Inspiration Shoot At An English Country Manor That Gives The Royal Weddings A Run For Their Money

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This whimsical inspiration shoot is giving us major fairytale vibes! Draped in crawling vines in vibrant shades of orange and green, this manor in the English countryside is the perfect backdrop for this dapper couple and this timeless wedding design. The sun gods must have smiled on this shoot because for a notoriously stormy locale, this shoot is drenched in the most beautiful natural light. With a historic ceremony venue worthy of a royal wedding, we're off to a great start. An entirely neutral color palette ensures that the venue and the couple are the focal points of this celebration, and when they look this good, why shouldn't they be? If Princess Kate is your style icon, this shoot is for you!

These bright and beautiful photos are the work of Sara Cooper. Tigerlily Weddings planned this timeless wedding inspiration and Blooming Haus created the magical floral arrangements you'll see throughout. White Villa was there to film as this inspiration came to life at the manor at St. Audrie's Park. All the images are in the full gallery, so be sure to click through and read on to hear more from Michal Kowalski of Blooming Haus about how all of the elements came together to create this incredible inspiration shoot.

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A MANOR IN THE COUNTRY

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On a crisp autumn morning, Raven and Vladir took to the Church at St. Audrie's; a stunning stately home venue in Somerset that boasts the elegance of countryside refinement combined with clifftop views. The sprawling venue offers everything from grand staterooms, a crisp white orangery, and even a croquet lawn (perfect when accompanied with a glass of Pimm’s). St. Audrie's Park is a family-owned and operated business with over 30 years of experience in making wedding dreams come true! Set within 100 acres of scenic tranquil Deer Park, St. Audrie's Park is a short drive from the pretty village of Williton, located close to Bristol, Taunton, and the South West. A winding driveway through serene parkland leads you to the dramatic gothic entrance of the private manor house, where panoramic views stretch across the rolling Quantock Hills and as far as the Bristol Channel.

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The golden aisle in the victorian orangery provides the perfect setting for a ceremony. St Etheldreda's Church is also available for religious ceremonies. The Banquet Hall at St. Audrie's Park can seat up to 130 guests for a true fine-dining experience overlooking the rose garden and deer park beyond. The Great Hall gives a magical, Harry Potter, style welcome with a double-height vaulted ceiling, an enormous feature fireplace, and a minstrels’ gallery. Guests can enjoy this space throughout the day and relax on sofas. By the evening it may well be the area to hold your reception and dance the night away. The Library houses the ornate solid oak, hand-carved dining table whilst the gilded Drawing Room has its own baby grand piano, as well as a famous ornate ceiling known as the ‘Burst of Angels.’ Couples often choose to display their wedding cake in the bay window, with the Orangery visible across the lawn behind. There are two bars in the Main House, the Cocktail Bar, and the Champagne Bar which also has an adjacent Disco Room for receptions. The LED starlight dance floor and DJ are included.

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STYLING & CONCEPT

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In terms of design, we wanted to marry the narrative of modern luxe and fine art, providing inspiration for how intimate wedding gatherings can be just as spectacular as we enter 2021. Our color palette was predominantly white with touches of oat, garden green, blush, and gold accents. It was really important for the overall feeling to be soft and effortlessly blend with the natural surroundings.

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Within the design, we wanted to embrace fine art, while adding touches that mirror the restraint of modern minimalism. The focus of the table design was to create the perfect balance between modern luxe with a wild edge within our styling. The dining table was dressed with soft silks, tapered candles, the finest dinnerware, and crystal glassware. The table was adorned with two large flanks of florals by Blooming Haus, which showered the table with the most magnificent scent. As shown below, we wanted the table design to feel magical and refined.

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Throughout the rest of the shoot design, we had a luxurious dessert table with delectable delights to tease even the most self-disciplined. Overall, the looks created are perfect for couples seeking a clean aesthetic with slightly wild touches; a look that will ultimately stand the test of time.

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We were lucky to have an amazing team of creatives and artisans who helped create the vision, with a stunning blend of florals, fashion, and accessories. On a final note, it’s been a pleasure to celebrate some of the amazing artists within our industry from shoe designers to milliners, and accessory and gown designers, including Bowen Dryden, Lee Grebenau, Freya Rose, Sophia Webster, Victoria Percival, and Deco Love.

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Tone-on-tone in all shades of white and cream was the leading color scheme for all the floral designs, including the bouquets as well as installations, which featured dried amaranthus, Lunaria, roses, and old-school gerberas, which we are so fond of! The results speak to modernism, surprise, and have a note of mystery; they are characteristic of our style. After all, being playful and thinking outside the box is what we are known for!

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SWEET SELECTIONS

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A decadent dessert table not only has to be inviting for the guests but has to look equally beautiful. We focused on creating a table that was covered in dreamy and delicious, sweet treats like a selection of small tiered cakes that had delicately hand-piped royal iced details and were adorned with individually handcrafted delicate sugar flowers, macarons, and cupcakes. Although the cakes were mostly white, we infused a little hint of lilac and blush here and there to reflect the bridal dresses in this shoot. Working on sugar flowers is a lengthy process, which is something many people do not realize. For example, the sugar peonies on the miniature cakes can take up to 3 hours per peony.

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We start by preparing the flower center, which is quite fiddly and time-consuming, before moving on to making the petals. Each petal is prepared individually, which involves rolling out the flower paste very thinly, cutting, veining, sculpting, drying, assembling, and finally coloring. We like to create sugar flowers that are life-like, which means we spend more time working on individual flowers. In line with the current intimate wedding trend, we kept all the cakes small, stylish, and pretty. The overall look is dreamy and romantic to complement the fresh floral designs created by Blooming Haus.

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A FRESH TAKE ON HAIR AND MAKEUP

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The hair and makeup for this shoot at St Audrie’s incorporated everything from stripped-back bridal looks to full glamour and sophistication. We wanted to provide something for everyone, with plenty of inspiration in regards to hair and makeup for any bride-to-be. It was important that the bridal hair and makeup looks complemented the styling and accessories, with a level of elevation as we progressed through each look. As a result, we graduated from pared-down, editorial-inspired makeup and natural hair, to a contemporary updo and soft bridal glam. This was followed by smoky, dramatic makeup, alongside Bowen Dryden’s suit ensemble to bring a statement feel and inspire a modern bride. We ended with glossy Hollywood waves and the ultimate glam red lip, for evening sophistication and opulence against the firework backdrop.

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