A Llama Piñata, Cacti Centrepieces & A Violet Wedding Dress

I did this wedding styled shoot almost a year ago at a wedding suppliers business retreat in Feb 2018 as part of the London Wedding Breakfast Club. We managed to get it published on Way Out Wedding and selected details have also been featured in some editorials, and now the sharing embargo has finally been lifted with the press I wanted to share here too as an inspiration shoot.

Wedding suppliers will often organise what we call ‘styled shoots’ or ‘inspiration shoots’ like this in order to explore ideas and current trends. We set up shoot up like a mock wedding so we can get creative and try out things that obviously wouldn’t be possible for us to do on a real wedding day. For planners and stylists, this could be organising a shoot around a specific theme or at a venue they’ve never worked at before. For photographers, it may be getting the chance to experiment with posing, or different lights and compositions.

With so many wedding industry suppliers attending the retreat (see full list below), we were all keen to make the most of it by organising a mass styled shoot where we could all get our creative juices going and collaborate with all our different skills and ideas. That alone was going to be a challenge creatively, with so many different suppliers (often more than one per category) with so many different styles and visions! But that was all part of the fun…!

As the two planners at the retreat, myself and Cherelle from Perfectly Planned 4 You took the lead with Lex from Fleming Photo, who hosts the London Wedding Breakfast Club. Collectively as 25 suppliers on the retreat, we set up this mock wedding in one day and tried to combine elements and ideas from every supplier. The combination definitely made the shoot quite different to anything any of us had ever done before!

While this focuses on last year’s Pantone colour of the year (ultra violet), there are lots of elements which still make relevant and lust worthy pinning today…! My favourite parts of the shoot (which I still see trending for this year and next), are the eucalyptus runners, cacti centrepieces, and llama pinata.

Ultra Violet Rock n Roll Shoot with a Llama Pinata & Cacti Centrepieces, at Sparkford Hall

Shoot Details:

Colours:Ultra violet, lux purple tones, accents of grey, silver, and greenery
Mood: Alternative bride at beautiful more classic venue = opposites.

Concept:

High end rock n roll with elements of the 2018 pantone colour of the year (ultra violet)
Think subtle lux purple tones with accents of grey, silver and greenery
Lots of planted cacti to replace the succulent trend of the last few years + lavender touches
Cut off JD/whisky bottles with plants and candles in
Lots of greenery as table runners
Bride will be wearing separates in tulle/lace/purple tones
Bridesmaids wearing mix + match Asos: leather jackets + tulle skirts
Sweetie llama piñata – colourful lama vibe
Afterparty featuring cool ‘afterparty’ couple shots + balloon ceiling

CONTACTS AND SUPPLIERS

Venue: Sparkford Hall
Planners: @devinebride 💁🏼‍♀️ | Perfectly Planned 4 You
Photographers: Chloe Lee Photography | Joanna Bongard Photography | Kirsty Mackenzie Photography | Fleming Photo | Louise Adby Photography | Remain in Light Photography | Matt Badenoch Photography | Nadia Meli Photography | Tell Your Story Photography | Paola De Paola Photography | Sophie Lake Photography | Will Patrick Wedding Photography
Videographer: Confetti & Silk Videographers
Dressmakers: Felicity Westmacott | Rose Joyce Design
Milliner: Beverley Edmondson Millinery | Melanie MacCormack
Hair and Make Up: Ann-Marie Lawson
Barn Flowers: Tricia Noelle Ltd
Cake Makers: Maid of Gingerbread | Malarkey Cakes
Caterers: Sainlo Events
Stationery: London Wedding Stationery