A Suffolk Barn Styled Shoot
BY SUFFOLK WEDDING PLANNER AMAE EVENTS
Last year when I created Amae Weddings & Events, the first thing I wanted to do as a Wedding Planner was create a styled shoot, well... drum roll… the results are here for you to see and I couldn’t be any more excited (lets out a little squeal!)
Firstly, I had to choose a Venue (we all know how difficult this can be right?)... I really wanted to find somewhere that I could step away from the typical ‘rustic’ look that is very poplar in barns. Although I do love the rustic look, I really wanted to inject a more contemporary feel into the shoot to prove you don’t have to go ‘full on rustic’ just because it’s a barn.
I researched a lot of venues but Copdock Hall in Ipswich, Suffolk were an absolute dream to deal with. Having managed venues, I know what goes into keeping a venue afloat and I found Copdock Hall to be extremely open minded, customer focused and so passionate about weddings (and just generally really nice!). I LOVE a barn venue and so for me, Copdock Hall was the perfect setting for the shoot.
It’s a stunning Grade II Elizabethan brick barn with this beautiful vibe, when you arrive at the Barn, the quaint Parish Church of St Peters sits comfortably in your eye-line, it’s a very short walk from the hall right next to Copdock Halls Vineyard (I know right, can you imagine working next to a vineyard? There’d be no wine left!). Then as you step inside the barn, the first thing you notice is the marvelous high roof and gorgeous beams stretching from one side to the next. It also has these quaint little windows that really compliment the architecture.
Picture Credit: Dominic Whiten
Next was carefully selecting the suppliers to work their magic. I chose people who I trust and know how to achieve the best look possible, it was important to me that we were all ready to work as a team and collaborate on this shoot to bring my vision to life, exactly how it would be on your wedding day.
Dominic Whiten - An amazing photographer that I have worked with for years, I felt it was important to have someone that the whole team felt comfortable around. Dominic has this amazing ability to get the best out of people and also stay calm even at the toughest of times, it’s one of his strong points, he’s like Superman without a cape!
Capturedit Films - Emran and I are new to working with each other but one thing that strikes me about him is his passion for the wedding industry and drive to make sure only the best memories are recorded, he is so discreet but somehow manages to capture the most amazing footage whilst being completely in-obtrusive.
The Bridal Lounge - Charlotte and I started working together back in 2014 and her personality is just one you cannot forget, she has this ability to make you feel so precious (which is what you need trying on the most important dress of your life right?!) Her dresses are beyond perfect and I will 100% be buying one from her in the future (even if it is just to do the shopping in!)
For this shoot Charlotte supplied the most exquisite dresses from Stella York and St Patrick. With the unmistakable Stella York dresses, 2 came with a minimalist look but with a timeless modern twist, the other, a modern, high halter neck with a feminine and curvy silhouette, while the St Patrick dress provides a flattering plunge bodice with classic cap sleeves and beautiful lace detail.
Helen Newman Florist - I’ve also worked with Helen since 2014, an extremely professional and knowledgeable florist who has this amazing eye for detail, her flowers have always looked like a lot of love goes into them so she was definitely my first choice for the shoot. Again, Helen is one of those people you instantly feel comfortable around, a must have when you’re organising your wedding.
Helen’s great eye for detail meant we had a mixture of (to name but a few) lush Hydrangea’s, Anemone, White Lisianthus, Phalaenopsis and even pampas grass which really added a whole new twist to the shoot, I’ve not seen anyone use this combination of flowers before, we love to try new things and it really paid off!
Amelies Kitchen - Helens cakes are nothing less than perfection, I have never seen her make anything ‘mediocre’ and I have no idea how she does it (I’m sure there’s more to it than chucking a few eggs, flour and milk in a bowl right?). Helen’s ability to match details of your wedding day to the cake is phenomenal and with her own stencils, she is able to create the most beautiful displays.
Helen created a bespoke tiered cake for this shoot adding blush grey and pink hues, she hand crafted the most perfect sugar roses (you would think they are real flowers!)
Ivory & Craft - Katie first caught my eye when I followed her on Insta (yes, I’m down with the kids!) I was instantly a fan of her work and our relationship has blossomed since. I knew I had to have Katie designing the stationary and boy, she didn’t let me down. I really pushed the limits and even made some (very) last minute changes, she was just like ‘Yeah sure, no problem’. This girl knows her stuff and is so lovely to work with!
Katie and I exchanged so many ideas for this shoot but we finally settled on a more contemporary feel focusing on the blush pink and grey theme for our main look. The fonts were simply perfect for what we were trying to achieve and look great in the paler shade of pink. Katie also created some stunning stationary with cute floral detail underneath a velum wrap, simply gorgeous!
Makeup by Faye Neill - I met Faye about 3 years ago when I hired her to make me beautiful for a wedding I was going to and I have used her since, she is also a regular at the stunning Gosfield Hall and is so popular with Brides for creating a fresh, polished look & enhancing your features. She is just beyond lovely and makes you feel so relaxed in her presence, a true beaut.
For Clare, Faye created a modern bridal look, fresh, clean and detailed whilst for Tegan, a Hollywood glam look, winged eyeliner with stunning red lips to complete the look.
Carly Williams Hair - if you can’t have the one and only Carly Williams, who else even is there? Carly’s style is unmistakable and with her vast experience, knows exactly what style looks best on you. She is so funny and easy to be around so it was a no-brainer to have her with us.
For Clare, Carly styled a dreamy ‘messy’ textured up-do with delicate pieces of hair hanging down along the front and back, in look two, it was transformed into a higher bun up-do creating added height to match the traditional St Patrick dress & show off the pretty lace back.
On Tegan, the most stunning Hollywood glam wave which totally complimented Faye’s work on the make-up.
JF Styling - One of a kind James is taking the styling industry by storm currently, in demand for his ability to visualise any request and transform it into reality - he’s like a walking Pinterest. He and his team work tirelessly and have access to some of the best, current on-trend products on the market.
James provided a range of different materials, colours, textures, crockery and cutlery for the shoot, I really could not have done it without him.
True Nature Events - Have you seen Jordan’s wooden tables and chairs?! I knew we had to have these as part of the shoot, I felt they would really enhance the beautiful brick barn and the look I was hoping to achieve and they looked absolutely amazing.
Coes - have been nothing but supportive and have been great to deal with. They have a broad range of suits that include Day Suits, Tail Suits, Wedding Suits, Edward and Albert Frock Coat Suits and Nehru Suits so it was easy to find a suit that would look good on the shoot.
Models: Clare, Nathan and Tegan are personal friends of mine so rather than using professional models, I wanted to show the true beauty in my friends and they did not let me down, gorgeous happy smiley people!
So there we have it, date set, team complete, plans organised, mood boards sorted, endless meetings had, numerous emails and group chats, 3 months later the following look was achieved and I could not be any more proud of the team that made this possible…
If you’ve read this far you’re in for a treat with my bonus bits!… I really wanted to create more than just one look to show the range of styles that can be done on your wedding day. With help from James at JF Styling, we sat and discussed in length what I wanted to do and how we were going to do it.. James has access to some of the most amazing product range I have ever seen, so picking and choosing which looks to go for was made so much easier with his expertise. In the end we managed to achieve 5 different looks in total on this shoot!! The team did an immense job & pulled together to create some exquisite looks, so here is a snapshot before they get released on social media (you lucky things, you!)…
For any help or support planning your wedding or event, contact Hayley
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