Chloe & Rob - Wedding at Grovefield House Hotel

We were delighted to get the opportunity to photograph Chloe & Rob’s Wedding Day at Grovefield House Hotel. 

The seven acres of rural parkland and Edwardian country house provided us with plenty of opportunity to capture the country feel of the day, and with a little help from the weather photograph Chloe and Rob with their guests enjoying the early summer sunshine.

We’ll be uploading Chloe & Rob’s Wedding Story to our website soon, but until then here are a few of our favourites from the day.

Be Inspired – Coastal Summer Wedding Theme

Even though our small little cottage in Buckinghamshire is land locked. I have a love of the sea and the costal lifestyle. The interior inspiration for our cottage has been Beach House in The Hamptons, sophisticated, costal chic with cool white walls, white washed wood panelling and luxurious natural textures and accessories to bring warmth and comfort.

With this in mind I wanted to share my passion and inspire brides and grooms who share my love of the coast and show how this look can beautifully translate into a stunning theme for a wedding.

The beach creates a wonderful backdrop for a wedding, but whether your taking your vows with the sound of crashing waves in earshot or just lust for that peaceful beach house lifestyle, you can bring the close to costal nature look to your wedding. Applying lots of brilliant whites through fabrics and muslins while mixing it with sophisticated colour hues of taupe, cool blues and hints of sand will frame this theme.

http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/173244

http://www.favorstudio.com/mini-lanterns-with-hanger.aspx

http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/163984

http://www.coast-stores.com/TRUDY-PLEAT-MAXI-DRESS/Dresses/coast/fcp-product/2224710106

You can really complete the costal style at your wedding, look at incorporating undertones of natural textures and fabrics. Linens, cottons, drift wood, wool and rustic string to accompany table decorations, favours and bouquet and flower ties will set this look off beautifully.

www.theweddingofmydreams.co.uk

www.casasugar.com

I’ll be back soon with my take on other popular themes and styles.

Sarah 

Chloe & Rob's Engagement Shoot

We met Chloe and Rob again today at Grovefield House Hotel. They’ll be exchanging their vows in front of eighty five of their nearest and dearest there next month.

Grovefield House Hotel is an Edwardian country house set within seven acres of English parkland. This lovely rural retreat is set between Marlow, Maidenhead and Beaconsfield and has no shortage of opportunities to take the photographs that will create a unique storybook album of Chloe and Rob’s Wedding Day.

As well as discussing how their day will unfold we took the time to photograph Chloe and Rob afterwards, when just as they came to realise that all the impending excitement of their wedding day is now really just around the corner. This reflected in their faces as we photographed within the grounds.

 

We love meeting our couples at the venue shortly before the big day as we get to hear all about the style and planning decisions they have made since we first met. It gives us a real visual sense of how the venue will look on the day as well as generating concepts that will let us capture their personalities within our photography.

Lastly, we’d just like to thanks Chloe & Rob for selecting us to be their wedding photographers. See you in May.

Summer Wedding Dress Trends for 2011

Summer is on its way so what should the summer bride be wearing for 2011?

Here are the trends I think our beautiful brides will be wearing this summer. Photographing our brides this summer is going to be so much fun!

The 50’s revival has hit the wedding catwalks this year, with a modern twist. The silhouette is the same but it has a far more sophisticated edge. Prom style skirts, flirty tea and knee length dresses, bring the hem lines up for summer 2011 and look amazing! These dresses are fresh, new and elegant, girlie and pretty. I love this dress by Justine Alexander; it is just so cute, perfect for a relaxed, fun, summer wedding.

Justin Alexander 8555 bridal gown

Fishtail hem lines are a definite must for the on trend bride this summer 2011. From sophisticated chic to pretty fairy-tale gowns, the fishtail looks sublime! Moving away from the 80’s fishtail style we have seen in the past, this summer 2011; it looks clean and modern; with sweeping hemlines these dresses look beautiful.

Jasmine Bridal F466 wedding dress

The strongest trend for this summer is texture. Think about alternatives to the traditional lace. Summer 2011 is about Appliqué, ruffles, folds and layering. These soft textures floated down the runway and will make any bride look like she is walking on air. The volume and movement in these stunning gowns look modern and exciting, ideal for a summer wedding and perfect for a bride looking to be an English rose on her wedding day.

Elizabeth Stuart cherry blossom bridal gown

The little white dress! If you have a perfect pair of pins then, bring back the 60’s in your choice of wedding gown for this summer 2011. The mini is back. The simple little white dress is perfectly formed and mixed with this season’s strongest trend of texture it looks completely new.  Chic in style, these dresses are not only perfect for a wedding abroad or for a show stopping city wedding. “So sweet”

Jenny Packham and Melissa Sweetʼs Reverie. 

I hope this short guide to my hottest trends for summer 2011, helps all you brides out there who still have to purchase that all important gown! I will be back soon with my up-to-the minute tips on autumn bridal wear...I look forward to your ideas and thoughts!

Sarah x

Beautiful Bouquets for 2011

The bridal bouquet has a weird and wonderful history. Ancient pagan union rituals saw the bride carry aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs and spices to repel any evil spirits from the ceremony, whereas brides of ancient Greece were draped in floral garlands to symbolise new life, hope and fertility. These days there is now no shortage of varieties, colours and creative floristry styles which means that your bouquet is only limited by the expanse of your tasteful imagination.

The bouquet you carry with your dress is an important decision to make. Not only will all eyes will be on you…but the eyes of all your female guests will also notice your bouquet. So make sure that your bouquet is one that dazzles and also inspires any future brides in the congregation.

Romantic vintage and slightly cascading bouquets are seeing a renascence this year, with natural greens coming to the fore.

www.floretflowers.com

The trend of utilising the same flower in large hand tied bouquets is set to continue into 2011.The opulent look continues to be timeless and very distinctive.

Marks Phillips Photography

You won’t need to blow that floristry budget either. You can go all out and pick your favourite flower for your bouquet and choose different flowers and styles for the tables or vases that tie in with your colour theme.

That brings me on to the fanciful boho trend of using imaginative vases or containers for your table flowers that we’ll see lots of in 2011. Let your tables stand out from the crowd by using unusual containers like retro floral teapots, decorative hatboxes, vintage enamel milk jugs or rustic utility jars.

www.fiftiesweding.co.uk

Marks Phillips Photography

Well that’s our take on this years floral looks, but let us know what you’re planning…or at least thinking about!!

We've Seen - We've Loved...Pembrey Country Park

This week we've taken our eyes away from wedding trends for a well deserved break.

Gareth and I have just got back from an amazing weekend in South Wales, visiting family.

Living in land locked Buckinghamshire any visit to Wales will always mean that we take in some sea air. One of our favourite and most memorable places is Pembrey Country Park, located in the heart of Carmarthenshire. When the sun is shining, there are fewer places in the world we would rather be than strolling along the eight miles of Blue Flag Award winning Cefn Sidan beach which separates the Irish Sea from the 500 acres of woodland of the Country Park itself.

As it was the first time we'd seen the sun in some months we spent hours walking along the golden sands, with only a few dog walkers to be seen, feeling like we had the whole beach to ourselves for most of the day.

As the sun started to cast our shadows ever longer we started the long walk back to the car, collecting razor fish shells, drift wood and pine cones for some seasonal decoration around our cottage. 

As the tide came in the birds started to take low flight around the fishermen who looked ready for a relaxing evening on the shoreline.

A great day with the sun on my face which has breathed new life into me and fed my soul.....

Ok, so we may have taken one eye off the trends.... But no trip back west is complete without a visit to Llandeilo which has a couple of shops we simply can't pass by. One of these is 365 Interiors never fails to offer something new…and when I say new, I mean lovingly restored or old but well taken care of. This time we picked up a Beaujolais bucket.

And now we are back to the day job with the awakening spirit of spring all around us. I’ll be spending some time looking at the colour predictions for this summer and taking some time to give you some ideas and inspiration.

We've Seen - We've Loved

We’ve Seen, We’ve loved ……………………in February

All that glitters………with the 70’s revival hitting the catwalks and high streets this spring / summer we see return of gold. Not just the colour that shines but also in a sophisticated matt form.  Silver has been the precious colour of choice for such a long time, it’s beautiful to see the warm hues of gold return.

Gold jewellery may not be to your taste, however mixing small elements of gold to this season’ vivid colours such as honeysuckle, raspberry and cobalt give a fresh edge to any theme or look. For true inspiration for these colour combinations, think Bollywood Glamour.

If bright colours are not your style pale gold and antique gold look stunning with the softer tones of the season, pale greys, dusky  pinks and  dreamy blues look fantastic with antique gold giving a very vintage feel, which is still so “now” for a truly elegant wedding.

The ultimate colour combination for this spring though must be gold, navy and white with touches of red. This is a truly strong, clean, modern and sophisticated colour palette. It’s completely unique and I adore it! 

image credits:- 
Top - French Connection / French Connection 
Middle - Carvella by Kurt Geiger / Saidosdaconcha.blogspot.com
Bottom - 100layercake.com / thebridescafe.com