How To Eat a Peach

Muted peach tones, soft golds, and hints of blue reflect the landscape. The decor features old farm tables with locally made ceramics, seasonal flowers, and elegant glassware. Simple, delicious foods like mascarpone with honey, figs, cheeses, and fresh bread create a relaxed atmosphere. Flowers from Elder & Wild blend seamlessly with grasses and foliage, enhancing the meadowy, relaxed vibe. Now, if summer could just make an appearance so we can all emulate this delicious scene!

Rebekah says…

How To Eat a Peach takes inspiration from a book of the same title. It explores intimate gatherings and quiet moments with delicious food and good company. We wanted to set the shoot against a backdrop of meadowland and wide open skies, which is what made The Willow Marsh Farm the perfect place.

The shoot creates an elegant pastoral aesthetic, evoking hazy summer evenings spent with family and friends and is set against the golden grassland meadows of the farm, which drift gently towards the lake and woodland beyond. It is a celebration of simple, seasonal fare, intimate country gatherings and those rare, sun-filled English summer days. We wanted the overall style and atmosphere to feel, relaxed and personal, thoughtful and considered whilst not being overly curated.

The colour palette was loosely based on the shoot’s name, so there were plenty of muted peach tones. It also drew inspiration from the landscape surrounding us: soft golds and umbers of the grasses, hints of blue from the lake. The shoot took place in early August when the meadows were tall, and the light was starting to edge into the softer quality of later summer.

Nora Eve Bridal provided bridal separates from their Ella Kate range, designed in-house. Simple and elegant in design, the top and skirt created a gown that complemented the relaxed aesthetic of the shoot. We paired this with a veil embroidered with wildflowers for the ceremony and a playful satin bow for an injection of colour later in the day. The make-up and hair were kept fairly minimal, with an effortless half-up knot and muted, natural make-up with warm peach tones.

Old farm tables host a relaxed tablescape that Hire Twenty One thoughtfully and expertly curated to evoke long summer afternoons with close friends and family. Layers of locally made ceramics are filled with simple and delicious sharing food: mascarpone drizzled in warm honey, ripe figs with local cheeses, and freshly baked bread. Jars of seasonal flowers sit between elegant textured glassware, serving cool champagne accompanied by summer peaches.

Flowers cut directly from Elder & Wild’s cutting garden created the foundation of pieces that capture the season as it was at that moment, adding texture, detail and delight to an otherwise simply styled gathering. Dahlias, rudbeckia, cosmos and oregano flowers were paired with grasses and foliage snipped from the surrounding meadows and woodland. The floral styling was designed to sit softly within the surrounding context. Arrangements along a meandering aisle blend into the long grass and complement, rather than interrupt, the natural setting that provides the backdrop for the ceremony. Simple stoneware jars and bottles of flowers that feel just picked sit nestled against blackberries and apples on the tables. A meadowy, relaxed bouquet filled with perennial foxgloves, cosmos, fragrant roses and plume poppy in a colour palette of peach, buttery yellow, umber and soft neutrals and finished with a long silk ribbon to catch the wind.

This shoot could inspire an intimate outdoor wedding or arrival party. It could also be scaled up for a larger wedding where a couple still wants to infuse their day with a relaxed atmosphere and garden party stying. Working seasonally and taking inspiration from the landscape around the venue is a key takeaway and informs every design decision. Although The Willow Marsh Farm has an array of beautiful barns, we decided to focus on their outdoor spaces with this shoot; using the full breadth of what a venue has to offer is always something we would encourage when planning your big day.