Today’s styled shoot is all elegance and luxury, with minimalist styling touches focusing on quality. Sent in by a group of talented wedding suppliers in Oxford, this is all kinds of gorgeous and I hope you love it too! Images are by Nicola Belson Photography, and the wording below is from Nicola too. As always, there’s lots more to see on @englishweddingblog!
The iconic Randolph Hotel, steeped in centuries-old grandeur, has recently emerged from the ashes of fire damage with a fresh, contemporary spirit. This juxtaposition of old and new provided the perfect canvas to stage a wedding shoot embodying a tropical luxe aesthetic — a seamless blend of old-world charm and modern sophistication.
The synergy of rebirth and renewal was not just in the venue but also in the stories of the talented suppliers who brought this vision to life. Each one had left behind successful careers in diverse fields to pursue their passion in the wedding industry, driven by a love for creativity and a desire to be part of life’s most joyous celebrations.
This shoot was more than just a display of beautiful designs; it was a testament to the power of following one’s heart and reinventing oneself. Their collective journey from old careers to new passions mirrored the hotel’s own transformation, adding a deeper layer of meaning to the shoot.
Venue – The Randolph Hotel, Oxford
Planner – Acorn and Oak Weddings & Events
Photographer – Nicola Belson Photography
Videographer – Twenty Two Moments
Florist – Kate Wren Flowers
Dresses – Pronovias from The Bridal Box
Hair – Rachael Capocci
Makeup – Abigail Maynard Makeup
Cakes – Lisa Adams Cakes
Jewellery – Jen Gilbert Bridal
Stationery – Your Perfect Invite
Harpist – Noa Davies Harpist
Tableware – Wren Ark
Napkins – Laurel House Designs
Champagne tower – Elegant Events of Staffordshire
Models – Danielle and Craig
Styling elements were kept simple yet sophisticated, with monogramed napkins, monochrome stationery and rich velvet bows illuminated by candle light adding a touch of understated luxury.
This minimalist approach allowed the inherent beauty of each detail to shine, creating an atmosphere of effortless elegance.
Our choice of florals played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. A lush array of dark green tropical leaves paired with the pristine beauty of white orchids, lilies, and roses gave a sense of luxurious minimalism, where each element was thoughtfully chosen to enhance the overall aesthetic without overwhelming it. The greenery provided a lush backdrop, while the white blooms added a touch of refined elegance.
The wedding attire was carefully selected to complement our theme. The day dress was a picture of simplicity and grace, embodying effortless elegance with clean lines and a modern, sultry silhouette. For the evening, we introduced a playful twist with a short, playful sparkly dress that featured customisable elements, allowing for a dynamic transition as the celebration moved from day to night. This versatility highlighted the modern bride’s desire for both timeless beauty and contemporary flair and the growing trend of second dresses.
In essence, this shoot was about celebrating new beginnings – the rebirth of a historic venue, the reinvention of our creative partners, and the timeless beauty of love, all wrapped in the lush, elegant aesthetic of tropical luxe.
We invite couples to draw inspiration from this shoot, knowing that their love story, like The Randolph, is a beautiful blend of history and modernity, tradition and innovation, old and new.
Some of my absolute favourite things are happy can’t-stop-smiling couples, brilliant reviews for my favourite people, and discovering new wedding folks who just sound amazing. We have ALL of these things on the blog today thanks to lovely bride and groom Sarah and Tommy. They married at Holdenby House in Northamptonshire, and chose our friend and English Wedding member Damien Vickers Photography to capture their day. It’s an absolute beauty – do scroll all the way to the end, and check out some of the fantastic suppliers they recommend if you’re planning to get married in the Midlands or East of England!
Wedding photographer’s website
https://www.damienvickersphotography.co.uk/
How did you choose your photographer?
He was recommended to us by a friend, who had used Damien at their wedding a couple of years earlier. We checked out his website and loved his candid, relaxed style to wedding photography.
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!
Absolutely – Damien was a pleasure to work with from start to finish and captured our day just the way we wanted! Friendly throughout and worked so well alongside our videographers who he had never met before. If you want someone to go round and capture the day, taking candid shots of everyone having the best time, then Damien is your man. He wasn’t intrusive in the slightest; it felt like he was another guest in the background with a snazzy camera, yet he seemed to be in all the right places at the right time. The quality of the photos, which arrived in less than 4 weeks after the wedding, was excellent and looking through them really took us back to the day as Damien had captured the vibe brilliantly. Would definitely recommend Damien.
How did the pandemic affect your wedding plans? Do you have any advice to share with couples planning their weddings right now?
The pandemic had significant impact on our wedding plans. We were supposed to get married in July 2020, initially postponed until October 2020 (slightly optimistically!) and eventually got married on 21 July 2021 (two days after all restrictions were lifted!)
My advice to anyone planning their wedding now would be to discuss with your main suppliers that you are looking at what their policies would be in the event of further lockdowns / restrictions – you want suppliers that will simply postpone your wedding until a later date. All our suppliers were incredibly flexible and amazing (despite being tough times for them), but we have friends that were not so lucky causing a lot of stress in trying to get money back or claiming on insurance.
Videographer details if applicable – and any thoughts for other couples about having a wedding video?
Alex Lester: https://studio-lester.com/
DO IT! Originally, we were not planning on having a videographer, but after our wedding was delayed due to Covid-19, we decided that we wanted someone to capture our day. It was a great decision and we are so glad that we have got memories in video format as well as our brilliant photos. Alex Lester (Studio Lester) was amazing to work with, great fun on the day and reasonably priced – his video edit of our day was just incredible and something we will watch forver.
Tell us about your venue – what made this place special for you?
Holdenby House – a beautiful, large stately home in amazing grounds, with great views over the countryside. We wanted to get married somewhere that had enough space for everyone to be in the same room together, but also spread out later in the day.
They also do things such as Christmas Fayres, Open air cinemas etc throughout the year, meaning we will be able to go back to our venue. Sadly, we understand that they are not doing weddings anymore after 2022.
Did you love wearing your outfits? How was the dress / suit shopping experience?
The groom’s suit was from Marc Darcy https://marcdarcy.co.uk/ – loved it, bold and stood out from everyone else. Had comments that it looked as though it was tailored even though no alterations had been made.
Groomsmens’ suits were from Vintage Suit Hire https://www.vintagesuithire.co.uk/ – Tweed style with 3 colours to choose from, looked great and reasonably priced.
The wedding dress was from Grace Loves Lace. I went to the store in shoreditch. Customer service there is amazing! I really wanted something that was comfortable, sleek and wasn’t a typical big wedding dress. I felt amazing all day and felt like myself, would highly recommend them.
Did you hire a florist? Tell us about any floral amazingness
The florist was beyond amazing – they are from Rosehip Bespoke in Bedford. I have never seen flowers as good as ours were (even on instagram), she is more of an artist than just a florist. We bought lots of dried flowers from her during lock down too and will continue to do so. I am still overwhelmed with how beautiful the flowers were. Cannot recommend her more!
Did you hire a wedding planner?
We were fortunate that when booking our wedding at Holdenby House, the package comes with your own wedding planner in the amazing Claire Clarke https://www.claireclarkeweddings.co.uk/ She was so helpful and understanding throughout the planning process (given multiple postponements due to Covid). On the day, she made it run so smoothly and was so much fun and high energy for the whole day. She clearly loves what she does and was a pleasure to work with.
As cake lovers here at English Wedding we’d LOVE to know who made your cake, and how delicious it was?
Lisa Adams cakes https://www.lisaadamscakes.com/ Would definitely recommend – looked amazing and tasted great.
Tell us about any special personal touches, or creative projects you made yourselves
The groom organised a surprise tenor to sing some classic opera songs alongside our string quartet for the bride during the drinks reception which went down really well with everyone at the wedding, as well as the bride who loved it!
Did you personalise your vows or have any wedding readings? What were they?
We personalised our vows which we would recommend as it means you can give your own personal touches to them.
Readings were: You Deserve a Love by Frida Kahlo; and a few paragraphs from The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo
What was your first dance song? Why did you choose it?
U2 – Beautiful Day
We chose it because it was on a playlist that we had on our first holiday together and just ended up dancing to it and having the best time.
Favourite wedding suppliers
We honestly couldn’t recommend all our suppliers more – they went over and above all our expectations. Thank you to all of them that made our day the best!
Photographer: https://www.damienvickersphotography.co.uk/
Videographer: https://studio-lester.com/
Wedding planner: https://www.claireclarkeweddings.co.uk/
String quartet: https://www.nerostringquartet.com/
Cake: https://www.lisaadamscakes.com/
Caterers: https://www.portfolioevents.com
Flowers: https://www.rosehipbespoke.co.uk
Bridal hair: @lovelaura.hairdesign
Make up: @features_bycourtneyjayne
Dress: https://graceloveslace.com
Suits: https://marcdarcy.co.uk/ and https://www.vintagesuithire.co.uk/
Band: https://www.kicksband.co.uk/
Damien Vickers Photography is a member of English Wedding
Web: https://www.damienvickersphotography.co.uk