A glittering winter wedding shoot

This all-female Yorkshire-based group of wedding suppliers created a winter wedding styled shoot with plenty of sparkle to inspire 2021 couples. Helen Emson from Willow and Bear Floral Design explains how they did it 

Photography: Dani Louise Photography 

What was the inspiration behind the shoot? 
The inspiration for the shoot came from myself (Helen at Willow and Bear Floral Designs) and Nicole (from Elise Designs) with a shared desire to collaborate together with a small female team of Yorkshire wedding suppliers to create a romantic winter wedding sparkle filled shoot fit for a princess. The white and silvery tinged wedding theme offers a contemporary version of a winter wedding with a nod to romantic frozen icescapes, using a stunning selection of seasonal ingredients to create elaborate installations and displays which make for the perfect backdrop for wedding photos. 
We felt that seeing such beautifully sparkle filled images over the New Year could fill readers with hopes and dreams and glittery inspiration to look forward to their new year.   

Tell us a little bit about the venue and why it was chosen 
The stunning Thicket Priory is an absolute gem of a venue set in glorious countryside in North Yorkshire. The priory was built by the same architect who designed Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle making the venue well and truly fit for our princess. Thicket Priory was chosen as our venue for the shoot as it is arguably one of the most beautiful and romantic venues in North Yorkshire. It is tastefully decorated, in traditional style with a modern twist with the most amazing glass chandeliers which fit in perfectly with our icy winter theme. 

What did you choose for the flower arrangements? 
I selected a soft colour palette of white and soft greens using lots of fresh and dried seasonal foliage from the grounds to blend the designs seamlessly to the venue. The stars of the floral displays were the white David Austen Eugenie roses combined with meandering ivy trails, soft icy green eucalyptus and pale green myrtle all of which have been favoured by many a florist designing a royal wedding floral theme.

The white winter look is a classical romantic look for those brides wanting an alternative to the usual festive colour and the large installations all constructed using sustainable floristry methods, offering a beautiful romantic feel with different styles of backdrops to capture the perfect wedding image. 

What kind of look did you want to achieve with the make-up, hair and outfit?
The look for our bride on the shoot was that fitting of a Dior or couture model. Creating a beautifully fresh radiant glow the colour palette was classical yet contemporary with a soft pink and silver shimmer to the eyes and a romantic neutral pink gloss lip. The hair tumbled down with soft relaxed waves held off the face with a bespoke hair band to match the fabric of the wedding outfit.  

The second look offered a hair-up option in a complex yet natural twist with a regal feel and was topped off with a bold silver glitter eyeshadow and glitter to the lip for extra sparkle and shimmer with the bride ready to party. 

The bride's outfit was a stunning bespoke two-piece design made by Elise Designs which had a one shoulder cropped top with a romantic draped flowing sleeve which was combined with a full flowing full skirt with glitter adorned fabric covered with layers of flowing tulle. The whole outfit made our bride sparkle in her classical and elegant outfit with its modern twist. 

What was the thinking behind the décor for the shoot? How did you tie it all together? 
The décor was kept beautifully classical and understated as the venue offers the most stunning selection of pieces to work into the theme. All that was required was a gorgeous selection of silver and white candles by Ester and Erik and a staircase of lanterns to provide soft light and movement. The candles complemented the floral tones used in the floral designs and the silver and white sparkle surrounding the bride. 

What kind of accessories were used to create these looks and why? 
Accessories were kept to a minimum to allow the brides outfit to shine more brightly. A bespoke bracelet and silver starry earrings finished off the look. The bride had four options to complement her hair from a bespoke glitter headband, a ghost leaf crown, a flower crown and a silver jewelled headband. 

Steal Their Style 
Photography: Dani Louise Photography 
Venue: Thicket Priory  
Hair & Make-up: Sonia Schofield   
Bridal dresses/wedding outfits: Elise Designs  
Jewellery: (Bracelet) Elise Designs 
Flowers & Styling: Willow and Bear Floral Design  
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