Back in January we featured a gorgeous bohemian inspired country wedding shoot by Abi Gray and Camilla Felgate that we loved for its laid back bridal styling, gorgeous country setting and hot smoldering man! Well, I am pleased to say that the ladies have got together for a second time to collaborate on another bridal shoot that still has the country wedding feel that we know and love at Festival Brides but with the addition of some modern elegance and glamour!

Camilla tells us all about it...........

This styled shoot was all about low maintenance elegance. The main idea behind the styling was to have a modern take on vintage bridal fashion. We wanted to put together an inspirational shoot that would promote a relaxed, laid back vibe but without compromising on the chic and glamorous styling of the bride. After getting a great team of local creatives & gorgeous models together we started planning. Living in the countryside on the Norfolk/Suffolk border always means you are spoilt for countryside locations. We shot in a local location; a park land complete with streams, bridges, and lots of snowdrops scattered underneath the mini woodland which all made for the prettiest shoot setting. The second part of the shoot was shot in my own garden to change it up a little, along with the change in wardrobe! Flowers were provided by Julia from Darling Buds who did an incredible job putting together some beautiful floral arrangements, all of which suited the English countryside vibe perfectly. She used two sets of cottage garden flowers for the bouquets. The first was made from softer shades and the second series of bouquets had a more vibrant look with pops of bold yellows, red and blues adding some energy to the softer looks. These were then teamed with vintage lace around the stems. The overall look was wonderful. The cakes were designed and made by Laura from Grix Cake Company. Two cake creations were made, the first being the three tier cake. This was made using contemporary techniques but was inspired by the decadent interior design of the 1940′s. This was illustrated through the brushed gold beaded piping and pale lemon eucalyptus. Laura worked with the inspiration of shooting in an outdoor environment for the second cake. She created a fun design by making a flower pot 'Cupcake BouquetThe girls were styled by Abi Gray who has a history of pulling fabulous bridal looks together. It was Abi's idea originally to do something Old Hollywood with a country twist. I'd never thought about shooting a styled shoot along these lines before as I am always drawn to bohemian focused styling but once she had planted the seed I was keen to do something different. We decided to step away from the all white and very neat pristine looks which I associate with old Hollywood. Instead, Abi delivered pieces that promoted 'low maintenance elegance' but still had a timeless nod to the 20s & 40s. Vintage dresses were used from the 1920′s and 1940′s and styled in a way which makes them just as fashionable for a 21st century wedding. The first dress, worn by the Bride, was a 1940′s style from Back in Time Vintage and Retro in Norwich. The second Bride's dress came from Leah of The Lingerie Parlour. Our groom wears a classic grey suit with a quirky twist by adding a vintage scarf instead of a traditional tie and a beautiful button hole. We had a fabulous team on Hair and Make up. Jessica Statham was on make up duties and her main aim was to create a subtle but sensual Smokey eyed look by using light browns, bronzed and amber eye shadows partnered with winged eyeliner for that vintage throwback look. She kept the face fresh with a simple light foundation and a flush light pink blusher which together gave that porcelain flawless finish. Jess decided to keep the lips natural to begin with using a pink lip liner to perfect the shape & outline, finishing with a coating of nude lipstick. The Brides hair was styled by Poppy from Beau Hair Salon in Norwich. Her hair was made into a messy take on the 1920's bob. A faux bob was created as our bride Ieva actually had long locks. To do this, Poppy brushed out her hair and then folded and curled it underneath itself, securing it with bobby pins to create the illusion of shorter hair. As the shoot progressed with the change of outfits and flower arrangements, a strong red lip was added bringing a more obvious vintage pop to the look. ' that was visually creative, unusual and modern but still functioned as an edible cake. For this cake she kept the tones muted so it maintained the 1940′s feel of the first cake but with a modern twist. She used dusk orange and grape violet toned iced cupcakes which were placed in a plant pot and intertwined with real leaves. The result was striking - in fact it looked so real that we managed to fool a few people!

Photography: Camilla Andrea Photography
Wardrobe Styling: Abi Gray
Flowers: Darling Buds
Cakes: Grix Cake Company
Make up: Jessica Statham
Hair: Poppy @ Beau Hair Salon Norwich
Models - Ieva, Ollie, Maddie and Immy