We’re thrilled to be sharing a stunning luxury wedding shoot with you today. The florals are exquisite, the styling impeccable with such wonderful attention to detail. Lovely Michelle from Elegante by Michelle J sent this Jewish wedding inspiration our way, and we were instantly smitten with the floral styling and summery, romantic vibe of the day. Hylands House is a gorgeous venue, a gem hidden away in Essex and one we’re delighted to be featuring here on English Wedding again.
Lovely Michelle has shared some insights into the concept and styling of this inspiration shoot, which we’re so happy to be able to share with you below. I’ve a feeling you’re about to fall in love with some of the incredible suppliers involved – the images are by talented Jewish wedding photographer Claudine Hartzel, floral styling is by the incredible Gabriella Shemtov Floral, stationery from amazing designer Dimitria Jordan. We LOVE the cake by the Honey Bee Wedding Cake Company – it’s such a graceful design with classic gold accents. There’s a breathtaking film of the day by Confetti & Silk, which you can see below. The bride wears a stunning Ersa Atelier dress from bridal boutique Morgan Davies Bridal, with a super elegant up do by Cass Rizzuto and naturally beautiful makeup by Katy Angelidi. The chuppah is from The Happy Chuppah People (well of course!), with key hire items provided by Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica. Adding to the magical vibe of the day is harpist Noa Davies.
This shoot was previously featured on Smashing the Glass
Hylands House Wedding- Jewish Inspiration from Goldhanger Films on Vimeo.
Words by Michelle at Elegante by Michelle J
The Venue
I came across Hylands Estate in Essex during the pandemic, whilst using my time to explore new venues and suppliers. I honestly can’t believe that it has escaped the radar for Jewish weddings. It ticks so many boxes for Jewish couples who are based in London, Essex or the South East of England.
- A historic stately manor house, filled with a rich history, yet beautifully and sympathetically restored and renovated in recent years
- Set in acres of the most beautiful grounds
- A permanent Pavillion which can seat up to 300 guests with a stage and dance floor
- Available for dry hire with your own caterer – perfect for kosher catering
- Very accessible, just 45 minutes from North London and even closer for those based in Essex (it is in Chelmsford)
- And finally, a highlight for any couple is their spacious wedding day getting ready “accommodation” which includes a bridal suite, a bridesmaids’ suite with stations for hair and make-up and a groom’s suite
The Styling Concept:
All the couple shots from this shoot showcase the spectacular outdoor setting and the beautiful interiors. Claudine Hartzel and Confetti and Silk Films have captured the venue in all its glory.
For the ceremony and wedding dinner we chose to highlight two very different indoor event spaces. For the Chuppah, we chose the Banqueting Room, a rich luxe traditional space featuring a red textured wall covering and the most beautiful blue and gold ceiling.
In contrast, the Terrace Room, where we hosted our wedding dinner, is a calm oasis with a muted green colour palette, masses of natural light and the feeling of “bringing the outside in”.
As with any wedding, it was important that the design presented a cohesive look across the two very different spaces and for this I relied heavily on Gabriella Shemtov whose florals take your breath away.
In Gabriella’s words…
When collaborating on this shoot, Michelle and I agreed that we wanted to achieve a light and airy, unstructured, meadow like aesthetic. We planned to use a lot of foliage with touches of flowers. This would tie in beautifully with all the accessories Michelle had already selected to compliment the beautiful rooms at The Hylands Estate. We really wanted to maximise on how stunningly they have been decorated, each so different from the next.
The chuppah flowers in particular were designed to lead your eye up towards the magnificent blue and gold ceiling in the Banqueting Room. Rather than dressing the chuppah with the flowers at the top of the canopy, we decided to create a winding effect from the base upwards, as the ceiling really does speak for itself and we didn’t want to distract from its beauty.
I decided that I would use an abundance of British grown product from local flower farmers as the product lends itself much more to a dainty English garden look, and the flowers are naturally more variegated in colour. In addition, it is always nice to buy from and support small London based businesses, especially those who have been hit hard by the pandemic. While the product is overall more expensive than growers abroad who work on a much larger scale, there is something so unique and beautiful about British grown products bought in season.
For reference some of the flowers and foliage we used are listed here, though this is by no means a conclusive list: Asparagus Fern, Grasses, Daucous, Bupleurum, Euphorbia, Hesperis, Snapdragos, Pansies, Sainfoin, Orlaya, Ranunculus, Foxgloves and Roses. Our colour pallet was greens, whites, creams, soft pinks and red.
In addition to the usual floral items for a Jewish wedding – chuppah, dinner tables, bouquet and buttonhole – we also decided to make a feature of the fireplace in the Terrace Room. Gabriella created a magnificent floral installation, which not only set the scene for the wedding reception, but also provided a glorious backdrop for the bedecken and then the wedding cake.
Further Details:
The chuppah itself was supplied by The Happy Chuppah People. Their Primrose Hill wooden chuppah fitted the room exceptionally well.
Our Judaica for the Chuppah including the tallit, kippah, ketubah and wine cup were supplied by Contemporary Judaica.
Additionally, we decided that the room lent itself perfectly to including a harpist and we were delighted to showcase Noa Davis as part of this shoot, who played for both the Chuppah and the wedding dinner.
We dressed our dinner tables with tableware and glassware supplied by Options Great Hire and linens by Just 4 Linen.
Also on the tables were menus and table numbers designed by Dimitria Jordan who also designed the invitation suite and escort display which featured bookmarks.
We included a wedding cake by Essex based wedding supplier the Honey Bee Wedding Cake company.
Fashion was supplied by Morgan Davies Bridal, Harriet Wilde shoes and Impeccable Menswear and Rockman Jewellery. Our model bride was dressed in “Dotterine by Ersa Atelier”.
Make up by Katy Angelidi and hair by Cass Rizzuto
Exquisitely autumnal wedding style inspiration with breathtaking attention to detail and a divine colour palette – this is everything. I’ve fallen hard for today’s styled shoot, introduced by our lovely member Inkflower Press. Botanicals and natural styling touches will always be my favourite things, and this shoot takes the beauty of nature to an edgier space than traditional wedding territory… it is uniquely captivating and I adore every detail. I just know you will too. 
That moment where the season begins to shift imperceptibly from summer into autumn has its own kind of magic. There’s something special in the warmth of late summer light and its trails of delicate dancing shadows. This beautiful editorial shot by Oxi Photography captures some of that seasonal magic, set against the glorious backdrop of Bath wedding venue Hamswell House.
Just the perfect setting for an intimate wedding celebration in the autumn sunshine, the glorious expansive Cotswold views surrounding Hamswell House are balanced by a beautifully designed table with cosy rugs to ward off the evening chill. Why would you not eat outside?
Styling the venue for an intimate wedding and wildly elegant autumnal outdoor celebration, Wren & May Flowers used a rich and earthy colour palette with pops of scarlet, choosing botanically inspired silkscreen printed stationery by Inkflower Press and Libby Ballard’s hand crafted ceramics for the wedding table. The look has a rustic edge, but at the same time is incredibly elegant and understated. It’s all about carefully chosen textures and exquisitely wild botanical shapes.
Your full list of Hamswell House wedding suppliers
Concept / styling / flowers: https://www.wrenandmayflowers.com
Hair & Make up: https://www.leannabiggsmakeupandhair.com
Accessories: https://www.hermioneharbutt.com
Stationery: https://www.inkflowerpress.co.uk
Cake / dessert table: https://www.cakeboxofficial.co.uk
Ceramics: https://www.libbyballard.co.uk
Venue: https://www.hamswellhouse.co.uk
Photography: https://www.oxiphotography.co.uk
Previously featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings
A glorious late summer inspiration shoot, with lovely Michele and Graziella, who’ve been featured on English Wedding before! I’m loving instagram right now as a place to discover some really lovely LGBTQIA couples who are modelling for wedding shoots like this, and today’s shoot is pretty special because we get to discover a little more about this gorgeous pair thanks to Stylish Celebrant Tony. The images are divine, with a sprinkling of much-needed sunshine! And I’m completely in love with the glorious yellow and blue florals on the wedding table, set in the grounds of the magnificent Marden Park Mansion. Thanks to lovely Jenny at Juno Weddings for sending this one in and introducing it with some special words below.
The aim of this shoot was to combine a fabulous real Lesbian couple with sustainable wedding elements in the beautiful English countryside. The amazing backdrop of Marden Park Mansion, surrounded by the rolling Surrey hills, provided the perfect canvas.
For this shoot I wanted it to be LGBTQ+ friendly and combined with the Pantone colours for 2021 (Ultimate Grey & Illuminating Yellow) to bring sunshine vibes to the English countryside. I wanted a sustainable element to the shoot which is demonstrated through the faux flowers used on the cake all of which will be reused and/or recycled. Inspired by Michelle and Graziella’s real love story their ‘ceremony’ was brought to life by Tony (celebrant) who used the couple’s journey as inspiration for their hand-fasting ceremony, combining 5 different coloured cords reflecting their love.
In researching their love story Tony asked Michele and Graziella what they love about each other, and these are just some of their comments
I love you because you know my fears, and stand by me as I face them
I love you because you can tell with just a look what kind of day I’m having
I love our ability to forgive one another and always find our way back
I love you because you make me feel like the most beautiful woman there is
I love you for the dreams you believe in, even when I have doubts
I love you for accepting every flaw, and building my strengths
I love you without knowing why, or how, all I know is I don’t want to stop
The love between Michele and Graziella, is so inspiring and I wanted their love to shine through the shoot and combining the bright coloured florals with the elegant surroundings bathed in sunshine brought my vision to life!
The outfits for Michelle and Graziella were supplied by Matchimony who I chose to work with on this shoot because I really identify with their business ethics and values. Their wedding outfits are designed, ethically sourced and tailor made in Vietnam, providing independence and income to local women who make their products and this for me speaks volumes about their ethical values, which married perfectly with the values of my own company and the styling for this shoot. It demonstrates that you can find ethical products for those couples who are more socially and environmentally conscious.
Marden Park Mansion wedding suppliers
https://thebostons.co/
https://www.lukebatchelorproductions.com/
https://www.makeupbybabicampos.com/
https://matchimony.co.uk/
https://www.unfauxgettable.co.uk/
https://www.rachelsokhalbridal.com/
http://www.dianehassall.com/
https://co-ordination.net/
https://www.stylishcelebrant.co.uk/
https://junoweddings.co.uk
https://www.woldinghamschoolvenuehire.co.uk/
If there was one blog feature I could hold up to the world and say, “here: this is why I’ve been blogging for ten years”, it’s this. I’m in love with the beauty of this seaside elopement which reminds me of my own wild beach. The images are out of this world. But it’s the words from Suffolk wedding photographer Beth Beresford which really grab onto my heart and stay there. As we head into 2022 with sustainability a real focus for our wedding blogging future, I only wish I could articulate, anywhere near as beautifully as she does, what Beth has captured here. Words and images by the fabulously talented Beth Beresford Photography. Full supplier list (and these guys are all SO amazingly good at what they do) below.
Photographer – Beth Beresford Photography https://www.bethberesfordphotography.co.uk/
Stylist & Planner – @make_our_day_
Dress designer – Maggie Sottero https://www.maggiesottero.com/
Textile Designer – Mia Sylvia https://www.miasylvia.co.uk/
Make up Artist – Emily Chantal https://www.emilychantalmakeup.com/
Florist – Suffolk Flower Garden https://www.suffolkflowergarden.co.uk
Stationery – Lovely Letters https://www.etsy.com/shop/lovelylettersuk1/
Hair – Glow Occasion Hair https://www.glowoccasionhairspecialist.com/
Furniture – Anthology Vintage Hire https://www.anthologyvintagehire.com/
Jewellery – The Vamoose https://www.thevamoose.com/
Decorated Shells – Brandyoak Cottage https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BrandyoakCottage
Ribbon – Penelope’s Child https://www.penelopeschild.co.uk/
Napkins – Myrrh & Honey https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MyrrhAndHoney
Cake – @whiskandwonderful
Table Runner – Magpie Linens https://www.etsy.com/people/MagpieDecorLinens
“Waste not want not” as my Nana would say as I begrudgingly shuffle my unwanted veg around my plate with my fork. Whilst I hate to admit it, she was right. She was born in an era that survived the second world war, that included rationing, repurposing fashion, reduced workforce and a number of other challenges. I do have a love of shiny things but as is becoming clear, the world will not survive the level of consumption at its current rate.
As we come out the other side of an extraordinary experience, there is a laser focus on what is most important, a lightbulb moment if you will. Family, friends and love. Weddings have picked back up in a rapid fashion, but with more meaning and appreciation, rather than it being an excuse for a party. That was where the idea of an all eco elopement was born.
We titled the shoot “Rewilding”, reintroducing nature, reacquainting wild happy hearts and nurturing the sentiment of the wedding. Everything sourced for this wedding inspiration was economically kind, recycled (or upcycled) and reused.
I would love to know how many wedding dresses sit in ornate boxes, folded carefully away in tissue paper, sat quietly in attics around the UK. The dress in this shoot was second hand, bought off ebay for £100, the original owner had paid £1500 for the first wear of this exquisite Maggie Sottero dress. So we sent it to Mia Sylvia, who using carefully selected natural materials hand dyed the dress to give it an ombre dip dye effect.
As we know, a large proportion of the cut flower industry creates a serious carbon footprint. Flowers are grown in humid controlled greenhouses, then refrigerated and transported thousands of miles. There is of course the impact of water consumption and pollution from the various pesticides. I have heard the words slow business banded about often, the implication of time and patience, love and nurturing an entity. This was what we wanted for the cut flowers. Mel, of Suffolk Flower garden, is one of a number of florists bringing back home grown flowers. Grown on her own land, she fosters and nurtures these flowers in an economical way.
Glass is one the few materials that can be recycled with little to no diminishing returns. Over and over again. Name places and plates were made from recycled glass, their attributes allowing them to lend themselves to any style and colour scheme imaginable.
Furniture absolutely made this shoot, Amy from Anthology Vintage hire lent a few of her incredible pieces. She has scoured charity shops, auctions and fairs to find the furniture she hires out. Tables hand made in house from recycled wood. Her items see hundreds of wedding in their lifetime, oh if they only had mouths, the stories they could tell.
An elopement that puts love back where it belongs, in nature, reacquainting with the wild.
Beth Beresford Photography is an English Wedding member. Discover more & get in touch!
Web: https://www.bethberesfordphotography.co.uk
For all of you classic, traditional wedding fans… this lovely styled shoot will have you swooning! Hats off to lovely photographer Dom Brenton for standing in as the groom on the day! We’re loving all the summery vibes we’ve been able to share this week, so thank you ever so much for sending this our way!
Holly from Entwine Weddings and photographer Dom Brenton put together this styled shoot to celebrate the English summer. It took place in early June, just as garden roses come into bloom, at the beautiful Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, in the heart of the New Forest. Their model bride Danielle also has the classic English rose complexion. And so the theme flowered.
A number of suppliers quickly came on board: Just Add Flowers, who provided beautiful bouquets and displays to decorate the ceremony and intimate dining room; Olivia George Bridal, who loaned three bridal gowns and a bridesmaid’s dress; Pastry Corner, who supplied a four-tier wedding cake decorated with delicate roses; Wedding Bells Prop Hire, who brought along a very instagrammable bicycle and decorated ladder; and Cathedral Cars, who motored over with their vintage Rolls Royce limousine. Mel from Bournemouth Bridal Hair and Make-Up brought out the natural beauty in Danielle and Holly, applying light blush tones and creating a timeless up-do for Danielle to bring out the romance of the occasion.
The sun came out on the day itself, reflecting the happy mood of the shoot and the images created.
Your Beaulieu wedding supplier websites to bookmark:
Planner: Entwine weddings
Photographer: Dom Brenton
Venue: Montagu Arms Hotel
Wedding dresses: Olivia George Bridal
Florist: Just Add Flowers
Hair and make-up: Bournemouth Bridal Hair & Make-Up
Cake: Pastry Corner
Limousine: Cathedral Cars
Video: EVG Media
Victoria Kay lace fitted gown
Lace & tulle mermaid dress by Tiffany’s Bridal
Lace and sequin fit and flare dress by Tiffany’s Bridal
A glorious summer’s day in England is echoed in this pretty bridal bouquet. Exquisite white Peonies with just a blush of pink, jostle for prime position with large pink Avalanche Roses, whilst a second smaller Rose in baby pink nestles deep amongst the white of the Matthiola and Campanula, with white Lisianthus edged in pink, adding frills to this summer melody. Perky green Bupleurum dance happily alongside the silver Eucalyptus with cream Ammi adding a seamless finishing touch. The mix of these blooms with the rich aroma of the Peony, Rose and Matthiola bestow a heavenly summer fragrance to this bouquet.
The ceremony room sees the heavy oak fireplace enlightened with a deep arc of neat rows of pink Antirrhinum, green Chrysanthemum, pink Lisianthus & white Gerbera sitting on the hearth and following the curvature of the brickwork.
Oak leaves and a rich mix of green foliage decorates the mantelpiece with a semi hidden horseshoe also acknowledging the New Forest venue. Pale pink Lisianthus and Rose on an oak leaf background decorate the horseshoes which adorn the chairs adding a further hint to the surroundings outside.
English summer flowers continue throughout the wedding venue, joined by white Gladioli, Veronica and Antirrhinums in pink, to enrich the deep floral displays inside the bicycle basket and adorning the sills of the large leaded windows.
A long rustic wooden trough plays host to the delicate flowers on the breakfast table as another nod to the New Forest.
Finally, the perfect clusters of Rose, Lisianthus and Veronica all in their differing shades of pink, sit happily on the tiers of the beautiful four-tier, royal-iced rustic wedding cake and finished with a lavish pink bow.
Meet ‘Violet’, an ivory & black 1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25hp Pullman Limousine with coachwork by Barker. It was first registered on 6 December 1935 to Lady Boles, the widow of Sir Dennis Fortescue Boles, an Edwardian MP, Justice of the Peace, army officer and cricketer in Somerset.
Dom Brenton Photography is an English Wedding member
