to feel slightly less posed than your standard styled shoot, and a bit more like a real wedding. So I included lots of laughing shots (thanks for Sian at TrulyMadlyFilms for her comical genius!) and some running/walking shots as these are things I would normally include in a real wedding gallery.
It was also important for it to feel like an achievable set up, so that couples looking for inspiration could recreate it if they chose, without feeling like it was out of reach.
The idea of a triangle was aimed more at an intimate wedding, a celebration with just the couple and their nearest and dearest. This seating arrangement allows the couple to have full view of each guest, from their seats at the top table. Brining a modern twist to the closeness of a big family dinner. It also helps to fill a large room if the couple have a smaller guest list.
In a table styling point of view, it adds so much more opportunity with only one side of the tables being used for seating. The negative space in the middle of the triangle is crying out for textures and elements that make it flow, and create a some drama.
Draping was perfect for this. Loving Events used two different materials to create a gorgeous display, cascading off the tables into the negative space. We chose to use the point of the triangle to display the retro cake with twin swan detail beautifully made by Sue Hurst.
The lace of the drapes complimented the stunning Pronovias lace gown and TH&TH veil. I fell in love with the dress as soon as The Pantiles Bride shared it on their stories. The structure of the corseted top with the exaggerated curved shape of the hips was giving Bridgeton vibes for all the right reasons!
I didn’t want to pair this dress and veil with traditional jewellery and shoes as it so often is. So I opted for a pair of cool heart ray earrings from Zoe and Morgan and some burgundy Asos shoes with ball heel detail. Both affordable and a little bit quirky.
Flossea Flowers created a stunning, modern cascading bouquet of orchids and fritillaria. All of the floral elements fitted into the style of the shoot so perfectly, right down the figs and cherries that were scattered on the tables.
We wanted the colour palette to be greens, creams and burgundy reds. The Embroidered Napkin company made beautiful napkins with green curved edge detail and some lace accessories.
Lou Lou Event Design created some simple but bold burgundy stationery to add the element of red to the place settings. Black saucers Tableware provided the understated luxury to the table with their artesano plate collection and cutlery.
The Barn at Botley Hill has a gorgeous glass wall in the main barn which frames the most stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It was the perfect backdrop for our set up.
The lighting that day was harsh and although I was sceptical at first, it definitely added a depth to the set up that I wasn’t expecting. We were blessed with the weather that day, which isn’t always the case in less than sunny England.
Holly and her husband Olly were like professional models on the day, despite being surprised at being asked. Holly’s no stranger to the industry, being a makeup artist and hair stylist herself. .
But this time it was her turn to be pampered – and my sister, Perfected by Poppy excelled the brief and made Holly look like a dewy skinned goddess. The slicked back hair and high shine skin gives a modern feel to even the most traditional of looks.
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Founder of Love My Dress, podcaster and editor, Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters, one at university and one aged 15, and a lively menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, long walks, being outdoors and star gazing. She also has a slightly unexpected obsession with blockchain and market analysis, studying price charts and patterns and has a deep fascination with market psychology. Annabel is known for her integrity, trust and advocacy within the wedding industry, values that underpin both her editorial voice and professional relationships. Alongside her work on Love My Dress, she also supports Philip in running the family’s sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers.
