For this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in Hampshire, we wanted to evoke the feeling of a fairy tale. Of a princess being whisked away by her prince, of magic, whimsy and romance. The colours we wanted to focus on were blush pink, various shades of green and deep burgundy. All inspired by the colours found in and around our stunning venue, Lainston House, including the beautiful ruins in the woods.
“This styled shoot is a celebration of the romantic and whimsical, where the ethereal meets the earthly in a harmonious dance of enchantment. Witness the union of love and nature in a setting that feels straight out of a fairytale, where burgundy and blush come together to create a visual masterpiece of late summer splendour.”
So step into our story, and prepare to be charmed…
Look #1 – The Slyphide Dress
Antique silver lace wedding dress
The Slyphide dress actually comprises of two elements; a base dress, and a lace overdress. For this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in Hampshire, I made a new base dress, replacing its usual ivory shift with a blush pink silk dupion one instead. You can see what the dress looks like with the other colour underneath here.
I made this dress to be figure hugging, and then flaring out at the knees to make an elegant fishtail mermaid skirt. I used lots of layers of beautiful tulle to give a waterfall effect, like this bride is walking on water, splashing in the waves. The vintage style antique silver lace is beautifully beaded and edged at the neckline with pretty scallop trim. I love the flutter sleeves, made in the same floaty ivory silk chiffon as the lower skirt.
I think this look strikes the perfect balance between ethereal and sexy – like a siren, luring sailors from their ships.
Look #2 – Flora Overdress over Hand-painted Princess Dress
Blush tulle overdress with balloon sleeves
The Flora overdress is a blush pink balloon-sleeved overdress. For this shoot, we layered it on top of a dress leant to me by a previous bride. The dress underneath is ivory silk organza with hand painted flowers around the skirt and train, fading upwards. I had flowers leftover from making the original dress, which I sprinkled across the waist and shoulders of the overdress. By adding the same design element to the two pieces, it blended them nicely together.
Adding an overdress to your wedding outfit gives you lots of fun extras without the full commitment. You can add volume and drama, but because it’s removable, you don’t have to worry about getting your sleeves in the soup!
If you’re curious what the wedding dress underneath looks like, you can see it, in all its splendour, here.
Look #3 – Sugar Rose Dress
Historically-inspired bridal separates
The Sugar Rose is a three-piece ensemble, made up of a corset, a skirt and an overskirt. I love taking inspiration from all sorts of eras, so this outfit is a bit of an historical blend. I made the flat-fronted lace up corset in an 18th century Rococo style. Layering tulle in lots of pretty, pastel colours, I used ivory, cream, peach and pink, then appliqued statement lace lilies on top. I included sweet little tulle sleeves (detachable) and visible boning channels.
The overskirt, with its lovely fluffy waterfall bustle is inspired by the Victorian era, and the tea-length wiggle skirt underneath is undeniably from the 1950s. And of course, there is only one era where all these elements would be drawn together, and that’s now!
I love to recycle and repurpose, so I found it very satisfying to be able to use a floral corsage from a vintage wedding dress to finish off the back of the corset. This particular corsage came from an Ian Stuart design, who is one of my favourite wedding dress designers. It felt nice to pay him homage.
Suppliers
Stationary – Created by Magic
Photographer – NK Photography
Bespoke wedding dress – Felicity Westmacott
Embroidered dress and veil – Adorn Bridal by Ashley
Stylist – Niche Events
Florist – Leafy Couture Southampton
HMUA via Gemma Sutton – Chantelle Brennan MUA
Hair accessories and jewellery – Clare Lloyd Accessories
Models – Dan and Paige
Live illustrator – Stacey Greenshield Art
Wedding cake – Little House of Cake
Celebrant – Celebrate with Verity
Venue – Lainston House
Shoes – Becci Boo’s Shoes
This shoot was featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings blog. Give it a visit if you want to see more photos of the work of our brilliant suppliers.
Looking for more fairy tale inspiration? This Marie Antoinette wedding shoot has three more gorgeous wedding dresses around a similar theme. And you can see the Slyphide dress, in a different setting, for a Tuscany wedding shoot. The Slyphide dress is available ready to ship in a size 10, or as a custom order made to your exact measurements and preferences. And the Flora overdress is available here.
