Fur, Ice and Frosty Whites – a Styled Shoot by Kerry Baker Makeup Artist

The photo-shoot was inspired by my parents’ wedding 45 years
ago when, rather than carry flower posies, my mum chose a fabric muff (made by
my Grandma) embellished with fresh blooms. The idea then took on a wintery
feel, incorporating lavish faux furs and crystal embellishments with a palette
of soft ivory, taupe, frosty whites and silver.

As much as I love styled shoots, they can often be so
creative, so lavish, that it becomes difficult for couples to envisage how they
can re-create the look for their own day. While we have incorporated a lot of
luxury elements in this shoot, it continues to be one which is both
inspirational and realistically achievable.

Our venue was the stunning Ashfield House in Standish,
Lancashire. An elegant venue with a luxury country mansion feel, combining
classic period features and quirky architectural nods to the buildings history.
Katie, the manager, is always encouraging couples to consider how they can make
their wedding uniquely personal. The sweetheart table, as seen here, is a great
example of this. It’s a little unconventional, but answers the age-old question
of who gets to sit at the top table. It also offers couples valuable, quality
time together.

I was very lucky to have a wealth of amazing wedding
professionals who supported me on this project, not least our fantastic
photographer Teresa C. I have always adored her photography style from the very
first wedding we did together. Fresh, contemporary and feminine, Teri manages
to combine a real honesty and a touch of whimsy in her images. She’s also a lot
of fun and we laughed a lot during this shoot!

We also welcomed Paul of In Love Wedding Films, who recorded
a fab “behind the scenes” video for the shoot. Having Paul there enabled us to
capture the emotion and fun of the shoot, and shows a little of what goes on
during a styled shoot. If you’d like to see behind-the-scenes mini-movie, then click here

Sarah and her team at The Rose Boutique provided not only
the bouquet, but also crafted the suspended floral backdrop, decorated the cake
stand, dressed the sweetheart table AND produced the most amazing floral wrap
for the fur muff.

The bouquet featured white Ranunculus, delicate anemones and
dainty spray roses along with thistles, scabiosa seed heads and dried poppy
heads for a fabulous mix of textures. The fur muff was decorated using similar
blooms to the bouquet, but smaller flowers allowed a more intricate design. It
looked simply stunning and is a great alternative for a winter bride.

The delicate suspended backdrop comprised of soft, feathery
white limonium interspersed with long crystal dropper and twinkling glass
tealight baubles.

Moss and eucalyptus was used to dress the sweetheart table,
complementing the natural wood, creating a real earthy feel. Vintage cut glass
crustal vases added an element of luxury too and echoed the crystal elements in
the suspended backdrop.

All the delicate blooms once again feature on the cake stand
with added silvery foliage for texture and to reflect the subtle tones in the
cake.

The elegant 4 tier cake was courtesy of Kellie of Pink
Frosting Cake Company. It features delicate hand crafted flowers and the quote
“Ever mine, ever thine, ever ours”, taken from a love letter written by
Beethoven to his “Immortal Beloved”

Tracy of T-for-Two Bespoke Wedding Invitations provided two
beautiful sets of the most elegant stationary. Continuing with the wintery
shades, Tracy created the first set using shimmering pearlescent card, elegant
calligraphy, and sumptuous satin ribbon. Crystals and pearls were also used in
this decadent design. The laser cut invitations also feature the same
shimmering tones, emulating a luxury wintery theme.

No shoot with lots of crystal elements would be complete
without some real sparkle for our model to wear! The beautiful jewellery was
provided by Andrew of Sparkle Designer, who brought an exquisite collection of
platinum and white gold diamond rings plus silver pieces set with precious
stones to complement the gowns.

Our beautiful model Nic is wearing 4 stunning dresses
brought along by Becca of Edith and Winston bridal wear. Designs by Kelsey
Rose, Callista and Ronald Joyce were chosen and featured delicate lace and
subtle touches of sparkle. Each gown lends itself perfectly to a winter wedding
and could be accessorised with a fur jacket or stole too, essential for cold
wintery days. (fur jacket is models own)

Our hairdresser was Mairead of Wedlocks Bridal Hair. Mairead
opted for soft, flowing curls which could be adapted to sit over one shoulder
or cascade behind Nic’s back. For a second look, she created a sophisticated
style with the curls pinned back to show off the detail of the dresses.

For Nic’s first look, I wanted to turn her into an ice
princess, with ruby red lips, dramatic fluttery lashes and flawless dewy skin.
It worked perfectly with her hair and the dresses for look 1, and we all felt
it a little reminiscent of Snow White (hence the appearance of a red apple in a
couple of shots). When adapting the make up for look 2, I changed the
lip-colour for a more muted, dusky rose but added lots more shading to the eyes
for a more dramatic effect. Cheeks were given a little more colour too for a particularly
stunning result.

Supplier roll call: 

Kerry Baker Make Up Artist.
www.kerrybakermakeup.co.uk

Ashfield House: www.ashfieldhousehotel.co.uk

Teresa C Photography: www.teresac.co.uk

Edith and Winston: www.edithandwinston.co.uk

The Rose Boutique: www.theroseboutique.co.uk

Pink Frosting Cake Company: www.pinkfrostingcakeco.co.uk

Sparkle Designer: www.sparkledesigner.co.uk

T for Two Bespoke Wedding Invitations:
www.tfortwoinvitations.com

Wedlocks Hair designer:
www.facebook.com/wedlockshairspecialist/

In Love Wedding Films: www.inloveweddingfilms.co.uk

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