My Something Blue Styled Shoot at The Elvetham

We thought this shoot was perfect for springtime with pastel blues being a wonderful choice for a wedding at this time of year. The shoot features a real married couple with two looks, a boho vibe with flower crowns and a second bolder contemporary look with a bridal jumpsuit. From the incredible cake to the beautiful table styling, and the blue campervan to the smoke bombs - this shoot has it all! Hannah, of Unfauxgettable Flowers, who provided all the florals for this shoot tells us all about the concept for 'My Something Blue'.

Concept

The aim was to create a realistic, achievable and timeless aesthetics with a couple of subtle twists. One with a nod to boho styling and another for those who like a contemporary look. We wanted this shoot to be one that couples can really relate to as much as to be inspired by it. For this reason, we chose to feature a real, married couple for the shoot. Opting for classic wedding shots, capturing romantic and fun moments like you would at a real wedding. Lindsey and Dan have such a beautiful connection, we saw so many moments of tenderness and romance between them. 

Theme

The theme of the shoot was drawn from the poem; Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. With a particular focus on something blue. There were so many romantic moments, genuine giggles, eye twinkles and moments of tenderness captured throughout the day. 

Styling

Styled as an intimate wedding, using variety of blues and accents of silver. The styling was kept simple and minimalist so all the blue tones could shine through. We were keen to keep the shoot light, romantic and airy from a décor perspective with simple styling in whites, greys and various blue tones. The table lay was minimal and pretty with lots of straight lines - blue napkins, pale grey linens. A mixture of ombre blue glass, deep blue textured glass, silver rimmed wine and Champagne glasses, beaded charger plates and silver cutlery. Introduced lots of blue tones in a deliberate and complimentary way. The hydrangea garland on the top table was complimented with ombre tealight holders. Whereas the paired back hydrangea blossom centrepiece was paired with tapered candles in various blue and ombre shades.

This shoot was called ‘My Something Blue’. The day was amazing. It had rained all week but for that one day it was beautiful crisp autumnal sunshine. The suppliers were brilliant, each bringing creative ideas and points of view. A particular highlight were the smoke bombs – they are so much fun to play with. 

The stationery from Grace and Bramble was printed on shades of blue with printed white calligraphic fonts! Simple, effective and stunning. The cake too was cleanly styled, a classic 3 tier design with textured icing and delicate sugar flowers, tied with a tumbling silk ribbon.

Flowers

For the florals we went for a classic combination of light blue, dusky blue and ivory hydrangeas, ivory roses, alstroemeria and eucalyptus with little daisies incorporated into the bouquet and buttonhole too.  The garlands were made up of mixed hydrangeas and a variety of eucalyptus foliage. All the flowers were premium faux silk florals. Eucalyptus and hydrangea garlands were used on the top table and in the campervan. A vase of mixed hydrangea blooms was used for the guest table centrepiece. Decorative florals were the same for both looks but used differently, showing how classic choices can be used in innovative and unexpected ways. 

The bridal bouquet was a classic handtied shape made up of ivory roses, blue hydrangeas, eucalyptus, ivory alstroemeria, tied with an ivory ribbon. The groom had two buttonholes – one for each suit – For the first darker blue checked suit, a rose with blue hydrangea blossom buttonhole to match the bouquet and flower crown. For the lighter contemporary tweed suit a paired back ivory buttonhole made of a white rose with daisies.

Venue

The Elvetham Hotel is a stunning and recently renovated venue with manicured gardens and many historical architectural features. Perfect for intimate weddings. The morning room where we set up our ‘reception’ is ideal for smaller intimate weddings of up to 30 and had been recently painted blue so was perfect for this intimate ‘Something Blue’ shoot.

Bridalwear

Look 1 – boho twist – Lindsey (our bride) was in a two-piece embroidered top with matching skirt and puddle train. For her hair and makeup, we went for a loose curl hair down, natural makeup, single lashes and nude gloss lip. Her jewellery was beaded with pale pink and blue to compliment the embroidery. To give this a boho twist Lindsey wore a hydrangea blossom flower crown. Our groom, Daniel, wore a classic mid blue checked suit, with floral tie and matching pocket square. Blue hydrangea buttonhole with an ivory rose pinned to his lapel. 

Look 2 – Contemporary twist – Lindsey wore an ivory jumpsuit with the same 3D embroidery detail on the top. For her hair and makeup look the curls were loosely pinned up with floral hair pins, her makeup was still very natural but this time with a darker lip. Daniel changed into a lighter blue tweed suit, his ivory buttonhole was more paired back with an ivory rose and three small daisies. The handmade jewellery paired beautifully with the 3d floral embroidery on both bridal outfits. Beaded jewellery with blue and pale pink tones for the morning. Silver jewellery with pearls for the afternoon. 

Suppliers

I was keen to work with local suppliers – as most couples would choose to do too. Showcasing independent wedding suppliers as much as possible. Like with many weddings – and I’m sure your readers will be no exception – we introduced a couple of special elements to the day.

Our use of the campervan and positioning of the cake differed between the two looks. Initially the cake was positioned behind the top table in the window and then for a contemporary twist the cake was displayed in the boot of the VW campervan with a garland behind and silver disco ball.

In the morning (boho look) we chose to use the camper as a wedding car however for the contemporary look the campervan was transformed into a photobooth. We had fun with the photobooth props, captured some stunning photos in the grounds too! During sunset we played with smoke bombs, introducing our something blue in another soft but dramatic way. 

Venue: The Elvetham

Photographer: Avalon Corbishley Photography

Dresses: Quinlan Couture Bridal

Accessories: Bish Bosh Becca

Hair and Make-up: Hair and Makeup by Gabby

Suits: Anthony Blay Menswear

Wedding Cake: Iced Innovations

Flowers: Unfauxgettable

Transport: Vintage Camperbooths

Stationery: Grace and Bramble

Chairs, Linens, glassware and crockery: Crystal Hire

From Brides, With Love xo