Happy Sunday, beautiful! How’s your weekend going? I forgot to tell you – we spent last night at The Wordsworth in Grasmere, a gorgeous spot for a wedding – so waking up this morning was absolute bliss! I’ll tell you all about it later in the week 🙂 For today though, something VERY special. We’ve been chatting to the wedding & events team at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford recently – it’s a breathtaking and wonderfully unique wedding venue with a stunning balance of contemporary architecture and historic backdrops – half a million years of art and history, to be precise! Today we’re sharing a bridal photoshoot at the Ashmolean, so you can see the place for yourselves… isn’t it incredible?!

The Ashmolean is a rich treasure house. Grand, sweeping staircases and priceless paintings offer a wealth of unique opportunities for photoshoots. Traditional flower arrangements coupled with contemporary bridal wear – a combination of old and new – embodies the breadth of the Ashmolean’s spaces.

The Museum’s collections and galleries create the impression that our bride is a rarity from the art world – a source of wonder, inspiration and reflection. Join her as she glides through opulent reception rooms with architectural alcoves that create surprising and enchanting places for storytelling. The majestic façade with pillars and portico evokes thought of an ancient Greek temple with a goddess in her rightful place. Surrounded by the riches of an historic art collection including sculptures, fine furniture and Old Master paintings is reminiscent of an English country house. Exquisite porcelain from the 17th to the 20th Centuries line the Ceramics Gallery enhancing the ethereal feel. Finally the Dutch and Flemish Art Gallery create opportunities for striking and intimate portraits.

Exchange vows in the heart of Oxford against the backdrop of half a million years of art and history. The Ashmolean is currently offering a complimentary photoshoot in historic Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, for any confirmed booking before the end of March 2019.

Images from the shoot are all by Matthew Pattimore Photography. Matthew captures moments that are impossible to recreate, a little glance between the bride and groom, someone getting a mouthful of confetti, anything that makes that wedding unique and special. Matthew’s top tip: is to never let your guard down, to always be on the lookout and ready for a moment to turn into a memory.

The flowers are by Flowers by Kirsty, who chose Red Snaps, Astilbe Gloria, Avignon Blooms, Red Euphorbia, Brown Lisianthus, Protea, Cafe Mocca Rose, Hot Pink Lace Rose, Parvifolia, Red Robin, Mimosa and Long Ruscus for the arrangements for the shoot. Kirsty created a dramatic yet classic look with the selected flowers to reflect the surroundings of the Ashmolean.

Our bride wears the Carson jumpsuit, Luna top and skirt and Nyika dress by Charlie Brear, whose designs are stocked exclusively at Ellie Sanderson for the Home Counties. The Charlie Brear collection is ‘uber’ cool and produced using a diverse range of hand-selected fabrics. From intricate lace, metallics and silks in distinctive signature shapes this designer creates luxury pieces with a strong focus on effortless glamour. This luxury British-made collection offers a cool and modern direction with an instinctively feminine spin.

When it came to hair and make-up Rachael Capocci wanted to keep it very fresh, more the cool girl / modern bride feel. The concept meant Rachael could push a few boundaries to make it a bit more high fashion with a beauty and strong edge. She worked a lot of texture in to prep the hair with a mousse and big tongs for texture before sweeping it up in a relaxed ponytail with a few soft pieces to frame the face. Rachael then worked on a berry lip and minimal detail on the face keeping it defined, glowing and fresh faced, with a dark smudged lash line for impact, strong brow and fluttery lashes that every bride would dream of. Rachael’s top tip: keep your make-up looking natural, a few light layers for a long lasting flawless result. Keep your skin hydrated, and drinks lots of water weeks before to help clear your skin looking healthy for your big day.

 

CREDITS:

Venue – Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology www.ashmolean.org/weddings
Wedding Planner – Stacey Puffer
Photography – Matthew Pattimore Photography www.matthewpattimorephotography.com
Flowers – Flowers by Kirsty www.flowersbykirsty.com
Bridal boutique – Ellie Sanderson https://elliesanderson.co.uk
Hair & Make-Up – Rachael Capocci www.rachaelcapocci.com
Model – Andrea Taverni