Holesfoot; Edwardian Glamour Meets the Roaring 20s

This editorial shoot was the concept of floral designer, Katie of The Quirky Petal – Atelier Floral, with the help of her photographer friend, Gosia of Nettlespie Photography. The pair have previously worked together on styled shoots, and knew this had the hallmark of something rather fabulous.

Katie says…

As you travel over the fells and through woodland glades, the country lanes eventually lead you to what can only be described as ‘where wedding dreams begin’.

Beyond the period facade, Liv and James have lovingly, and successfully, completed the most incredibly sympathetic refurbishment of Holesfoot. This mansion has not only retained all of its elegant charm and period features of yesteryear, but enjoys the luxurious and contemporary finishes of a well-thought-out renovation; an absolute must wedding venue for the most discerning couples who are looking to get married in Cumbria.

Holesfoot boasts not only stunning gardens and woodlands, but a magnificent stone barn conversion for your wedding celebrations which comes complete with a star-lit ceiling and fully stocked bar. Plus, there is luxury accommodation in the main house, as well as the coolest self contained yurt-style bell tents – this exclusive venue truly has it all.

The Long Room is in the main house, a stunning Edwardian dining room added on in the early 20th century. It houses sublime wood panelling, flooring and a wood fired stove while the large arched windows allow light to pour in, creating a rather magical and nostalgic ambience, immediately transporting you back a hundred years to a time of heady decadence when the Edwardians enjoyed opulent fine dining as the roaring 20s loomed.

Inspired by the elegance and grandeur of Downton Abbey (but with a modern day twist), our shoot concept soon had suppliers queuing up! We wanted to embrace autumn with brown, copper, plum, burgundy, peach, gold and lilac all featuring in our palette, opting for darker, muted yet rich colours.

The stunning dresses, accessories and jewellery were all provided by Keeley, Eden Wedding Boutique, and were gorgeous modern day dresses with a nod to some period design elements. Bows, chiffon, diamantés and pearl encrusted embellishments; the dresses, veils, accessories and jewellery had it all in abundance and captured the flavour of that early 20th century style.

Yasmin was transformed into a blushing bride at the hands of expert makeup artist and skincare consultant, Lisa, Blusch Make Up Artistry and Laura, Hair by Laura Allen. The updo was a softer style than the period dictated, making it more appealing to today’s bride-to-be, and the make up, well, Lisa brought just a hint of a sultry sassiness to the party with those smoky eyes and oh so kissable lips.

In order to capture the essence of the occasion and to keep the style reminiscent of the period, particular attention was paid to the sympathetic styling of the tablescape. In true Dutch Master style there was cascading fruit bowls tumbling onto a large silver serving platter with cut crystal glass bud vases of flowers twinkling under the light of several silver candelabras, and finished with a large showstopper floral arrangement as the table centrepiece.

Lune Valley Crockery Hire were on hand to provide all the tableware and linen. Julie carefully chose the pieces and arranged the place settings to perfectly finish off the look, adding elegant white napkins.

Sally Jean Wedding Cakes created the four-tiered cake, exquisitely iced and decorated with the most stunning hand-crafted sugar flowers, along with her handmade, real fruit flavoured marshmallow favours.

I love to use British flowers wherever I can, and when I can grow flowers specifically for my wedding couples, I do. Adding in those special homegrown flowers to arrangements is such a personal touch. I’m also committed to more sustainable flower arrangements and don’t use green floral foam at all, this is so everything can be composted safely after the event.

Creating arrangements which are moveable meant that the meadow-style arrangements could be repurposed to different areas of the venue, something which I recommend you always consider when choosing your flower decor. Repurposing your flowers is a cost effective way of making the most from your floral investment on your big day.

When we first had this idea for the shoot, we wanted to create some special touches to see how easy it would be for a bride to personalise her own wedding. Purchasing a pair of plain satin shoes we decorated them with some gorgeous pearl embellishments, turning a simple pair of bridal shoes into something really special, saving hundreds of pounds on a designer equivalent. It was the same with the stationery too. Using beautiful deckled card stationery purchased online, we decorated with a homemade wax seal and silk velvet ribbon which matched the bridal bouquet, provided by Cheryl at Silk & Purl. Creating those little added extras yourself can help to save on your budget allowing you to not only make your wedding truly personal, but stretch that budget to go a little further. There are so many ideas on Pinterest and lots of super independent businesses on platforms such as Etsy which can offer a wealth of inspiration.