Ancient Japanese wedding traditions and inspiration

Ancient Japanese Wedding Styling

There are many ancient Japanese wedding traditions included in this eco-friendly inspiration at Gorse Hill wedding venue. From paper cranes to san Ku do nuptial cups, and not forgetting the chopsticks and rice bowls with props provided by, Recommended supplier The Prop Library. The beautiful Asian bride also wears a lace Kimono tied with a yellow ribbon, and a satin slip teamed with a white leather jacket designed by, Recommended supplier, Niamh Designs. It's the perfect blend of two cultures and beautifully shows you can have a luxury-styled wedding and still make sustainable choices.

Ancient Japanese wedding styling at Gorse Hill wedding venue with lace Kimono wedding dress & paper cranes

My vision for the shoot was to embrace the ancient Japanese aesthetic and the art of Kintsugi in a wedding setting. We made full use of the grounds and interior at Gorse Hill Wedding venue in Surrey for the shoot.

Sarah Hoyle

East Asian bride in a satin slip wedding dress with lace kimono style overlay sitting on a wicker chair at Japanese wedding shoot

East Asian bride in a satin slip wedding dress with lace kimono style overlay sitting on a bamboo chair surrounded by a bamboo screen and table

Japanese wedding inspiration with bamboo furniture and East Asian bride in a lace Kimono-style dress

East Asian bride in a lace Kimono-style wedding dress with long sleeves holding a red, yellow and orange wedding bouquet

Roku Gin and san Ku do nuptial cups on a bamboo table at Japanese wedding inspiration

East Asian bride in a lace Kimono-style wedding dress with long sleeves and yellow dipped long veil

Japanese wedding inspiration at Gorse Hill, Surrey with bamboo screen and furniture and East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress tied with a yellow ribbon with natural makeup

Name place cards written in gold calligraphy

Red, orange and yellow wedding bouquet with ranunculus and bamboo stems

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress and yellow dipped veil standing in front of a wooden bamboo frame decorated with paper cranes

East Asian bride at Japanese wedding with natural wedding makeup

East Asian bride in a lace Kimono-style wedding dress with long sleeves tied with yellow ribbon at Japanese wedding at Gorse Hill

Detail on lace Kimono-style wedding dress

Yellow velvet ribbon tying the lace Kimono-style wedding dress

Menu cards written in gold calligraphy with orange design held on by a copper wax seal

Flat lay of a wedding stationery suite including and invitation, RSVP card, envelopes and vellum wrap with wax seal

Japanese wedding inspiration with hanging paper cranes

Eco-Friendly

All the suppliers are eco-friendly and sustainable. The dress was made from antique lace, the flowers were sustainably sourced, and the props were all rented. The stationery is all sustainable, recyclable and carbon neutral, and our hair and makeup artist used all vegan, cruelty-free products. We also had a vegan cake which looked delicious.

Japanese Wedding

The inspiration was to use the colours and aesthetics of ancient Japanese traditions. Such as the art of Kintsugi, origami, sake drinkware and a Kimono-inspired dress. I imagined the wedding to be a partnership between a Japanese and English couple, mixing classic English wedding styling with ancient Japanese wedding traditions.

East Asian bride in a satin slip wedding dress, white jacket and metal headband

Bride in a satin slip wedding dress holding a red, orange and yellow wedding bouquet with ranunculus

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress with chic bridal up do decorated with fresh flowers

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress with natural makeup holding a red, orange and yellow wedding bouquet at Japanese wedding

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress red with yellow ribbon with chic bridal up do decorated with fresh flowers

East Asian bride in a lace kimono-style wedding dress with natural eyeshadow makeup and subtle red lipstick

East Asian bride in a white bridal coverup and satin slip wedding dress with long wavy hair and red lipstick

Place setting with yellow table rubber, bamboo place mat, gold cutlery, brown rice bowls and wooden chopsticks for Japanese wedding

Single tier grey marble effect wedding cake with orange wedding flowers on a black cake stand

Bride in a satin slip wedding dress and white jacket with ancient Japanese motif holding her bouquet in the air at Gorse Hill

East Asian bride with long wavy hair wearing a flower in har hair, red lipstick and a white leather jacket

Japanese wedding with bride in a white jacket with East Asian motif

East Asian bride with long wavy hair wearing a flower in har hair, red lipstick, a satin slip wedding dress and a white leather jacket sitting on the steps at Gorse Hill

Place setting with yellow table rubber, bamboo place mat, gold cutlery, brown rice bowls, wooden chopsticks and menus card for Japanese wedding

Tablescape with yellow table rubber, bamboo place mat, gold cutlery, brown rice bowls, wooden chopsticks, gold candlesticks and menus card for Japanese wedding

Single tier grey marble effect wedding cake with orange cascading wedding flowers on a black cake stand for Japanese wedding

Bride in a lace kimono style wedding dress with long sleeves at Gorse Hill Japanese wedding inspiration shoot

Japanese wedding at Gorse Hill with outdoor wedding table scape with a yellow table cloth, wood and copper candlestick holders, taper candles, rice bowls and chopsticks

1000 paper cranes symbolise honour, good fortune, loyalty, and longevity.

We chose to go for a muted natural makeup look with a chic hair up-do to start, moving on to having a stronger makeup look with red lipstick. We also showed off a range of looser-down hairstyles using accessories and flowers to enhance the look. The dress was made from antique lace with stunning Kimono-style sleeves. It was held together by a yellow velvet ribbon for a pop of colour. Underneath was a satin slip-style dress. We used both looks in the shoot to show the versatility of the dress. The white jacket had been upcycled and embroidered with Japanese styling.

Sarah Hoyle

The tableware included chopsticks, bamboo mats and wooden rice bowls combined with classic English crockery and glassware trimmed in gold for extra luxury. Our accessory supplier hand-created all her pieces using ethical silver and sustainable methods. We also included traditional origami cranes hung from a bamboo frame to symbolise good fortune. I took advice from a Japanese supplier to ensure our shoot and vision were fully respectful and showcased the beauty of Japanese styling.

Sarah Hoyle

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