marble | Hanami Dream | Cotswolds copywriter

Behind the scenes: Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot

by Hanami Dream | 29, March, 2018 | blog, styled shoots

Here’s a look behind the scenes of one of my recent styled shoots.

I was over the moon to be approached by a beautiful local venue last year (via a great photography partner) to style their wedding venue in order to show it off in a new light and provide all involved with wonderful lifestyle imagery.

It was wonderful to work alongside Steve from Squib Photography again (we previously worked on another styled bridal shoot last year). This time we were at Oxleaze Barn and we collaborated to produce an amazing bridal styled shoot inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It was also a privilege to be able to showcase some amazing products from some fantastic local suppliers.

Theme

I always have a number of ideas swilling around inside my head that are waiting for the right venue and season to utilise a certain theme. I’d had this particular theme in mind for a while and it had evolved and I had time to mull it over a long time before I’d even visited the venue for the first time. As soon as I saw Oxleaze Barn, I noticed all the blue accents around the 1700s barn and farm, so I knew that this theme would work perfectly there.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (published in 1864) features an expedition to Iceland and exploration through volcanic tunnels. (See some of my previous styled shoots based on other classic books.) The Icelandic edge took me to cold, icy places and this wintry theme seamlessly fitted a modern winter styled barn wedding. I especially wanted to emphasise that this wedding venue was available year round, thanks to their underfloor heating, and wanted the images to exude warmth and play on the hygge trend with a relaxed and intimate vibe. Plus it was great to have the opportunity to showcase the evergreen and expanse of their garden.

I also wanted to include nods to the book with the inclusion of volcanic rock themes through slick agate, intricate hollow geode or timeless marble.

Styled shoot

It is really important to me that my blog creates wedding inspiration in the beautiful Cotswolds. The uniqueness of the blog comes from showcasing my own beautiful and inspirational, trend-led styled wedding shoots, collaborating with local venues and innovative wedding suppliers.

Before starting Hanami Dream in 2014, I worked for over 6 years for an international clothing brand where I planned and managed photo shoots in some fabulous locations around the world. Now I get to combine my wonderful experience with my passion for weddings whilst supporting local businesses.

A styled shoot takes almost as much time and effort to produce as a wedding day and entails bringing together everything from many different suppliers.

For me the process always starts visually. Firstly on Pinterest where I collate my thoughts, then secondly on paper where I sketch out a floor plan, each scene and how every element will come together on a tablescape. Sometimes I have an idea of a product and I search for the best local supplier to provide that item. Other times, I see something that someone has created and I file it away for the most suitable shoot in the future.

The beauty of styled shoots (versus a real life wedding) is that it is a great opportunity to be a little more extravagant and really show off what you’ve always wanted to do. You can indulge your fantasies with new trends or products that couples may not have seen yet or something really unusual.

This styled shoot was a collaboration of like minded people that created great things together but perhaps didn’t have the budget to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently.

And most importantly, the suppliers I used are all local to the venue. This means that for anyone planning their wedding at this venue, this look and feel is completely achievable and realistic. The images might be Pinterest worthy but they are not unattainable.

Whether it is a styled shoot or a real life wedding day, the key is that each event is personal and tailor made.

Brief

We are very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the UK and are surrounded by some seriously talented wedding venues, professionals and suppliers. It was brilliant that so many wanted to be involved in this shoot and they certainly didn’t disappoint with the products that they provided.

They were all given the same brief of what I was trying to achieve:

volcanic rock elements to make a statement at this wintery wedding alongside grey, icy blue, gold and white accents coupled with acres of tulle and delicate airplants

I also provided them with my collated vision and ideas on my Pinterest board.

The themes I wanted to encapsulate included:

winter
modern
industrial
tactile
ethereal
delicate
hygge

The colour palette followed the Spring 2018 trend colours of grey, blue and lilac, alongside gold and white accents including:

Little Boy Blue
Pink Lavender
Ultra Violet
Almost Mauve

Alongside neutrals of:

Sailor Blue
Harbor Mist
Coconut Milk

Designs

The creative suppliers worked wonders in transforming my overflowing pot of ideas and pairing it down in to realistic and achievable products for us to showcase.

Usually each shoot starts with a muse or product that sparks the theme and everything flows from that element. For this shoot, it was some marbled concrete pots, concrete coasters, concrete letters, and concrete table numbers. Unfortunately due to ill health, the supplier wasn’t able to provide these items in the end for the shoot. However this marble look and feel was present on other elements.

Cake design – I wasn’t sure that a Cotswold barn wedding was the right setting for a geode cake, so marble made the perfect theme for the cake. The Pretty Cake Company never fail to impress with their spectacular cakes and exquisite replica flower sugar work. And the beauty for this shoot included 4 different tier heights and the cascade of flowers matched the real ones immaculately.
Stationery design – Continuing my quest to present novel alternatives to paper stationery, I initially was keen to utilise actual shards of agate for table numbers and place names. Sourcing these locally, economically and timely proved harder than first planned. Thankfully, the incredibly talented Emerald Paper Design was able to create trompe-l’œil card replicas to give the same look and feel along with her beautiful gold calligraphy. The whole suite featured geode style watercolour stationery with gold accents and a navy envelope.
Flowers – despite my love of flowers, I’m discovering that a lot of my briefs recently have become almost ‘anti-flowers’ (ie just foliage, paper flowers, plants in pots) and this shoot focused heavily on succulents and air plants. Succulents are certainly one of my own fascinations and I’ve even started to propagate some for my own terrarium at home. For this shoot, I wanted the bouquets to feel modern and give a contrast against all the soft tulle. I loved the use of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) and glass suspended baubles. Plus Enchanted Floristry brought along their amazing moongate that helped encapsulate the sense of entering a volcanic tunnel.
Jewellery – It was brilliant to work with We Three Kings and their pieces echoed the colours and accents incredibly.

Suppliers

It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.

Despite the snow machine not materialising and a last minute change of models, the finished result was well worth the effort again.

Dress – From the outset, I wanted to include a blue dress in this shoot. Ideally I wanted a bridal separate like the Sweet Caroline Norma J separates but these aren’t readily stocked in local dress supplier shops. However thanks to Fairytale Occasions we were able to demonstrate a blue dress alongside a full tactile tulle white dress.
Lighting – Oakwood Events are an absolutely amazing company – friendly, reliable and highly sought after. Despite their really busy schedule, I was fortunate enough to involve their services again and showcase a brand new addition to their portfolio (which they sped through the design process especially for this shoot). It’s like they can read my mind! And luckily they don’t think my ideas are too crazy! I love that these displays give an industrial feel which is a great contrast with the relaxed vibe in the room.

Take a look at all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot – Keeping it local with suppliers for the Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot

And see more about the Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot – Inspiration: Journey to the Centre of the Earth wedding

Please do get in touch, if you are a local venue, wedding supplier or photographer and are looking to collaborate on a styled bridal shoot in the future.

#keepitlocal

Inspiration: Journey to the Centre of the Earth wedding

by Hanami Dream | 2, January, 2018 | blog, inspiration, styled shoots

Inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (published in 1864, featuring an expedition to Iceland with exploration through volcanic tunnels), this modern winter barn wedding shows the stunning hidden interior of volcanic rock in the form of slick agate and timeless marble. Planned and designed by Hanami Dream and beautifully captured by Squib Photography.

Acres of gentle, ethereal and floaty tulle were placed wonderfully alongside tactile sheep skin rugs and the tendrils of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) in glass suspended baubles.

The industrial style lighting pairs wonderfully with relaxed seating, exuding hygge with its intimate vibe. Set in a tucked-away Gloucestershire barn with year-round warmth thanks to its solar panel and biomass generated underfloor heating.

An impressive moongate wreath backdrop surrounds the cool blue 1700s barn door, with hints of blue featured in all the details, using the Pantone Spring 2018 colours of grey, blue and lilac, alongside gold and white accents.

Plus, this wedding continues the quest of Hanami Dream to present novel alternatives to paper wedding stationery – this time with name places on geode slices, along with modern script style calligraphy in gold.

Oxleaze Barn was a great location for this wedding – beautifully renovated with some stunning original features, yet adapted efficiently to provide a comfortable space. It offers year-round weddings which made it perfect to showcase a winter wedding. Tucked away in rolling countryside, with a landscaped courtyard and firepit, along with access to a phenomenal private garden. The ladies got ready in the spacious Artist’s Studio before making their way across the courtyard and into the wonderfully warm barn.

The ceremony took place on one side of the barn with rustic willow chandeliers hanging above the guests (from Oakwood Events). From each chandelier clear baubles hung down, all holding their own delicate air plant.

The aisle was lined with Chiavari chairs covered with chiffon vertical drops (from Everything Covered), then tied up simply and elegantly with a few stems of dried lavender (courtesy of Enchanted Floristry).

This led to the impressive moongate (by Enchanted Floristry) which was adorned with moss, an amazing asymmetric floral display and bedecked with lavish succulents and stunning air plants.

The flowers, berries and silver green foliage were echoed around the room in the table displays, buttonhole and bouquets (all by Enchanted Floristry) which filled the room with a beautiful fragrance of eucalyptus. Florals included avalanche white roses, asparagus fern, brunia berry, eucalyptus silver dollar, eucalyptus small-leaf gum, eucalyptus baby blue, dusty miller, dried lavender, leather leaf, birch twigs (sprayed white), eryngium, sea holly and thistles. But the stars of the show were all the wonderful air-plants dotted around the barn (supplied by www.andysairplants.co.uk).

The bride was dressed to impress in a mix and match bridal gown by Lilly with its dual layered style to combine an intricate, beaded tulle overlay with an elegant satin slip-dress underneath. She was escorted by her attendant in an exquisite powder blue prom dress which fitted the colour theme flawlessly. (Both dresses from Fairytale Occasions.)

Their make up used shimmering iridescent colours to echo the ethereal vibe and the hair was captured in a cascading braid (exquisitely executed by Blushing Brides Hair and Make Up).

Standing spectacularly tall was the four-tiered marble cake (with different tier heights) embellished with edible gold leaf (which really enhanced the grain of the marble) and a dramatic sugar flower cascade. The cake was festooned with replica air plants, ivory roses, succulents, brunia berries, thistles and dusty miller leaves which complemented the dusky green/grey marble perfectly and mirrored the real flowers seamlessly. Another masterpiece courtesy of The Pretty Cake Company.

The other half of the barn was laid for a banquet style wedding reception, complete with grey galley shade loft-style chandeliers (from Oakwood Events) above solid wooden tables and benches (crafted by Cotswold Event Solutions) lined up in front of the roaring open fire. The beautiful heart cut outs in the tables echoed the ceremony thrones and, for extra comfort, sheep skin rugs (from The Witney Blanket Hall) were placed over the benches for a luxurious feel.

Wedding stationery (designed by Emerald Paper Design) embraced the geode style with a watercolour invitation with gold accents, an information card, an RSVP card and an RSVP envelope all tied together with gold thread and a little monogrammed tag. The menu was in the same style as the invitation with exquisite gold calligraphy.

Guests could find their tables by referring to the geode style table plan tabs with gold accents mounted on a rustic pale blue barn door. At the table, the geode style watercolour place names had gold edging and modern calligraphy to represent slices of agate. (All by Emerald Paper Design.)

Down the centre of the tables ran swathes of pale blue organza table runners (from Everything Covered) for a light and airy feel. Topped with exquisite floral displays (by Enchanted Floristry), along with modern gold cutlery, plain clear champagne coupé glasses, plain clear glass candlesticks with 32cm tapered white candles, along with blue glass bottle vases and glass salt bowls (all from Vintage Gold China) giving a simple, striking and delicate tablescape.

The gorgeous ladies wore stylish jewellery (by We Three Kings) including an 18ct yellow gold, tear drop pearl and half carat, old cut diamond earrings with a matching pendant by the bride. The wedding ring was 18ct yellow gold with scattered, flush set diamonds. Whilst the bridesmaid wore an 18ct yellow gold pendant with three, coloured, fine quality sapphires and a selection of 18ct yellow gold and coloured sapphires stacking rings.

The magnificent expanse of the picturesque garden provided a fantastic backdrop (including a great maze-like area) and the evergreen emphasised how wonderful the outside space is regardless of the season.

It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.

Take a look at the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot – Keeping it local with suppliers for the Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot

And take a glimpse behind the scenes at the how the theme and designs came to life – Behind the scenes: Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot

#keepitlocal

Keeping it local with suppliers for the Journey to the Centre of the Earth shoot

by Hanami Dream | 2, January, 2018 | blog, styled shoots

Inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, this modern winter barn wedding shows the stunning hidden interior of volcanic rock in the form of slick agate and timeless marble. Acres of gentle, ethereal and floaty tulle were placed wonderfully alongside tactile sheep skin rugs and the tendrils of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) in glass suspended baubles.

It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.

Thanks to all these wonderful suppliers #keepitlocal

Photographer – Squib Photography

I’m Steven, a full time professional photographer who set up Squib Photography in 2002 and is lucky enough to photograph some beautiful weddings in the Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I also cover pretty much the rest of the UK and have even been lucky enough to be booked to cover some destinations recently overseas.

After completing my studies at Oxford Brookes University I started Squib Photography and have photographed in excess of 450 weddings to date. I like to provide a professional, yet flexible service offering a mixture of formal and reportage photography to perfectly capture the atmosphere of a wedding day.

Every wedding is important to me and I will strive to tell the story of the day using natural light and little posing as possible. I do so in a relaxed, informal way so the couple can enjoy those special moments and leave me to document that for them.

I am always open to new ideas, input from couples and understand that every wedding day is very different, so will always work carefully with them to make sure you receive a personalized, bespoke service.

@squibphotography

@squibphoto

Location – Oxleaze Barn

At Oxleaze Barn we endeavour to offer a venue and service that is relaxed, friendly and flexible. Oxleaze is a family run business located on a working farm surrounded by Cotswold countryside. The Barn is a beautifully renovated grain store dating back to 1702. Whilst we have maintained its original features which give it such rustic charm, we have adapted it to run as an efficient event space.

We only have one wedding a weekend to ensure you have the time to decorate and enjoy your day without feeling rushed. The Watering Hole manage the bar exclusively and can offer a variety of drinks packages and a cash bar to suit your requirements. We have a list of recommended suppliers with whom we work closely, but you are not obliged to use them, and can choose your own caterer.

Oxleaze Barn comprises of The Barn and The Milling Barn. The ceremony and the wedding breakfast take place in The Barn. The Milling Barn is available for the drinks reception and dancing. The Barn opens onto a stunning landscaped courtyard and fire pit, with a wide garden gate available for late night street food vans.

@oxleazebarn

Hair & Make up – Blushing Brides

Blushing Brides Hair and Makeup, Hair and Makeup Artists are based in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds.

With Blushing Brides you make one booking and get two artists working for you, two artists with individual skills, ideas and experience.

We are firm believers that with specialists who have honed their individual skills over many years you get a superior experience, the look you have always wanted and better value for money.

Lauren (Makeup Artist) and Laura (Hair Stylist) have many years experience working for brides and bridal parties, we bring all this to help you achieve the most beautiful look for your special day. Far better, we believe, than one person pushing themselves to do both.

@blushingbrideshairandmakeup

@blushing_brides_

Furniture – Cotswold Event Solutions

@CotwoldEventSolutions

Stationery – Emerald Paper Design

Emerald Paper Design is a wedding stationery and modern calligraphy studio based in Cheltenham, UK. We specialise in bespoke watercolours, illustrations and calligraphy to create stationery you and your guests will love. Whether you are looking for something modern, something floral, or something completely different, we can help create something with an individual touch.

@emeraldpaper

@emeraldpaperdesign

Florist – Enchanted Floristry

Enchanted Floristry is an innovative, bespoke high quality floral designer. Highly talented, incredibly passionate and driven by a complete love of flowers. Along with training by top floristry schools and an impressive array of qualifications, is her eye for detail and creative new ideas.

Operating out of a beautiful Shepherd’s hut and workshop in rural Oxfordshire, Enchanted Floristry creates and produces incredible customised floral designs with the WOW factor for weddings.

Their impressive moongate, a freestanding 2 metre high wreath, provides a spectacular backdrop for your ceremony and can be dressed to suit the theme, season and colours of your wedding.

@enchantedfloristry

All the Air plants were supplied by Andy’s Air Plants

@andysairplants

Chair covers and table runners – Everything Covered

Chiffon Vertical Drops for Chivari chairs and Organza Table Runners.

Ellie Tanner is a venue stylist who started out in the industry in 2005 with chocolate fountains and soon found her passion for beautiful wedding decor. She has built up many years of experience working with many various venues around the South West, transforming venues into memorable and stunning weddings and providing excellent customer service to couples.

@EverythingCov

@EverythingCoveredWeddings

@everythingcoveredweddings

Dresses – Fairytale Occasions

Our quaint little bridal boutique is based in Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire and we currently stock designer wedding dresses, prom dresses & a full accessory collection.

We aim to make the whole experience of finding and purchasing your dream dress relaxed and stress free, whether it be a wedding or prom dress. We offer a friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere for all our customers and operate an appointment system to ensure that everyone receives an exclusive one-to-one service to help build your dream look.

@FairytaleGowns

@FairytaleOccasionsBoutique

Lighting – Oakwood Events

Oakwood Events supplies stunning lighting for stylish couples. We design and install lighting schemes for barn weddings using fairy lights, festoon lights, bare bulbs, paper lanterns, chandeliers, drapes, uplighting, bunting and dance floor lighting.

Lighting is a unique addition to your wedding and can be used to highlight features like beams or stone walls, change the atmosphere between day and night or make a colour or design statement to match your theme. We pride ourselves on top quality design, professional installation and amazing features; explore our Pinterest boards for inspiration and to see how our lighting adds wow factor to barn weddings.

See your wedding in a different light!

@OakwoodEventsUK@oakwoodevents@oakwoodevents@oakwoodevents

Cake – The Pretty Cake Company

The Pretty Cake Company offers a friendly, personal and bespoke wedding cake design service to produce breath taking wedding cakes that will be remembered for years to come. Our aim is to produce a wedding cake that is individual to the bride and groom – always focusing on the attention to detail that makes all the difference. We have over 10 years of experience in designing and creating wedding cakes and work closely with numerous prestigious wedding venues in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds. We will work with you and take your ideas and inspirations in order to create a truly memorable wedding cake. We pride ourselves on using the finest quality and freshest ingredients available.

Unlike many other cake companies, we now specialise only in wedding cakes, as this is our true passion. Now we are able to focus on keeping up to date with current bridal trends and ensuring that our clients receive expert advice in the wedding cake field.

Clients are guaranteed a friendly, efficient service where quality is never compromised. Consultations by appointment only. We are based in Minster Lovell, Witney, West Oxfordshire and can deliver to a wide area.

@Prettycakeco

@The-Pretty-Cake-Company-Witney-Oxfordshire

@theprettycakecompany

Bar – The Watering Hole

The Watering Hole Events offers a range of superb mobile bars, including the latest edition – the ‘Edison Light’ bar – creating the perfect atmosphere for any event. We have a wealth of experience in the industry, with our event cocktail bars and staff attending a multitude of functions, including: weddings, corporate functions, and milestone birthday parties all across the UK – particularly focussed around Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Birmingham.

A range of your favourite cocktails can be chosen, along with real ales, cider and lager on tap. We can also arrange your daytime drinks package, which includes welcome drinks as your guests arrive, a toast drink and table wine, chilled and served, until the evening cash or free-bar opens.

Our event teams recycle all bar waste, from glass bottles to plastic cups, at every event. So you can continue to enjoy your party with a “green” conscience. Every event is unique, exclusive and exciting, so we believe that every bar service should reflect just that!

@WateringHoleBar

@The-Watering-Hole-Event-Bars

@wateringhole_eventsbars

Jewellery – We Three Kings

We Three Kings was established by Bill and Nicola Maddocksin 1995 and is situated in a 17th Century listed building in the Cotswold market town of Witney, Oxfordshire. The gallery workshop in Bridge Street is where Bill and Nicola Maddocks design and make beautiful pieces of jewellery at the bench. They offer a specialist jewellery service, their bespoke designs allow them to tailor the design and materials to suit your style and budget.

Working closely with other specialist trades enables them to offer hand engraving and an assortment of other services including CAD, casting, plating and stone cutting of the highest quality. We Three Kings also offer to service and repair your jewellery whether it is a general check-up or complete overhaul.

Bill is a goldsmith working in residence within the gallery and is happy to discuss design ideas. Appointments are free and you are not committing yourself until you are happy with the design and the price. After that a deposit is required if you decide to have the piece made up. It takes approximately six to eight weeks after designing to create the finished piece.

They work in gold, silver and platinum and can source practically any stones you require from the highest quality diamonds to semi-precious stones and beads. It is also possible to remodel existing pieces of jewellery. Bill can melt and reuse old gold if it has a sentimental value and old stones can be cleaned and reused to create a new unique piece.

They make jewellery for all types of occasions and appreciate it can sometimes be difficult for customers to be confident when having a piece made as a surprise so they offer a service where you can present a sketch in a box allowing the design and materials to evolve so the final piece is exactly what you want. Another option is to choose a stone which can be given in a presentation box and you can come in and design the piece together.

@wethreekings

@wethreekingswitney

Cutlery, glasses, candlesticks, candles, glass bowls – Vintage Gold China

Vintage Gold China is a boutique vintage china and gold cutlery hire company based in Gloucestershire. We specialise in hiring elegant, fine china, bronze candlesticks and genuine vintage gold cutlery. From small tea parties, village hall get-togethers, hen party evenings, showy dinner parties, wedding breakfast or celebrating your golden wedding anniversary, Vintage Gold China will help you create the perfect, glamourous vintage setting.

With access to our beautiful collection of elegant tableware consisting of quality vintage English fine bone china, French porcelain, vintage bronze gold cutlery, Victorian style glass dessert plates, bronze and glass candlesticks and many styles of votive – you will find all the tableware accessories you need to tastefully style your event. We can also supply luxury table linens from our sister company, Table to Dine For.

We supply to events in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Avon and Wiltshire areas. For weddings, parties and events, contact us for your tailored quote.

@VintageGoldHire

@vintagegoldchina

Rugs and throws – The Witney Blanket Hall

Witney Blanket Hall was built in 1721 by the Company of Blanket Makers. For over 120 years, every blanket woven in the town came to the Hall to be weighed and measured, and upstairs in the Great Room the Company set the Rules for the Trade. After 1845 the New Mills established their own measuring, and the redundant Blanket Hall became variously a Brewery, a Lemonade Factory, Engineering Shop, Office of births marriages and deaths, Dancing School, and latterly, a distinctive gentleman’s house. During most of its history, the Hall is also where many of the town’s Public Meetings took place, the death of Kings solemnly commemorated and the birth of Princes celebrated with great feasts. In the 18th Century, the Hall housed the town’s Fire Pump. In 2015, the Hall reopened its doors to reveal this illustrious past and offer woollen blankets and throws, coffee pies and assemblies, both commercial and cultural. Visitors are always welcome and are invited to come and find out more about the infamous Witney Blankets.

The Pie Shop offers its famous pies and platters, as well as tea, coffee and cakes. We are licenced so wine and Blanket Hall Beer are always available. The Hall can also be open outside hours by arrangement and is often available for hire by Companies and Societies.

@theblankethall@witneyblankethall@theblankethall

Take a look at a behind the scenes look at the briefs that were given to these fabulous suppliers and how the Journey to the Centre of the Earth theme came to life with their designs and products.

Inspiration: icelandic rock

by Hanami Dream | 2, January, 2018 | inspiration

See more images in our gallery and the amazing local suppliers who came together to make this shoot possible in this blog post.

Photography by Squib Photography

Trend predictions for weddings in 2018

by Hanami Dream | 13, December, 2017 | blog, trends

Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.

Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour like a ‘romantic’ theme and personalisation is still key at the moment.

So what does 2018 hold for the world of weddings? Here is a curation of some of the top trends to look out for next year.

Choices
Making your special day all about you is the name of the game. With Pinterest at our finger tips, there are lots of ways to personalise your nuptials and break from tradition. In particular, I think that alternatives for the following aspects of wedding days will continue to be more and more original:

Alternative stationery – go beyond paper with different material types such as perpex, denim, wood or agate slices
Alternative guest books – think about things you’ll use or see every day such as recipe books, furniture and artwork (see more ideas at alternative wedding guest book ideas)
Alternative florals – the greenery trend has meant less flowers and more plants and foliage. Along with paper florals and other lasting alternatives to bouquets, consider new ways to wear flowers such as corsages, floral rings, anklets and chockers. My personal floral alternative favourite is succulents and air plants, as well as foraged items such as moss, fruit, vegetables, feathers, cones and other seasonal items from the environment around us. Plus the archway will be superseded by the ceremony wreath. And urns, vases, bell jars and different ways to show flowers will be big next year.
Alternative rings – mixed metal trends will start to be seen in wedding rings as well as décor, plus more finger tattoos are emerging as another option to wearing a ring at all.

Culling
Uncertain times, call for purse strings to be a bit tighter. So I believe that budgets may be slightly dwindling in 2018. This could result in trends for:

More couples to diy and create, source or design elements themselves
Using industrial, blank spaces or open spaces as a blank canvas
Minimalist styling with one accent or monochrome colour schemes
Smaller guest lists
Later weddings held at a different time of day so couples don’t have to feed people twice!

Clothing
Bridal wear is continuing to see a shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Fashion trends that are appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence weddings next year) include:

Covering up the arms with arms warmers, long sleeves or capes
Adornments on dresses such as cascading shoulder bows, butt bows, feathers, shirt collars and 3D flowers
Skirts will have plenty of drama with high/low hem lines or slits
Whilst the backs of dresses will continue to wow with the 18th century style Watteau backs (a section at the back of a dress that is gathered or pleated at the neck and falls unbelted to the floor)
Fabrics will be structured and sheer
With metallic detail and even black accents
Soft colour dresses will continue to grow in popularity
Accessorise with big earrings and embellished shoes

Colour and styling
So much influences our daily lives which in turn spills over to the world of weddings, including decorative elements from different arenas such as interior design, architecture, graphic design, lighting, furniture and textiles. One part that overarches these elements is the importance of colour.

The Pantone® Colour of the Year always plays a big part in influencing popular colours and I don’t think next year will be any exception. In 2018, the colour of the year is a striking blue-toned purple called Ultra Violet . Pantone are citing it as ‘optimistic and empowering color” for “originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking” [take a look at my report about the colour of the year – https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/pantone-announce-the-color-of-the-year-2018/] and I’m pretty pleased as purple is my favourite colour! I think it will work particularly well teamed with the greenery colour of 2017. Here’s my take on the other colours to look out for in spring/summer 2018 – https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-spring-2018-colours-from-pantone/.
Textures – crushed velvet will become more prevalent for more luxurious styles
Transparent – Perspex chairs, tables, menus and signage will continue to grow in popularity for a modern style and this is evolving further to iridescent details
Metallic – the metallic trend isn’t showing any signs of tiring just yet. Next year will be the turn of copper to take to centre stage
Gem stones – agate (or hollow geodes) are still going to be at the forefront of designs, as well as marble. Plus pearl details are set to come back into the limelight in 2018.
Mix and match – you don’t have to settle on one style for a great fusion of modern/vintage, different cultures and mixed colours. I’m hopeful for vibrant folk art style weddings to be a great evolution of the boho festival trend.
Foraged items – my personal tip is for peacock feathers and all the bright associated colours of this beautiful bird

Catering
Family style serving is still a great way to share the wedding reception which works so well on long, large banquet tables lining the room. Plus couples want their food to look amazing so that it is Instagram worthy.

Other food and drink highlights to support emerging tends include:

Local produce – organic, farm to table that supports local suppliers
Cakes – marbling icing, amazing geode crystal detailing and metallic cakes
Unusual catering vans, dessert tables and interactive stations at the reception – think gin bars, hot chocolate stations and make your own pudding
Dietary requirements – upsurge is requests for vegan desserts so that it caters for all guests
Personalised cocktails – have your own cocktails created and served as the ‘house’ aperitif instead of Pimms or Buck’s Fizz when guests arrive. Or how about two different personal cocktails to represent the different tastes of the couple.

Culture
The world of films and tv always influences trends and 2018 looks set to be a year of blockbusters to choose from such as:

Comic book films like: Incredibles 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Avengers: Infinity War, and Fantastic Beasts 2
Children’s classics including: Jungle Book, Arctic Justice, and Mary Poppins Returns
Sci-Fi movies such as: Solo: a Star Wars Story, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Black Panther, and Aquaman – wouldn’t an Atlantis underwater wedding be amazing!
Action movies including: M:I 6 – Mission Impossible, and Ocean’s 8 – a brilliant female reboot set in New York
Love stories like: Fifty Shades Freed, and Love, Simon

Plus big tv shows such as Peaky Blinders, Dr Who (complete with a new female doctor after Christmas) and a new adaptation of Vanity Fair (set in the 19th century around the Napoleonic Wars) will help some wedding themes.

Film and video will continue to be more prevalent at weddings with couples choosing 360 videos, virtual reality experiences and drones to capture their big day. Along with social media being a part of the day and a way to capture everyone’s pictures of the day (it’s just the modern version of the disposable cameras on the table!) with personalised snap chat geofilters and your own hashtags for the day.

Celebrities
As well as the wonders of Pinterest, couples are inspired by seeing others doing something first. So it’s no surprise that details from celebrity weddings will influence wedding trends. Here are some famous engaged couples that could make it up the aisle in 2018 and their special days will be ones to watch:

Prince Harry & Meghan – need I say any more! This will be THE wedding of the year and will surely spur some British street party style themes
Candice Brown & Liam Macaulay – she is a former Great British Bake Off winner so I’m sure there’ll be some wedding cakes goals emerging from this day!
Kate Mara & Jamie Bell – perhaps some Fantastic 4 or Billy Elliot themes
Matthew Lewis & Angela Jones – he played Neville Longbottom so will we see some more Harry Potter themes?
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham – surely an action packed wedding expected there
Stephen Webb & Daniel Lustig – these guys are stars of Gogglebox and sure to have some original details to aspire to
Robert Pattinson & FKA twigs – Twilight themed weddings are still popular and great outdoor weddings

Current affairs
You may be living and breathing your wedding and everything else in the world is taking a back seat. However, things are still going on around you and some national, local and annual events may have an impact on your guests involvement, availability and enjoyment. Here’s some events around the world that could influence your choice of dates and could also influence wedding trends:

Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea 9-25 February 2018
Commonwealth Games in Australia, 4-15 April 2018
World Cup in Russia 14 June – 15 July 2018

These are a few of my predictions for wedding trends in 2018. I’d love to hear what you think are going to be popular wedding trends next year. Email me with your predictions and take a look at more of my curation and inspiration on Pinterest.

May I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Are you getting married in 2018? Is your wedding going to be following one of these trends? Let me know if you’d like to share the detail shots of your day on my blog to inspire other couples who are wedding planning. If you (and your photographer) are happy, then take a look how to submit your wedding.

journey to the centre of the earth

by Hanami Dream | 25, October, 2017 | gallery

Images on this page taken by Squib Photography from Hanami Dream’s journey to the centre of the earth styled shoot at Oxleaze Barn. See all the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot.

winner UK Blog Awards 2018

wonderful wedding wares

Have your (wedding) cake and eat it!

by Hanami Dream | 13, January, 2017 | blog, guest post, tips, traditions

A topic very close to my heart (and sweet tooth) is cake!

Photography by Farrow Photography
www.farrowphotography.com

When it comes to weddings, cakes are often the focal point of the wedding reception – proudly displayed, incorporating themes and colour schemes of the day, and featured in one of the main staged events of the day – culminating in a great photo opportunity when it formally gets cut.

There are many elements of a wedding that are steeped in tradition, superstition and symbolism. Here I unravel a little behind why wedding cakes are included in the festivities and then The Pretty Cake Company give their advice for the perfect ‘recipe’ to get the wedding cake of your dreams.

Even though some couples are picking alternatives to the humble wedding cake (such as ‘cheese’ cakes, cupcakes, giant porkpies, quiches tiers and pancake stacks to name a few), the evolution of this wedding element is nothing new as it’s seen many guises over the years including bread rolls and pie.

The custom originally dates back to Roman and Medieval times when bread would’ve been thrown at the bride. Thankfully this developed into the breaking of the bread over the head (symbolizing the bride losing her virginity).

Over time this progressed into guests bringing baked goods to the wedding and piling them up as high as possible. The couple would try and kiss over this high cake without it falling over and were deemed to have good fortune if they were successful. Not content with the instability of a baked goods stack, one clever baker came up with the idea of sticking the rolls together and the Croquembouche was born.

Today’s traditional wedding cakes have a rich fruit cake (a sign of fertility), often a gorgeous layer of marzipan (that I can’t get enough of! ) and white fondant icing. The white colour of the bride’s cake was again a sign of purity and also one of wealth as fine white sugar would’ve been expensive back in the day. The whiter the cake the wealthier you were plus the number of tiers showed extravagance too (although often some tiers could be fake ones to save money!) Plus an alternative ‘darker’ groom’s cake alongside (perhaps in chocolate).

Photography by Farrow Photography
www.farrowphotography.com

Traditionally, the cutting of the cake (as well as being a staple photo opportunity) was done by the bride on her own (to symbolize losing her virginity) and she would hand out the cake to ensure fertility. Nowadays it is the first task performed together as a married couple. Some couples feed each other the first slice as a sign of commitment (or smash it in each others’ faces if you’re feeling cheeky!)

With the bottom tier for cutting, the middle tier for sharing, the top tier is often saved for the first anniversary or christening.

Meanwhile, symbolic charms placed in the cake attached to ribbons can be pulled out by the bridesmaids to predict their fortunes. Plus it was thought that single people who slept with a slice of the wedding cake under their pillow would dream of their future spouse.

There is so much tradition and choices to call upon to create your wedding cake and this element continues to evolve with emerging geode cut out cakes, crystalling detail, food walls and even wedding cakes with image projections on them. Take a look at some of my other trend predictions too.

Here are some top tips from the incredibly talented Samantha from The Pretty Cake Company with a cake designer’s insight into picking your cake and a look at current wedding cake trends to consider.

The wedding cake will be the most prominent centrepiece of your wedding reception with the potential to be a highly decorative work of art. So deciding on what form your wedding cake should take, is one that should be given very careful consideration.

An average wedding cake now is upwards of £500 and can go into the thousands, so your requirements will dictate your budget. The costing is primarily dependent on three things, size, flavour and decoration.

SIZE
When contacting cake designers it’s important to give as much information as possible. Give your anticipated guest number as this will allow the cake designer to work out what size tiers would be most appropriate. If you would like to reserve the top fruitcake tier for a first anniversary or christening then do mention that as well.

I have had clients in the past who want very tall grand wedding cakes, but not necessarily all the cake that would come with it, so think about the option of using polystyrene dummies to add extra tiers as this would help reduce the cost.

FLAVOUR
Simple sponges such as vanilla and lemon tend to be the cheapest with other most popular flavours such as chocolate, carrot and fruitcake, being more expensive due to the ingredients cost and increased time taken to make them.

Ask your cake designer what other flavours they could suggest as other flavours can often be made by adapting existing basic recipes. Other popular flavours that I have done in the past are coffee and walnut, orange and almond, lime and passion fruit, toffee and salted caramel, champagne and strawberry, but with lots of good quality flavouring extracts on the market, it’s very simple to come up with some more original suggestions.

Sometimes you can make a simple flavour more exciting by simply making the filling a bit more interesting, like lemon cake with a passionfruit curd buttercream or chocolate with a salted caramel buttercream.

DECORATION
Decoration is by far the most influential part of costing the cake as this is what takes the most time and requires the most skill. Things like sugar flowers, texture work and intricate pipework on the cake, can take several hours and sometimes days, so if you are on a budget, then maybe try and avoid these.

Here’s the ‘recipe’ to get the wedding cake of your dreams:

1. CONSULTATION
Check with your cake maker if they offer a face to face consultation, if there is a charge for it and whether cake samples would be available for tasting. It’s important that you have confidence in your cake maker and that the cakes will taste as good as they look. Some companies do charge for consultations, which might be deductible from the cost if you book.

2. EXPERIENCE
Most reputable cake makers will have a strong portfolio of their work which will be further substantiated with websites, social media pages and recommendations from previous clients and local venues. Do your research beforehand and choose a cake maker that has experience of the styles you like (such as elegant, pretty, floral wedding cakes versus novelty wedding cakes). Respect a cake maker who is honest with you and will tell you up front that they feel that there are better people out there who can create what you want.

3. AVAILABILITY
With weddings occurring almost any day of the week now, cake makers can be very much in demand. Ask your cake maker how many wedding cakes they take on in one week and how many people will work on it so that you know that your cake will not be compromised.

4. BOOK IN ADVANCE
I always advise my couples that once they have a date secured with their venue they should book, pay a deposit and reserve the date with their suppliers as soon as possible. Consultations and finer details can be worked out much nearer the time. Generally it’s best to book 9-12 months in advance. Often the cake is one of the first things you should book but one of the last things you should finalise as it can incorporate so many aspects of the wedding eg colours, flowers, fabric, stationery (which will only be known towards the end of the planning stage).

5. DEPOSIT
Ask when the deposit is required which tends to be between 25-50%. It’s always a good idea to make a note of when the balance is due to be paid. This tends to be between a month to 2 weeks before the wedding although check with your cake maker on their policies.

6. DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Let your cake maker know if there are any allergies that they need to be aware of. However, also bear in mind that, unless you are using a very large company with allergy safe environments, it could be tricky to completely eliminate the risk of cross contamination.

7. ACCESSORIES
Think about how you want the cake displayed and how you’re going to cut it. A cake stand can dramatically change the way that a wedding cake looks and I always recommend the use of one. It adds precedence, height and is an added decorative feature. Most established cake makers will have a range of stands for hire. Some venues offer use of a cake stand as part of the package but always ask to see it beforehand, as they can be old fashioned silver stands which might not suit the style of your cake. It is generally the responsibility of the couple to return the stands within a couple of days of the wedding, unless this has been agreed prior and a collection charge has been paid.

8. DELIVERY
Make sure you let your cake maker know where and when the cake is to be delivered or if you are going to collect it. Most cake makers will charge for delivery and this will also include the return journey. They will also need to know who is the point of contact at the venue as you may be otherwise busy. Plus think about where the cake is to be set up, being mindful that it shouldn’t be in direct sunlight, or have a cluttered background.

Logistics aside, the fun part is picking what it’ll look like and how it will embody the theme of your special day. Here are some current trends in wedding cakes to give you some inspiration:

Chalkboard: Chalkboards are often used at weddings for place settings, order of events and direction signs, so why not follow the theme through onto the cake, and personalising with a monogram or favourite quotes and lyrics. It’s also the perfect opportunity to show off some pretty calligraphy fonts.

Photography by Neil Hanson
http://www.nordicpics.co.uk

Semi naked cake: The naked cake has been around for a number of years now so it’s about time there was a new twist on it! The semi naked cake has a thin scraping of buttercream which allows the sponge to show through slightly. It gives an interesting rustic finish which looks beautiful decorated with fresh flowers and fruits.

Photography by Neil Hanson www.nordicpics.co.uk

Textured Buttercream: Lots of people love the thought of sinking their teeth into light fluffy sponge and a nice thick layer of delicious buttercream. So if you prefer buttercream to fondant then this is the perfect cake for you. Finished with fresh flowers, it gives an elegantly simple yet stylishly beautiful wedding cake.

Photography by Pretty Cake Company

Marble: Marble cakes are seeing a big revival at the moment and here is a cake which incorporates many on trend features. The marble tiers on the top and bottom are flecked with gold and the metallic drips on the bottom tier are also very fashionable. The chalkboard tier adds the opportunity for a bit of personalisation and the beautiful sugar flowers add a pretty feature which feminises the cake.

Photography by Farrow Photography
www.farrowphotography.com

Ruffles/texture: Texture has been popular for a few years now and here is a cake which demonstrates texture in many ways. The vertical ruffles add an understated elegant texture; the gold sequins add sparkle and the pretty gold piping was inspired by a stationery design. Together with the sharp edge finish on this cake and the single garden rose on the top tier, this is a crisp, sleek and sophisticated wedding cake.

Photography by Neil Hanson www.nordicpics.co.uk

Metallic and opulence: Metallic decoration can be seen in many ways, be it, metallic leaf, metallic lustre, metallic sequins or simple enhancements with a paintbrush and edible metallic paint. Here is a grand 5 tier cake with a metallic gold leaf tier. Metallic leaf can leave a distressed finish as it is very difficult to apply, but this is part of its charm. The cake was finished off with patches of intricate lace pipework and gorgeous sugar flowers.

Photography by Neil Hanson www.nordicpics.co.uk

Floral romance: Cake and flowers often go together, whether the flowers are real or if they are made from sugar. Here is a selection of recent floral wedding cakes showing how diverse each one can be.

Photography by Neil Hanson www.nordicpics.co.uk

The Pretty Cake Company offers a friendly, personal and bespoke wedding cake design service to produce breath taking wedding cakes that will be remembered for years to come. They produce wedding cakes that are individual to the bride and groom – always focusing on the attention to detail that makes all the difference. They have over 10 years of experience in designing and creating wedding cakes and work closely with numerous prestigious wedding venues in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and The Cotswolds. They will work with you and take your ideas and inspirations in order to create a truly memorable wedding cake. They pride ourselves on using the finest quality and freshest ingredients available.

Unlike many other cake companies, they now specialise only in wedding cakes, as this is their true passion. Now they are able to focus on keeping up to date with current bridal trends and ensuring that their clients receive expert advice in the wedding cake field.
Clients are guaranteed a friendly, efficient service where quality is never compromised. Consultations by appointment only. They are based in Minster Lovell, Witney, West Oxfordshire and can deliver to a wide area.

@Prettycakeco

@The-Pretty-Cake-Company-Witney-Oxfordshire

@theprettycakecompany

Inspiration: autumnal marsala & gold Wind in the Willows wedding

by Hanami Dream | 22, November, 2016 | blog, inspiration, styled shoots

Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside of the Cotswolds, this Wind in the Willows styled bridal shoot is an outdoor, autumnal adventure. Complete with vintage transport alongside a picturesque river, followed by a celebration in a grand hall dressed in marsala and gold, with chalk board and marble design features plus tactile fabrics like tweed, corduroy and suede. Planned and designed by Hanami Dream and wonderfully captured by Farrow Photography.

It is a true celebration of the beauty of nature and encapsulates the sense of an outdoors adventure as typified by the Wind in the Willows book by Kenneth Grahame. This is a chance to get away from the hectic, crowded city to a stunning and tranquil setting. Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger would be proud to attend this relaxed bohemian wedding.

The Old Swan and Minster Mill was a perfect location for this wedding where the bride and groom gazed at one another during their wedding ceremony whilst on the love seats under the Temple Garden. This had the amazing backdrop of a splendid willow tree draping it’s branches in to the River Windrush, flowing on it’s way to join the River Thames.

The couple moored their rowing boat by a disused boat house, explored the peaceful setting with treks down the river, over bridges, carefree on a tree swing and enjoyed a sumptuous, rustic picnic sat on a blanket with their hamper on the riverbank.

Mr Toad would have approved of the vintage Humber car (from British Classic Car Hire) to experience the open road before entering the Great Hall through a paper floral archway (by Paper Tree Design) to feast on a mouthwatering banquet.

Once inside the happy couple sat in pride of place at the top table, in front of an impressive fireplace with a mantelpiece adorned with swashes of forest green foliage (from Classic Flowers) and fairy lights. The table was luxurious and tactile complete with a suede cream table cloth, copious amounts of marsala coloured candles in gold candlesticks and geometric copper tea light holders (from Talking Tables). Gold beaded charger plates were topped with gold vintage crockery (from Vintage Gold China), marsala coloured silk napkins and a chalk board design menu card (by Paper Tree Design), besides gold vintage cutlery (from Vintage Gold China).

Guests found their places by referencing the chalk board style table plan and name cards (with guest names paying homage to the character names and table were named after chapters from the book by Paper Tree Design) and were given an opulent, marsala marbled soap as their fragrant favour (by Stonesfield Soap Company).

The top table was swathed in a striking floral table runner with a loose relaxed vibe containing lots of greenery along with burgundy dahlias, flowing amaranthus (mirroring the weeping willow tree outside), ranunculas, hypericum berries, snow berries, skimmia and bombastic roses. These flowers (from Classic Flowers) featured in the remarkable bouquet that the bride cradled, as well as in her loose braided hair (by Lucy Beesley Bridal), her corsage and the groom’s buttonhole.

These florals were beautiful replicated on the cake (by The Pretty Cake Company) which also combined other on trend themes such as marbling, metallic gold lustre, drip effects and a chalkboard tier, which was sympathetic to the stationery and a nod to the author of the book.

The gorgeous bride braved the cold autumnal weather, with a beautiful smile complete with marsala coloured lipstick (with makeup by Lucy Beesley Bridal) and perfectly fitted the romantic A line wedding gown with lace sleeves, sweeping net train and floral appliqued bodice by Watters (provided by Mae Bridal). She completed her look with a short veil (by Richard Designs) worn low below a delicate hair vine (by Miranda Templeton) and gold coloured Blake shoes (by Benjamin Adams).

Our handsome, bearded groom suited the countryside surroundings with the dapper tweed jacket and waistcoat, coupled with a checked shirt, marsala bow tie and plush red corduroy trousers that he wore (from Keates of Witney).

It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.

Take a look at the fabulous suppliers that were involved in this styled shoot – ‘Keeping it local with suppliers for the Wind in the Willows shoot’

And take a glimpse behind the scenes at the how the theme and designs came to life – Behind the scenes: Wind in the Willows shoot

#keepitlocal

: Photography by Farrow Photography

: Photography by Farrow Photography

Keeping it local with suppliers for the Wind in the Willows shoot

by Hanami Dream | 22, November, 2016 | blog, styled shoots

Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside of the Cotswolds, Hanami Dream’s Wind in the Willows styled bridal shoot is an outdoor, autumnal adventure. Complete with vintage transport alongside a picturesque river, followed by a celebration in a grand hall dressed in marsala and gold, with chalk board and marble design features.

It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.

Thanks to all these wonderful suppliers #keepitlocal

Location – Old Swan & Minster Mill

An enchanting blend of romantic riverside gardens and stunning wildflower meadows, traditional Cotswold stone buildings, superb fresh local food and outstanding service, the Old Swan & Minster Mill offers the ultimate wedding experience.

Enjoy a timeless atmosphere in this unique rural setting set across 60 acres of idyllic grounds that form a perfect backdrop for your wedding celebrations.

They can host a maximum of 50 guests for your formal ceremony in one of our true historic reception rooms or for the ultimate romantic ceremony why not get married in the riverside setting of the Garden Temple; licenced for outdoor ceremonies. Framed by the weeping willows, creeping roses or in Spring surrounded by thousands of early blooms, it is hard to think of a more bucolic location for your wedding ceremony.

For the celebration wedding breakfast that follows, move on to the Minster Room in the 600 year old, Old Swan. With its oak beamed ceilings and original Cotswold stone fireplace it provides the perfect setting for a relaxed and intimate celebration with family and friends.

The restored Malthouse provides an outstanding location and setting for your evening reception. Alongside the River Windrush and with stunning views of the wildflower meadows and rose gardens, enjoy a night of dancing and merriment in the newly refurbished barn (maximum of 80 guests).

For larger wedding parties, they can accommodate a marquee in our magical gardens.

@OldSwanMinster

oldswanminsterm

@OLDMINSTER

@oldswanandminstermill

Hair & Make up – Lucy Beesley Bridal

Bespoke wedding hair styling & make up artistry tailored to your individual style

@lucybeesleybridal

Bridal dress and accessories – Mae Bridal

Mae Bridal is a beautiful bridal boutique located in the Oxfordshire town of Witney, just 12 miles west of Oxford. A little haven filled with vintage elegance and timeless collections that will capture the heart of any bride.

Prepare to fall in love all over again in our appointment only designer boutique, with gorgeous gowns from a range of designers, as well as accessories and shoes that will ensure you are styled from head to toe.

Groom clothing – Keates of Witney

We are situated in the town of Witney on Market Square opposite the Butter Cross, and comprise of three floors, Keates Menswear, Men’s Hire-wear and Blossom Bridal.

We represent a landmark for quality and service and offer formal suits and accessories with a wide range of casual wear to suit all styles, taste, and occasions.

@blossombridal.co.uk

@blossom_bridal

Florist – Classic Flowers

At Classic Flowers, they offer fresh, quirky and innovative ideas for all occasions from Weddings to Funerals or just saying ‘With Love‘. Their fully qualified and talented team of floral designers can help turn your next occasion into a gorgeous floral affair.

@WitneyFlorist

@classic.witney

@classic_flowers_witney_

Cake – The Pretty Cake Company

@Prettycakeco

@The-Pretty-Cake-Company-Witney-Oxfordshire

@theprettycakecompany

Stationery (including paper floral arch) – Paper Tree Design

Paper Tree Design was created through a love of paper and a desire to produce beautiful and personal stationery and decorations. Thoughtfully designed, we focus on quality and attention to detail to make your stationery truly individual. With a background in Fashion and Textile Design, and 15 years experience in retail buying and product development Suzanne has a wealth of experience to draw on and is passionate about delivering design with little personal touches that reflect the clients loves and interests.

Living in rural Oxfordshire Suzanne cannot help but be inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the changing seasons, and can frequently be found in lanes and hedgerows with her camera and a sketchbook. Specialising in paper cutting, at Paper Tree Design we create your handcrafted wedding stationery to order. Choose to personalise a card from one of our ranges or commission a bespoke design. I am at my best working with your theme and ideas for a truly personal invitation and welcome you to come and have a chat and a cuppa in my Oxfordshire studio to discuss plans for your wedding.

@PaperTreeOxon

@Paper-Tree-Design

@papertreeoxon

Cutlery & Crockery – Vintage Gold China

We supply to events in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Avon and Wiltshire areas. For weddings, parties and events, contact us for your tailored quote.

@VintageGoldHire

@vintagegoldchina

Copper geometric tea light holders – Talking Tables

Essential Party supplies for any Occasion

Copper geometric tea light holders – sourced by Lark Rise Flowers

Lark Rise Flowers, are professionally qualified florists, based in the rolling countryside of North Oxfordshire. They provide flowers for weddings and events throughout Oxon, Bucks, Northants, and beyond.

Stock is sourced from the major flower markets, and if seasonally available from an expanding group of British growers. The Eco commitment continues with a policy of recycling waste packaging and surplus green material.

Sandra, the Proprietor, is happy to meet with you for personal consultations and site visits. She will work with your brief, budget, or theme, to create a unique day for you both.

The Lark Rise team have a wealth of experience, having provided many wedding flowers, and decorated most of the major wedding venues in the area. They take pride and care in their work, from the simplest buttonhole through to beautiful bridal bouquets and venue décor.

“Surrounded by nature – working with nature”

Favours – Stonesfield Soap Company

Stonesfield Soap Company is a small, family-run business based in in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. It started off as a hobby, following on from our daughter’s 9^th birthday party (a ‘spa science’ party, making bath fizzies, melt & pour soap etc), and as a concerned response to the huge number of unnecessary chemicals found in toiletries today. Since then, it has grown into a business driven by a passion for the manufacture of natural, artisan cold-process soap with an emphasis on design. The maxim that ‘beautiful skin deserves beautiful soap’ is at the forefront of what we do, with a firm belief that a good, natural soap should not only leave the skin feeling gently cleansed and perfectly conditioned but should also provide a positive visual experience, with the design of the soap playing an important role. The inclusion of various botanicals, clays, milks and a wide range of pure nutrient and essential oils, all carefully chosen for their individual properties, helps us create a very special soap indeed. We employ a strong ‘no palm oil’ policy and actively support a local conservation charity that works out in Sumatra. As well as soap, we are continually expanding our range of bath and skincare products, such as balms, bath bombs, salts and oils.

Transport – Angela Martin – British Classic Car Hire

A trip in a classic car provides a whole new experience in road travel. The smell of the leather seats, the lovely clunk of the solid door and the admiring smiles from those you pass; they provide a picturesque touch to your wedding day photos, and will make you feel like you are the stars of a vintage movie as you are driven to your wedding reception!

Every car in our fleet is an original, vintage vehicle, so by hiring one for your wedding, you’ll instantly become part of its history. A full chauffeur service is provided with each car hire and discounts are available if you wish to hire more than one.

The company is run by Angela Martin, a classic car enthusiast, and she is well equipped to advise you on which model will best suit your needs, and her enthusiasm is infectious! Whether you prefer the 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I or you are drawn to the retro style of the 1938 Daimler or 1935 Humber, all models are safe and comfortable to ride in.

Ribbons can be added in your preferred colour scheme and your chauffeur (usually Angela) is happy to stop off for a photo-shoot so if you have a favourite backdrop which you’d like to be photographed against, Angela is more than happy to oblige!

Whether or not you have a passion for cars, classic cars have a beauty about them that everyone can appreciate and as soon as you step aboard one, you won’t stop smiling. The whole experience is one that will stay with you forever, so its a perfect treat for such a special day.

If you would like to meet the cars, contact Angela on 01865 301701 or visit http://www.britishclassiccarhire.co.uk/ for more information.

@britishclassiccarhire

Take a look at a behind the scenes look at the briefs that were given to these fabulous suppliers and how the Wind in the Willows theme came to life with their designs and products.

Behind the scenes: Wind in the Willows shoot

by Hanami Dream | 22, November, 2016 | blog, styled shoots

I was really pleased to work with Farrow Photography on another styled shoot this autumn. We first joined forces in 2014 to bring to life some inspirational themes to show how you can enhance your milestone events. Following the success of our previous themed photo shoots, we collaborated once again to produce an amazing bridal styled shoot based around another well known story, The Wind in the Willows. It was also an honour to be able to showcase some amazing products from some fantastic local suppliers.

Theme
I choose the Wind in the Willows theme as it is another classic story with it’s roots firmly based in and around Oxfordshire. The book by Kenneth Grahame was written 108 years ago (published on 15th June 1908) and he took inspiration from the River Thames from his child hood and also from when he lived in Oxford when he was at school. In later life, he lived in Blewbury with his own family and The Wind in the Willows was based on stories that he used to tell to his son Alistair. It is even claimed that Mapeldurham was the vision for Toad Hall.

This book evokes such beautiful natural scenes of being beside the riverbank – a relaxing setting, which allows characters rustic picnics and peaceful treks down the river, all to contrast with hectic, crowded city life. Many cite that the book has a common theme of struggling with a sense of place. Whether it’s being comfortable with where you are or facing things that need to be changed.

For me, it typifies a sense of adventure and the great open road. So initially, I really wanted to focus on getting as many different modes of transport involved in this bridal shoot, including a rowing boat, a vintage car (poop poop!), a colourful old fashioned bow top caravan and even a barge, if possible.

There’s also a running theme of hospitality in the book, so I wanted to get across the feel of a decadent banquet in the Grand Hall as well as a sumptuous picnic.

I wanted to hint at the theme with slight nods to the book in place names, the table plan and on the cake. I certainly didn’t want to focus on the weasels at Toad Hall as their laughs and noises used to scare me when I listened to the cassette story as a child!

The final thing that I really wanted to capture was stunning, rich autumnal colours.

Styled shoot
A styled shoot takes almost as much time and effort to produce as a wedding day and entails bringing together the theme from many different suppliers.

This styled shoot is a collaboration of like minded people that can create great things together but perhaps don’t have the budgets to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently.

Brief
I am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the UK and am surrounded by some seriously talented wedding venues, professionals and suppliers. I was honoured that so many wanted to be involved in this shoot and they certainly didn’t disappoint with the products that they provided.

I gave them all the same brief that I was trying to achieve:

an outdoors adventure with vintage transport along the beautiful riverside, followed by celebrations in a grand hall dressed in marsala and tweed with chalk board signs

I also provided them with my collated vision and ideas on my Pinterest board.

The themes I wanted to encapsulate included:

Transportation
Autumn
Bo-ho / 1970s
Chalk board
Marbling
Greenery

I wanted to focus on the following autumnal colours:

Marsala (colour of the year in 2015 and still going strong)
Pale pink/coral (Rose Quartaz is one of the colours of the year in 2016 and I wanted to have a dress that wasn’t a traditional white dress)
Gold (using the current metallic trend along with copper and a welcome alternative to silver)
Tweed (casual men’s wear perfect for the country setting)
Forest Green (focusing on lots of greenery and foliage)

Designs
The creative suppliers worked wonders in transforming my overflowing pot of ideas and pairing it down in to realistic and achievable products for us to showcase.

Stationery designs – One of the first ideas for this shoot came from an image that I saw of a floral archway bursting with rich dark coloured flowers. Having spoken to Paper Tree Design about my vision, they were excited about making this floral arch from paper and card including lots of dark green foliage and some metallic and pearlised paper. The stationery had to synchronise up with lots of other elements such as the font and date of the wedding used on the invitation and cake, the flower illustrations used are ladies smock, wild rose and pink, and white campion, the menu used is a sample from the venue, plus the envelope liner was tweed inside a marsala coloured envelope.Then the theme came alive with the inclusion of the author and character names on the place cards (Mr Grahame, Mrs Grahame, Mr Toad, Mr Badger, Mr Mole, Mr Rat), and the seating plan had table names displayed on a chalk board which were named after the first 9 chapters of the book (1. The River Bank, 2. The Open Road, 3. The Wild Wood, 4. Mr Badger, 5. Dulce Domum, 6. Mr Toad, 7. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 8. Toad’s Adventures, 9. Wayfarers All).

Cake design – The Pretty Cake Company helped to combine a few ‘on trend’ themes for this photo shoot, whilst combining the floral themes too. Marble wedding cakes are a revived trend that are becoming very popular and combined with the ongoing popularity of metallic effects, this shoot was perfect to experiment with both. The top and bottom tier were covered using a hand mixed grey marbled sugarpaste. The top tier had a subtle splattering of edible gold lustre paint and the bottom tier had the gold drip effect which looked like it poured from the second gold lustred tier. The chalkboard effect on the third tier was sympathetic to the stationery used and with a nod to Kenneth Grahame whose book ‘The Wind in The Willows’ inspired this shoot. The cake was finished with a selection of arrangements of sugar flowers such as burgundy dahlias, coral ranunculus, sweet avalanche roses, snowberries and green viburnum.

Flowers – Classic Flowers really went to town with my brief of having loose and flowing displays along with the colour themes running throughout the shoot. The green amaranthus especially in the bouquet worked in beautiful harmony with the weeping willow at the venue.Here are the flowers that were used in the shoot:
- Brides bouquet – Mustard roses, Astrantia, Green and Coral Hypericum, Bombastic spray roses, Green Amaranthus, Burgundy Dahlia, Skimmia, flowering eucalyptus, ivy and fatsia leaves.
- Buttonhole – Mustard rose, Bombastic spray roses, Burgundy Dahlia, Green and coral hypericum, flowering eucalyptus and skimmia leaves.
- Table arrangement – flowers as brides bouquet PLUS green orchids and soft ruscus.
- Swag on fireplace – Flowering eucalyptus, ivy, skimmia and soft ruscus.
- Temple – Peach roses
- Love Seat – ivy, flowering eucalyptus and skimmia

Despite getting stuck in Calais (due to the migrant camp closing), the flowers thankfully made their way from the Dutch supplier in time for the shoot!

Soap favours – the beautiful Marsala Peacock soap favours were an equistite addition to the beautifully laid tablescape in the banquet scene. Stonesfield Soap Company were amazing at making these bespoke soaps to match the colour theme of the shoot and they added a great aroma to the room whilst we were shooting! They are all made by hand and these images give an idea of the amount of processes that go in to making these favours. Here are the ingredients of the soaps that were used on this shoot:
- Oils used: olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, shea butter (raw), rapeseed oil (UK cold-pressed), cocoa butter
- Essential oil blend: Lavender, mandarin, patchouli
- Other inclusions: goat milk yogurt, tapioca starch, kaolin clay

Suppliers
I couldn’t have been happier (and luckily) with the products that all the suppliers produced and provided.

Venue – I picked the Old Swan and Minster Mill based on it’s riverside location and it’s glorious weeping willow tree. How fortuitous that we also discovered that they had an old disused boat house and moored rowing boat that just so happened to be painted in red to match our theme perfectly! Also the chairs in the dining room were also a perfect colour match. It seemed like fate to bring the venue and colour palettes together in one amazing venue.
Hair – I was incredibily pleased that Lucy Beesley Bridal were available to do the bride’s hair and make up for this shoot. She actually did my hair at my own wedding 5 years – surely you can’t get a better recommendation! She brilliantly included the colour theme in the marsala lipstick and green/black eye liner and ensured the braided hair followed the loose and flowing themes.
Dress – Originally, I really wanted to use a non-white dress for this shoot – like a pale pink or coral colour. Plus I wanted to get away from the strapless dresses we see all too often. So I briefed Mae Bridal that I wanted to use something that covered the shoulders (which I think our cold bride was appreciative on the day!) and that had embroidery on it. The Watters Amelia dress hit the brief bang on with a nude coloured under skirt, amazing embroidered back and sleeves, plus a nice bo-ho vibe to fit in with the laid back theme.
Menswear – Keates of Witney provided a brilliant tweed jacket and waistcoat with pops of red to bring together the bow tie, cords and red of the checked shirt. Our groom looked like a proper country gent!
Cutlery – I wanted to get away from all the silver cutlery adorning tables and push towards the mixed metallic trends that are appearing. I was also really keen to use local suppliers for this shoot and searched extensively for gold cutlery. I was delighted to find the Vintage Gold China whilst networking on a wedding Twitter hour one night. They seem to be the only supplier locally to have an extensive selection of modern and traditional styled gold cutlery as well as crockery to hire. Plus they were a font of knowledge and extremely happy to help with my quest for finding marsala coloured candles to go in their lovely selection of gold coloured candlesticks. Even after a tiring night washing up the products from the night before, they turned up with such enthusiasm and encouragement that it was a delight to have them involved in the shoot.
Tea light holders – Another trend I wanted to include an element of geometric terrariums or candle holders. Just by chance, I was talking to Larkrise Flowers at the Cogges Wedding Open Day about my search and they were able to very kindly source some brilliant geometric copper candle holders from Talking Tables on my behalf.
Car – The shoot’s main inspiration was always about different modes of transport, so it wouldn’t have been complete without the stunning Humber from British Classic Car Hire. And a stroke of luck that the interior of ‘Hester’ was a luxurious marsala coloured leather – it was meant to be! ‘Hester’ is stunning in Black and White, with her beautiful, almost Art Deco lines, lots of chrome detailing and huge headlights, Hester turns heads wherever she goes. A comfortable ride, sliding sun-roof and lovely drop down tables in the rear, she’s a real beauty.
Models – And lastly the shoot was brought beautifully to life by the stunning models. I advertised for waves and beards and was so pleased that Jess and Henry were not only able to play our bride and groom but fitted the bill perfectly (his beard was so well coiffured!) They are a real life couple and this really showed in the way that they interacted and came across on camera. Not yet married, but very much in love, they were just right as the happy couple (even if it was a fake wedding!) I, for one, can’t wait to hear if playing the parts has sown any seeds and I look forward to hearing any engagement news in due course!