Autumn Inspired Weddings

The ever changing British seasons are always such an inspiration to me. Not only with Wedding Photography but nature photography too! My instagram feed is just full of scenes that make me happy (@sarahbrookesphotography)!

As the year draws to an end, the light gets increasingly intense and can create some wonderful images. This inspiration shoot took place on 22nd October in Northamptonshire and this really was the last of the golden leaves and the following week the trees were nearly bare!

The beautiful Hayley wearing a By Catriona wedding gown supplied by the wonderful Jo at Woburn Bridal .

Flowers by Becky of Florae Foray who provided her beautiful flower arch for the shoot. No matter where you get married, an eye catching structure like this can really add to the wonderment of your special day. Think of the couple shots that can be achieved standing underneath your favourite flowers!

As photographer who has been to many weddings, I always love when there something interactive for the guests and this flower arch would make for a perfect selfie area! At this point there is usually lots of opportunity for me to capture those naturally happy guest shots.

Read on for even more inspiration…..

The dress…..the one……

The By Catriona ‘Athena’ dress is made of flowing satin with a striking silhouette and dramatic train. Cut on the bias this flattering gown can be worn on its own or paired with your choice of jacket allowing every bride to personalise their wedding day look. The champagne colour of ‘Athena’ looks gorgeous with lace, beading or knitwear. For the shoot we chose a By Catriona soft lace jacket and faux fur cape perfect for an Autumn wedding. The dress can be made in ivory and worn with a full length train for a more classic bridal look.

Flower thoughts……

Sarah, our photographer had some beautiful hydrangeas growing and was kind enough to pick them for the shoot. The time of year is perfect for Hydrangeas, just when they are reaching the end of their life, have deepenedin colour and are beginning to dry and turn, just as Autumn leaves do, theyprovided the beautiful base colour palate of red, russet and gold and very little more was needed. The bouquet was a simple handtied design of Hydrangea with a collar of mimosa foliage and tied with a burgundy redribbon and really complimented the nude gold fabric of the bridal gown. I also created a simple floral crown for our model Hayley, of the Hydrangea, Crab apples, a lovely copper coloured Santini Chrysanthemum (not normally a favourite of mine but just a perfect soft copper colour.) a gorgeous little two tones spray rose and Cotinus foliage.

The floral frame for the shoot was created using our lovely rustic Hazel
Arch which was decorated with further tonal Hydrangeas, Red Amaranthus, and
Malus (Crab apples). Foliage wise we added a combination of the grey mimosa,
ferns and beautiful beech with leaves just beginning to turn to a lovely
golden shade for a lovely textural look. The design was intended to both
stand out as a feature but also blend into the beautiful wooded backdrop
with tree canopy, fallen leaves and bracken.

The hair…….by Morna of Wedlock- wedding and occasion hair

The inspiration for the hair started with the dress. I wanted to echo the soft flowing lines of the By Catriona gown by keeping a softness in the hair, opting for a loose and natural style. Rather than anything too polished, I created an almost dishevelled texture to the hair, adding to the romance of the overall look. That sort of perfectly undone look is a great way for brides to feel themselves on the day and not waste time worrying about having a hair out of place.

The autumnal setting also suited a wispy and windswept look perfectly.

Oh the purples……

For the  second bouquet I wanted to achieve a contemporary editorial look,
keeping the colours soft and in tone with the dress, capturing the change of
seasons, but at the same time create a bouquet that a bride might
realistically carry, also, as our shoot was bought together over a very
short time period in what was a very busy week I wanted to make use of
flowers I had readily available in the workshop.  To achieve this I used
Salix Tortuosa, Amnesia Roses, Silver Lace Spray roses, Hydrangea, Coral
Fern, Mimosa Foliage, Delphiniums and Cotinus foliage with complimentary
trailing ribbons and I have to say was thrilled with the results.

On a personal note I have to say Sarah and Jo are the perfect team to work
with and our model Hayley an absolute star, the shoot was an absolute
pleasure to be involved in.

Thank you to our incredible model Hayley