Stylish Winter Wedding Inspiration

A last Wintery hoorah this afternoon, from the styling genius that is Jess at Blue Wren Barn. I always love featuring her shoots, especially when they are shot by John Barwood. Throw in the serious talents of Ruby & The Wolf and you've got yourself one helluva gorgeous set up. This is a masterclass in how to style a Winter wedding. It's great to see the recently converted stables at Pennard House too - we're suckers for big barn doors and the agricultural space is the perfect setting for this shoot. I'd go as far to say that this is a dream team of suppliers, many of whom you'll find in our hand picked supplier directory, The List, so even if you're not planning a Winter wedding, do check them out. And if you are planning a Winter wedding, then be prepared for an overwhelming urge to recreate ALL OF THIS on your wedding day...

The Inspiration

Jess the Stylist: The inspiration from this shoot came from my love of winter elements. Those crisp beautiful mornings and the desire to prove that a winter wedding doesn’t have to mean holly, mistletoe and snow everywhere! I’m a keen advocate in keeping things simple. I’ve been drawn to Scandinavian design for years; I really appreciate its simplicity and minimalism and wanted to reflect this in the styling. This is the reason I opted for calm, muted tones in the colour palette; blue, cool grey, and cream with a splash of warm copper. I’m also mad about different textures and was keen to experiment with these; chunky cashmere wool knits combined with handmade clay pottery, raw silks juxtaposed with white crisp linens worked well amongst an abundance of firs and green foliage. We have incorporated lots of elements that have a slightly different take on what you’d expect to see at a winter wedding; handmade chunky knit wool napkin rings, a suspended foliage chandelier providing a cosy glow and quirky desserts and sweet treats that you can dip into a hot chocolate drink.

The Venue

I was really looking for that contemporary bath stone, local to the Bristol area, and that could act as an effective backdrop for the day. Pennard House have converted a beautiful historic stable block as a venue for wedding dinners which was perfect. The old cobbled stone flooring and oak panelled walls in the stables made a perfect rustic backdrop for the shoot.

DIY Projects

Lighting - buy vintage edison light bulbs and string above the tables or above your bar area. Try and think out of the box; a dessert or cake table doesn’t need to be on a table at all! Think about shelves, old apple crates stacked up into display units and even an old dresser! Table Plan - You can make your own table plan too. This one was put together with wool, hand written cards and numbered baubles at the bottom. Napkin rings - These were hand knitted using chunky knit cashmere wool mix and is a simple and cost-effective way of dressing your winter wedding table.

The Photography

John the Photographer: My aim is always to convey truth & beauty when I pick up my camera. This is one of the reasons I loved collaborating with this particular team as everyone has a talent for creating something beautiful in a particularly simple and elegant way. This kind of raw beauty always allows the personality of real brides and grooms to shine through when I photograph them and I wanted to capture that in this styled shoot whilst being allowed to push our creativity as the same time.