Terracotta & Bohemian Botanicals

I love every single element of this shoot. From the beauty looks, to the dresses, from the flowers to the table scape - everything has been planned and styled to perfection by Jenna Hewitt and captured by Kitty Wheeler Shaw. Incorporating terracotta into a wedding colour scheme is a great idea, it's an earthy bold colour but adds such a great textural element to things. The table plan on terracotta tiles is absolutely gorgeous! Stunning venue The Copse are new members of our recommended supplier directory, The List, and a fabulous exclusive hire space for a weekend wedding. I'll pass you over to Jenna to tell you more...

The Inspiration

Jenna The Planner & Stylist: This was a shoot inspired by a venue and a real bride, Daisy. The Copse is a stunning new wedding venue in the heart of the English countryside owned by Penny and Tim Holley. A beautiful country house with extensive land, The Copse isn’t your typical “cookie cutter”, “designed to be perfect” wedding venue. It has a magical beauty and charm that is outdoors with a laid back vibe and this is what I wanted to capture. I felt something earthy and natural would complement the gorgeous surroundings but didn’t think that ‘English garden’ suited the whole essence of the place. This led me to the terracotta tones and material. A bold colour choice, I picked it deliberately to show how you can use pops of strong colour and a very earthy material and still create something beautiful. I also knew that it would work brilliantly with the autumnal colours that surround the venue at this time of year. In the styling it was important to me to capture something chic but with an unpolished edge, reflective of my style and that of The Copse. Then to the “Bohemian Botanicals' - the inspiration for this part comes from real bride, Daisy. Now Penny's daughter in law, Daisy is a natural beauty, a London lawyer with a pinch of bohemian, carefree spirit. Her style is effortless, understated beauty.

The Bridal Looks

I had a very specific idea behind each of the three bridal looks. All with a bohemian ‘nod’ each was created to capture a different part of the ‘wedding day’. The first ‘pre ceremony’ look was the most elegant and was about capturing that moment just before a bride leaves to get married. This featured a gorgeous oversized bouquet but in the more muted and softer greys and greens of the colour palette. I loved how florist, Jen Edmonds of Willowgold, foraged pieces from the venue to add to it. The dress, by Inbal Raviv on loan from Luella’s Bridal, had a two-piece effect and was teamed with killer Marina Grey Cherry heels by Harriet Wilde and accessories by Donna Crain. The second look was our funky fun, playful look, inspired by that feeling after the ceremony, when the party begins. Here our bride is relaxed and revelling in her wedding day and I chose a 70s inspired trouser and fringe top combination by Otaduy paired with a turban and tassel earrings from Anthropologie. To soften the look a little and bring it back to more bridal, we chose to swap the turban for a headdress by Kelly Spence for part of the look. Again with an oversized bouquet but this time with strong pops of orange autumnal tones and matching silk ribbons from Kate Cullen. The final look was about capturing the end of the wedding day. The most pared back of all the looks I wanted a soft fishtail plait and more bohemian feel and this featured barefoot sandals from Australian brand, Forever Soles. Across all three looks Zoe and Morgan provided us with very different designs of ring to suit each style. Hair and make up dream team Patricia Soper and Mel Kinsman worked magic to translate the essence of each look and Kitty Wheeler Shaw captured it all perfectly.

The Flowers

In addition to the beautiful bouquets and tablescape florals, florist Jen did something phenomenal in designing the ceremony arch that I was passionate to include. Choosing a variety of flowers, English grown where possible, in a range of rich orange and apricot tones. The dahlia and chrysanthemum were used to get the right shades of terracotta and then to soften it Jen picked creams, greys and blues such as eucalyptus and viburnum blueberry. She also included her favourite flower of the moment, the chocolate cosmos, as a contrast to the lighter hues. Foraging in the countryside on location for sprigs of sycamore, rose hip and oak gave the arch exactly the look we wanted: seasonal and autumnal.

Styling

I brought authentic terracotta into the tablescape with huge charger plates and matching water cups from Portuguese curator Pedro da Costa Felgueiras of Saudade. We also had terracotta tile escort cards created using calligraphy by Merrie Haig. Always important to blend the terracotta with something softer, Merrie also designed a stationery suite in pale grey with flecks of gold leaf that did this perfectly. The talented Laura of Cakes by Yolk designed the cake. Her style suited our unpolished chic look exactly, the result was a three tier cake, again with the terracotta middle tier blended between two buttercream tiers all flecked with gold leaf. Laura also made some delicious marshmallow accompaniments! The whole team put their hearts and souls into this shoot and Kitty Wheeler Shaw captured it so fabulously!