Last summer I had the amazing good fortune to meet Ash who runs The Enlight Project and we immediately clicked over a love of weddings and our troublesome toddlers so decided to organise a shoot together. Ash mentioned that she really wanted to photograph a boho style wedding and I have to admit, I was nervous as boho styling definitely isn't my forte, but I thought, hey, why not? I like a challenge!
It was a few weeks later that I stumbled across Meadowfield while browsing the Insta-world and I just knew that this would be perfect setting for our bohemian wonderland shoot! Little did I know that Meadowfield was a brand new wedding venue that was being lovingly created by the Hume family who have enjoyed this woodland wonderland throughout their children's childhood and had now decided to open it up to couples planning their weddings.
After a meeting with the lovely Fiona (which included my screaming toddler), Ash and I headed to Meadowfield to see the venue's progress and plan the shoot. When we arrived at the beautiful woodland clearing nestled in the heart of the world-famous Bedgebury Estate, we just looked at each other and knew that this was the venue we wanted to showcase to the world with our shoot. Fiona gave us a tour and all of the history of the area and we realised what a magical place this truly was!
So we gathered our super team and the rest is history...
A massive thank you to Ash for trusting me to style her bohemian vision!
Here are my top tips on how you can recreate this Boho Autumnal Harvest Wedding...
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers are a bit like Marmite you either love them or hate them but they are a must-have for any boho wedding! These gorgeous dried flowers were created by the incredibly talented Gwenda from Bohotanical. Using an abundance of pampas grass with gorgeous burnt oranges created the ideal autumn vibe which was carried through from the ceremony arch to the bouquet, buttonhole, table centrepieces and flower crown. Boho is all about keeping a natural look and using dried flowers can tie your whole wedding together into the beautiful natural surroundings.
Rugs, Props & Seating Areas
Nothing says boho like a good Persian rug (being Persian myself I suppose I am biased!). Again, it's all about merging your wedding with the natural surroundings and so creating a seating area like this one made by Locate to Create is the perfect way to do this. Plus you have a fab place for your guests to have some chilled time. Boho coloured glass bottles are gorgeous especially these ones in dark green and burnt orange.
A Celebrant Ceremony
By using a celebrant to conduct your wedding, you open up your venue options and can literally get married anywhere, which is perfect if you want a woodland wedding at a venue like Meadowfield. A huge plus to a celebrant-led ceremony as well is that you can personalise the whole ceremony and make it all about you two - however 'out there' that may be! Nikki Wood from Perfect Words Ceremonies conducted ours with a beautiful handfasting and it was truly magical!
Vintage Touches
When styling this shoot it was all about the vintage for me! I used rustic reclaimed wooden tables and chairs, vintage burnt orange silk fabric drapes and gorgeous vintage plates, cutlery and glasses from Harriet's Table. Mixed in with some rustic pumpkins and more dried flower bottles from Bohotanical, and you've got this gorgeous set up amongst the trees!
Grazing Tables
If you're going for the boho natural look nothing says natural more than a grazing table. These culinary works of art are the ultimate way to feed your guests and they create a relaxed and laid back vibe which is what boho is all about! This stunning offering was created by the talented ladies over at The Grazing Girls and was a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!
The Cake
Or cakes in this case! Dina who runs Cakes and Leaves made these stunning cakes that show the beauty of perfectly executed simplicity! Again using matching dried flowers, the cakes were tied into the whole wedding and the woodland surroundings. Plus, I love the idea of his and hers cakes - why have one when you can have two?!
Finishing Touches
And finally, it's all the details when it comes to creating a bohemian vibe and these finishing touches were the cherry on the top of this shoot! Gorgeous chrysanthemum shoe brooches from Present Perfect Creations, jewelled hair rings and a gorgeous hairpiece from Ritz & Sass and a stunning veil from Tulle and Flo tied all our ideas together. We also had a boho photobooth set up by Buttercup Bus in their gorgeous VW Camper Van and a stunning rose gold prosecco van from Oh Prosecco!
Some more snaps from this shoot...
The team behind the magic...
VENUE | Meadowfield Weddings
CONCEPT & PHOTOGRAPHER | The Enlight Project
WEDDING PLANNER & STYLIST | Lily Jones Events
VIDEOGRAPHER | Russell Kent Nicholls
MODELS | Cathy & Will
PROPS & FURNITURE | Locate to Create
FLORIST | Bohotanical
CELEBRANT | Perfect Words Ceremonies
CAKES | Cakes and Leaves
GRAZING TABLE | The Graze Girls
RINGS | Custom & Co
DRESS | The Bridal Boutique of Jules
SUIT | Vintage Suit Hire
HAIR & MAKE UP | Claire Hartley
HAIRPIECE | Ritz & Sass
VEIL | Tulle & Flo
SHOE BROOCHES | Present Perfect Creations
CROCKERY & GLASSWARE | Harriet's Table
VW CAMPER VAN & PHOTOBOOTH | Buttercup Bus
PROSECCO VAN | Oh Prosecco!
STATIONARY | Lou Paper
TABLE PLAN | Boards by Jess
If you have an inspirational shoot or real wedding that you would like us to feature on our blog then please do get in touch at hello@lilyjonesevents.co.uk