Planning

The elegance and grace of ballet seem to fall hand-in-hand with wedding styling, the colours, textures and fabrics traditionally associated with both are so romantic, feminine and soft. And this gorgeous shoot from a dream team of wedding suppliers shows this off to perfection. There's a seamless transition from ballerina to bride and the florals, details and beautiful venue are just the icing on the cake (talking of which, in this case actually is epic...) Edwardian wedding venue, Chapelgarth provides the ideal backdrop to this fine art inspired shoot. Whenever we share wedding editorial inspired by the ballet it's always hugely popular, so I really hope you enjoy this feast for the eyes...

The Inspiration

Arabella the Photographer: I was so excited when I was approached to collaborate on this photo-shoot, the initial words I was given were, ballet, blush pinks and plenty of luscious greenery inspired by the Pantone Colour of the year 2017 – Greenery, which literally describes my style down to a T. The first thing I did was create a Pinterest board of inspiration for the other vendors to view, to show how my style of Fine Art Photography would work with this particular photo-shoot and how I would approach the main theme of ballet. 

We worked together to create a different angle of the theme ballet, and decided to take inspiration from the words that describe the emotions and feelings provoked from ballet such as ethereal, elegant and feminine.

The Team

It was an amazing day working with some of Yorkshires finest wedding vendors, to come together and create a really special photo-shoot, which I am so pleased with.

 
The location for the shoot was the beautiful Edwardian venue of Chapelgarth Estate in Great Broughton, North Yorkshire. Every room used was so elegantly designed with copious amounts of history, providing a perfect backdrop for the ballet theme. It was so lovely to be working in a venue that offers something so special and unique.

The planner coordinating the shoot was Siân Chaplin Events. Having an event planner to manage the whole process including a few last minute changes was invaluable. When you have numerous vendors involved in a shoot it really is worthwhile to have an experienced planner on hand to make sure everything is running smoothly. 
The dress, modelled by the beautiful Kayleigh Richmond was supplied by Alison Jane Bridal, a fabulous boutique in Mirfield. A tulle and lace light gold and ivory creation named ‘Carmel’ by Romantica of Devon. 
Wonderfully created by the talented White Rose Cake Design, the inspiration for this cake came from a desire to create a blush cake with botanical details, as the owner Jo loves all things floral. Bringing in elements such as the trailing ribbon, ruffle tier and the colour reflect the ethereal nature of the theme, while the handcrafted flowers are a nod to the botanical trends which are everywhere at the moment. The copper band adds a modern touch, as does the copper accent cake with its coordinating sugar flowers. 
 
Stephanie Duerden MUA did a fabulous job of creating a delicate and romantic look on Kayleigh using a palette of soft natural and blush tones. Stephanie used a product selection of Younique and Laura Mercier. 

Given that the shoot was themed around ballet, Catherine from Catherine Elizabeth styled a beautiful loose bun, a soft finish to complement the overall look and feel. 



The Styling


We were beyond excited to have Farm on board for the flowers and styling. Sarah’s work is ridiculously impressive and we knew she would be perfect for the theme. 

For the flowers there was a mixture of David Austin & Vendella Roses, with Hanoi Ranunculus, Smith & Munson British Tulips and some wild hawthorn blossoms and pink blossom plus lots of other goodies to give texture and depth. The foliage was kept soft and sage to match the tones. For the styling Sarah acknowledged the 2017 love for mixed metallics and incorporated gold cutlery, brass flower bowls and copper votives filled with flowers, but toned this down with crystal candle holders and extra find taper candles. The artist’s studio was a perfect blank canvas and dressing the fireplace with lots of candles and blooms really gave the shoot a warm hygge feeling. Sarah also created a bridal back drop using georgette drapes and lots of greenery. 



The Stationery


With a colour pallet of blush pink the stationery designed by JB Creatives was the perfect addition to a beautifully styled table setting. The calligraphy writing was not only in keeping with the theme but also very on trend. 



Thank Yous

We were lucky enough to have Kayleigh Richmond with us for the whole day who was just the perfect model for this shoot. Kayleigh is so naturally beautiful and also a wonderful and caring individual who braved the cold windy weather and long hours. 


It was such an inspirational and fabulous day with an amazing team to work with. Everybody had worked to the brief whilst bringing their own signature style which complimented each other perfectly. 
Fern Godfrey

Written by Fern Godfrey

Venue: Chapelgarth Estate | Event Planner: Sian Chaplin Events | Flowers: Farm | Boutique: Alison Jane Bridal | Cake: White Rose Cake Design | Make Up: Stephanie Duerden | Hair: Catherine Elizabeth | Stationery: JB Creatives | Model: Kayleigh Richmond

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