Fairytale Opulence at Charlton House, Somerset

Photographer

Fine art film photographer Liz Baker was commissioned by luxe florist Fleur Provocateur to shoot this brand editorial at Charlton House Hotel's grand Orangery. It mixes the opulent glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Era with the fairytale romance of Cinderella as she waits to enter the ballroom.  Shooting entirely on professional film stocks added to the aspirational feel.

Decor & Style

A colour palette of dusty and blush pinks, creams and verdant foliage with gold accents worked beautifully against the natural textures of marble and brickwork found at the venue. Featuring a huge trailing urn arrangement, gold leaf silk ribbons, a stunning half-up/half-down hairstyle, a breathtaking asymmetric ruffled gown.

Venue

The enchantment begins at the beautiful Charlton House Hotel and Spa near Shepton Mallet. All the rooms are luxuriously furnished with crystal chandeliers, impressive fireplaces and bold curtains, spilling with dreamy natural sunlight. With the doors to The Orangery thrown open, our Bride leads out onto a grand red-brick courtyard.

The decadence of the room demanded an equally opulent display. Conceived and styled by Fleur Provocateur, the Y-shaped design of the pedestal has wild, naturalist foliage and abundant garden roses, lilac and viburnum. The tumbling pedestal was reminiscent of Rapunzel’s tower as if growing up from the ground, the ivy provided a wilderness and raw beauty.

Flowers

All the heavenly floral arrangements incorporate wondrous scented garden roses: Angie Romantica with a wonderful old rose form and gorgeous faded colouring, accompanied by the rose Cafe-Latte with its unusual dark antiquity, and Yves Paiget which is peony-shaped and a wonderful ivory colour.

The relaxed shape of the bouquet envisioned timeless elegance, with many complementing tones, reflecting the multi-layered ruffles of the dress. The colours within the bouquet were brought to life by artisan hand-crafted silk-ribbons from Lancaster and Cornish, which so beautifully float in the wind. The silk runner adds sumptuous depth to the lavish tablescape.

Details

The initial inspiration was drawn from the console table in The Orangery, with a marble top, and intricate gilt legs: these elements are evident across the cake and stationery. Samantha Geen Designs created a masterpiece within the stationary coupling refined elegance and wild fairy-tale with the heavy hammered paper, hand-finished gold edge and fantastical font. Even the ruscus leaf illustration echoed the leafing on the gold chargers of Elsie Florence.

Cake

All the intricate details of the cake simply need to be visually devoured. Tiers of pale pink watercolour, marbling and gold flecks with features of blush sugarcraft roses and peonies with ruscus leaves, created by Peony Rose Cakes.

The Dress, Hair and Makeup.

The divine Ian Stuart dress, aptly named ‘Wanderlust’ from Devlin Bridal Couture has a stunning fit and flare silhouette, with ruching on the bodice to allow that perfect Cinderella figure. The dramatic taffeta tulle skirt and lace, champagne and ivory tones leave an enthralling impression.

Embracing the natural texture, Abigail Constanza created a half-up look for elegance and poise, tumbling in soft curls down the back for added whimsical glamour. The magical details included twist and wrapping curls, finished with an intricate fishtail draped into the luxuriant length.