The inspiration for this look came from the most romantic flower; the red rose. Whether a bunch of a dozen red roses or red rose petals scattered across your bed, the red rose is the epitome of romance (and with romance comes passion, love and… glamour!) I also love pastel shades, so to soften the look, I added blush pink tones throughout the flowers, décor and delicate accents. Then ‘A Delicate Romance’ was born!
Authors Bio: Vivienne May Weddings was founded and created by Kerrie May. With over 8 years of experience in the luxury wedding & event industry, Kerrie has worked at some of the UK’s most iconic venues alongside a selection of renowned industry professionals and worked with a selection of high-net worth couples.
Kerrie is a UK Wedding Planner and has a distinctive reputation amongst her fellow luxury wedding professionals. Her wealth of experience, industry knowledge and unrivalled passion for bringing her clients vision to life is what drives her to plan impeccably designed, style-led and perfectly co-ordinated weddings, with romance at it’s heart.
So you may ask; where did I even begin?
As I already had the styling and design concept on one of my moodboards, it was time to reach out to my trusted team of go-to suppliers!
Photographer
First up was the incredible Sarah Vivienne who takes the most wonderful photographs and really captures the feel of her couples’ weddings in her extensive portfolio. She instantly makes couples feel at ease which results in so many beautiful, natural shots along with stunning detail photographs of all of the little parts of a wedding that take it to the next level of luxury.
Decor
Along with Sarah, I have worked with Nadine from Nerissa Eve Weddings so many times prior that I have lost count! Nadine had everything (and more!) when it came to focusing on the details of the day. Her vintage brass candlestick holders, complete with Erik & Ester candles, added a touch of vintage to the table (and matched the tableware perfectly!) Whilst the ornate French sofa oozed glamour in front of the intricate marble fireplace.
Venue
Next came the venue search and luckily I didn’t have to search very far to find the iconic location that is Kelmarsh Hall. A venue steeped in history being the former home of the infamous interior designer; Nancy Lancaster, a high-society interior designer who created what is now known as ‘The English Country House Look’.
Kelmarsh Hall is a Grade I listed country house built in 1732 surrounded by Grade II* listed gardens set in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside and a perfect wedding venue for couples looking for a stately home wedding venue that is exclusively yours for the day.
The Saloon was the perfect setting for the styling of this shoot as it boasted an incredible marble fireplace which I wanted to be the centre of attention (and if you know me, I have a thing for fireplaces!) The room also included a vintage piano, historic marble busts, crystal chandelier and a wooden parquet floor which added warmth to the overall look and feel.
Flowers
When it came to the flowers, there was only one person that came to mind; Anna from Julie Anna Flowers. Whether a small table display or an extravagant fireplace design, Anna’s displays have the ‘Wow Factor’ that I was looking for. After inviting Anna to the Pinterest Moodboard (and sending numerous photographs for inspiration) and two Zoom calls later she knew the exact look I was after – yet she still blew me away on the day! She also had Emily from Moonflower Florist as her trusted assistant on the day who helped fill the fireplace and table with burgundy peonies, pale pink roses, Antirrhinums, Larxpurs and Sprayroses, all surrounded by luscious greenery – a timeless look that will forever be in my memories!
Cake
Then came the cake and I knew exactly who was the perfect fit; Leanne from Amelia Rose Cake Studio. Not only are her cakes breath-takingly detailed and her designs unique but they also taste incredible (I like to think myself a ‘Cake Connoisseur’ with all of the cakes I’ve tasted over the past 7 years!) Just look at this stunning ombre cake, with perfectly placed vintage gold accents and intricate sugar flowers (I was blown away!) Leann also made a selection of delectable macaroons for the favours which each sat in glass trinket box next to the romantic place settings.
Hair & Makeup
I reached out to the super-talented Gemma Sutton on Instagram as I absolutely loved her work and I was overjoyed when she said yes! We discussed the look in advance and the four words that inspired the look were ‘Hollywood Curls’ & ‘Sexy Glamour’ and boy did Gemma pull it out of the bag!
Jewellery & Hair Accessories
Rachels’s creative flair is infectious and her bespoke designs are absolutely breath-taking, I mean just look at these stunning pearl earrings and headpiece! The bridal gown had pearls within the beautiful lace belt which meant Rachel’s pearl collection was the perfect match!
Stationery
Amelia from Millie Stone Stationery was top of the list for the stationery for the shoot! She is extremely talented and her designs have the perfect balance of timeless elegance and luxurious design. And to include a nod to Kelmarsh Hall, Amelia added a drawing of the beautiful venue into the invitation set – ultimate perfection!
Bridal Gown
I was introduced to the lovely Lisa at Serendipity Brides by Sarah Vivienne and she was incredibly helpful in finding the perfect dress for this shoot. Serendipity Brides is a stockist of Pronovias Bridal Gowns (one of my all-time favourite designers) so I instantly knew I had to have a Pronovias gown! This stunning gown had the ultimate ‘wow factor’ and the dramatic train enhanced the extraordinary feel of the shoot.
Grooms Suit
When it came to the Suit, I wanted one look and one look only; ‘the Suave James Bond look’ and Marc Darcy Suits was the first to spring to mind when creating my Moodboard. Their Dalton Tuxedo was perfect and exuded the ultimate ‘gentleman’s look’ that I had envisioned.
Furniture, Tableware & Linen
Options Great Hire provided a beautiful selection of glassware, crockery and furniture which all complimented each other perfectly. I chose crockery and glassware that had a touch of gold to add extra layers of luxury, whilst the ornate French Louis chairs added a chic finish to the overall look. The linen was sourced from Just 4 Linen as they have an incredible selection of colours, fabrics and designs. I love adding coloured linen to Wedding Breakfast tables and this Peony Urbane linen added even more elegance to the table.
I can honestly say that every single person involved with this shoot put their heart and soul into it and I cannot be more grateful to their incredible effort and dedication.
Check out the talented team below:
Wedding Planner & Creative Director: Vivienne May Weddings │ Photographer: Sarah Vivienne Photography │ Venue: Kelmarsh Hall │ Decorations (and Burgundy Furniture): Nerissa Eve Weddings │ Florists: Julie Anna Flowers & Moonflower Florist │ Cakes & Macarons: Amelia Rose Cake Studio │ Stationery: Millie Stone Stationery │ Brides Dress: Serendipity Brides │ Designer: Pronovias │ Shoes: Oscar de la Renta │ Grooms Suit: Marc Darcy │ Bridal Jewellery & Hair Accessories: Rachel Sokhal Bridal │ Hair & Makeup: Gemma Sutton MUA │Models: Mustard Models │ Tableware and Chairs: Options Great Hire │ Linen: Just 4 Linen │ Candles: Ester & Erik via Cloudberry Living