A WINTERS TALE
BRIDAL PHOTOSHOOT LINCOLNSHIRE
This shoot represents every single word of encouragement I’ve received, showing what can be created by having confidence in your ideas.
It was important to me that our shoot took place at Healing Manor, the venue that will host the first Lincolnshire Wedding Fair. I still remember my first meeting with Charlotte Hay, the Managing Director at Healing Manor. I was full of ideas, but it can be daunting to share them with someone for the first time. Charlotte didn’t just listen, she embraced the vision and ran with it. From that moment, the Lincolnshire Wedding Fair began to take shape.
I left the meeting feeling completely inspired and with a new sense of confidence, which I needed to promote the Fair to suppliers across the industry. I’ve learned quickly that you can present your ideas to a room of 100 people, but you only need one person to believe in you.
My goal was to create a photo shoot to help promote the Fairs and incorporate as many exhibiting suppliers as I could, but also encourage collaboration between businesses that may not have previously worked together.
My first port of call was Lincs Weddings member Holly Bryan Photography. I’ve followed Holly’s work from the very beginning, watching her progress from family portraits to engagements and weddings. This shoot was the perfect opportunity to showcase how far she has come in the last year. Holly had such a clear vision for the day that she naturally took on the roles of stylist and photographer. It’s no mean feat to take on such big responsibilities within a shoot, but Holly excelled at both, and I couldn’t be prouder of her work.
Holly was supported in the styling by florist Sarah Wyatt of Treasured Bouquets. Sarah’s attention to detail is incredible, and she has a real talent for sticking to a brief while creating something beyond expectations. For the shoot, she designed a wild-style bridal bouquet and matching flower crown using deep burgundy, plum, and blue flowers. She added mixed foliage, pine cones, berries, pampas blooms, and a touch of gold. The hand-tied bouquet was finished with beautiful floating hand-dyed silk ribbons.
A table centrepiece, a tall floral arrangement, and foliage detailing on the napkins and chair signs completed the look.
Meet our model, Megan Battersby. Holly and I couldn’t recommend her highly enough. Not only is Megan incredibly beautiful, but she is also a pleasure to work with both on and off set. She was called upon at a moment’s notice more than once, and she always delivered. I can’t wait to see where her modelling career takes her — the sky’s the limit!
Makeup was created by the very talented Kate Atkinson Makeup Artist. Kate’s work speaks for itself. Megan looked stunning, and her makeup lasted the entire day. But Kate did more than just create beautiful makeup; she also helped set the tone for the whole shoot. She put everyone at ease by starting conversations and building a rapport with each supplier. Having Kate with you on the morning of your wedding day will help your nerves melt away.
The lovely Natalie George Atelier, a Lincs Weddings member, took over the reins with hair. Natalie worked tirelessly to create not one, but two beautiful and timeless hairstyles under tight deadlines. Most notably, she was a fantastic team player, working closely with me and Victory Designs. They trusted Natalie implicitly to create a style that would enhance the customised headpiece.
Proposals Bridal Room, situated in the exclusive Abbeygate of Grimsby, kindly allowed Lincolnshire Weddings to borrow the most beautiful gown by Ronald Joyce, called Naomi. This showstopper was a tulle and soft satin fishtail wedding dress with all-over lace detailing, a high neckline, and an illusion back, and it fitted perfectly with our theme. Proposals were a brilliant addition to the team.
Victory Design’s headpiece completely took my breath away. Di paid homage to the gown by creating a bespoke design using high-quality pearls, Swarovski beads, and Swarovski crystal drops. The forehead detailing was stunning and couldn’t have complemented the look any better.
I felt incredibly lucky when Katie Buffey from Salt + Silver agreed to supply her beautiful handmade jewellery for our shoot. Having the opportunity to showcase the new collection was so exciting. “You are my sun, my moon and all my stars” is just one of the quotes that inspired this collection, bringing a truly romantic touch to the day.
Katie’s Cupcakes joined us for her first-ever photo shoot, and I hope she enjoyed the day as much as we all enjoyed having her. Seeing Katie’s work up close and the amount of detail that goes into her designs is incredible. For the shoot, Katie created a stunning four-tier wedding cake featuring gold lustre, navy and grey marble, and decorated with blackberries, autumn-coloured berries, roses, and a few pine cones. The cake fit seamlessly into our colour scheme.
What would a wedding shoot be without The Chocolat Story’s expertly crafted artisan chocolates? We’d be absolutely lost! These luxurious chocolates tasted sensational and looked divine. Trace created bespoke wedding bonbons in deep red and navy blue, finished with a touch of 24k gold and a personalised quote.
Flat Chance created two beautiful Mr & Mrs gold signs for the table and the back of the chairs, adding personality to the shoot. One of my favourite photographs from the day is thanks to these standout signs, creating a unique contrast against the stunning backdrop of Healing Manor’s moat.
Stationery was provided by The Luxury Invite Company. Recommended by Treasured Bouquets, it gave two businesses the opportunity to collaborate on a table plan. I’m proud that my business creates connections like this, helping people meet and work together when they might not have otherwise.
In fact, Cromwell Black, the beautiful Great Dane, made his debut appearance in the Lincolnshire Weddings styled shoot while celebrating his first birthday in style at The Pig & Whistle. Thank you for giving me palpitations around the dress, Cromwell — although I needn’t have worried.
Thank you everyone.