A twenties styled shoot in Bedfordshire

We take a look at this Great Gatsby inspired shoot inspiring brides for the 20-20s 

Photography: Lorna Newman Wedding Photography

What was the inspiration behind the shoot? 
“With the 2020s not getting off to the best start, we wanted to bring some of the glitz and glamour from the 1920s and bring it up to date with this quirky Gatsby inspired shoot giving a nod to the era. We pulled together a fantastic team of suppliers and teamed up with two amazing models Lucy Kent and Phil West for the shoot at the beautiful house at Shuttleworth – a stunning venue that worked perfectly for this style.” 
Lisa, The Flower Room  

Tell us a little bit about the venue and why it was chosen 
With its elegant décor, magnificent fireplaces and ornate staircases, Shuttleworth mansion house was the perfect backdrop for this shoot. Shuttleworth has a stunning entrance arch which was dressed with upright floral arrangements with lots of luscious foliage and matching flowers. 

What did you choose for the floral arrangements? 
“The inspiration for the flowers and colour theme came from a piece of emerald green velvet ribbon and the stunning old English rose varieties in pink shades. 
Looking back at the bouquets of that era, the large, oversized bouquet was popular and this still features very much in many of today’s trends. Adding pearls and a large gold brooch brought the whole look together. 

"Using an Art Deco pattern for inspiration, I also handmade the gold wooden backdrop and finished the bottom with an arrangement using the same flowers and colour palette, flanked by matching candlesticks.” 
Lisa, The Flower Room 

What kind of look did you want to achieve with the make-up, hair and outfits for the bride and groom? 
“My make-up style is fresh and flawless but with a natural glow. Keeping with this I kept the skin highlighted and wanted a glamorous overall finish. Using a rich plum lipstick gave a modern twenties feel and a glitzy, lined eye made for an elegant look. 

“For the hair, I created two looks; one to the side – a bouncy, soft wave to allow the vintage hair accessory from Louise Victoria Accessories to be the main focus. The second was a textured, tighter waved, low up do. This definitely had a soft 20s twist and the hair accessories sat beautifully at the back.” 
Sasha Wren, Hair and Make-up Artist 

“When we were invited to be part of this amazing shoot and its quirky Gatsby theme we couldn’t wait and jumped at the chance. We chose the dress Grady by Sottero and Midgley from the Maggie Sottero brand. This stunning fit-and-flare gown oozes old school charm with its delicate beading throughout and the Art Deco style neckline. We just adore the style and by adding a long veil it just upped the glamour.” 
Brides and Bustles 

“We chose one of our tweed suits to complement the style of the shoot. Our worsted wool suits are designed with a modern cut and fit to a classic vintage style of suit, which brings them right up to date and worked well with the contemporary twist on the 20s style shoot. We provided vibrant accessories in on trend colours to fit the groom’s style in with the rest of the shoot’s style.” 
The Vintage Suit Hire Company 

What was the thinking behind the décor? How did you tie it all together? 
“We wanted to echo this luxury age with plush velvets, glittering golds and add some seasonal autumn touches with pumpkins. The velvet pumpkins were sourced locally and the gilded ones were hand decorated with applique designs. 

“With the beautiful dining room fireplace I wanted to add some colour with draping, so added in the velvet and gold and then a mix of textural ferns and eucalyptus with some huge painted philodendron leaves for impact. This was then teamed with a beautiful selection of garden style roses in tones of pink, gold and even a green spray variety as well as hydrangeas throughout the design. To finish I added strings of pearls to bring in the 1920s theme. 

“The look was finished with a selection of decorative pumpkins and stunning gold candlesticks from Shazelley’s Event Hire. The candlesticks sleek lines fitted with the clean lines of the Art Deco style and we felt complemented our look perfectly.” 
Lisa, The Flower Room  

“I created stationery and signs that blended with both the venue and the 1920s theme. I used rich green, gold metallic foil and black throughout with Art Deco imagery and fonts to create this look. The green was perfect to use as a main colour as it is also used in the Shuttleworth House branding. I incorporated green velvet with the metallic to create the feel of luxury and glamour. We designed an Art Deco flower shape as a large wooden backdrop, so I used this imagery within the stationery. For a modern twist I added in clear acrylic signs using green acrylic paint on the back with gold metallic wording.” 
Carolyn, Wedding Beautifuls 

“My inspiration for the cake was the rich colours and sleek geometric style of the Art Deco era. Famed for its gold decoration and stylised patterns, I chose a palette of dark velvet green to contrast the gold embossed patterning, softening the design with smoky, edible satin sails in nude metallics. This was a rich, edible cake creation to encapsulate the luxury of the day.” 
Sugar Blossom Cakes 

What kind of accessories were used to create these looks and why? 
“For this 1920s style shoot, I decided to create a delicate headpiece with a subtle nod to the decade. I reworked a genuine vintage rhinestone necklace so that it could be draped at either the side or the back of the head. 

“My other design was an elaborate one featuring a collection of vintage/antique brooches reinvented to make a statement piece.” 
Louise Victoria Accessories 

“I hand-painted unique designs onto shoes for those who can’t get excited about bland pairs off the shelf. I was inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 1920s popularly using bold and striking colours with a lot of contrasts. I used a green shoe base with geometric lines, adding contrasting pink flowers to complement the pink in the bouquet, to create the eye-catching design.” 
Inanna Bespoke Shoes  

Steal Their Style 
Photography: Lorna Newman Wedding Photography     
Venue: Shuttleworth House     
Hair & Make-up: Sasha Wren   
Dress: Brides and Bustles     
Shoes: Inanna Bespoke Shoes     
Hair accessories: Louise Victoria Accessories     
Groom’s outfit: The Vintage Suit Hire Company     
Stationery, signs & cake topper: Wedding Beautifuls     
Flowers: The Flower Room     
Cake: Sugar Blossom Cakes     
Décor: Shazelly’s Events     
Models: Lucy Kent and Phil West