The Granary in Autumn

Hands-up if you have a soft spot for autumn! We LOVE this time of year, so naturally, we were thrilled when this stunning wedding editorial at Oddhouse Farm, designed and planned by Green Gate Blooms and Hire Twenty One, landed in our submissions. Give us all the rich colour palettes, the textures, the golden light and the pretty florals…

Cate says…

Oddhouse Farm is a beautifully renovated Dutch barn. Surrounded by nature, nestled in the Vale of Belvoir, it was the ideal space to showcase seasonal florals and a natural colour palette of autumn wares. Jonquil, the owner, supports local suppliers and has a passion for sustainability. This was the perfect fit for this styled shoot.

This project was set to gather local creative wedding suppliers to showcase that sustainability and seasonality do not have to compromise any couple’s dream wedding. Seasonal and sustainable weddings can be exquisite. The mood was to create an enchanting story with muted tones of autumn.

This shoot took place in autumn, and we wanted the colour palette to reflect that. Elspeth and I worked together to create a range of tones that encapsulated the deep range of rusts and browns reflected in nature at this time of year. Because we wanted to create something enchanting, we didn’t want it to be too dark, so we married this with lighter tones of creams, whites, and gold. The colour palette reflects nature, making it transferable for venues and couples for real weddings.

The dress was from Nora Eve Bridal by the designer Madi Lane. Dancing between modern ingenuity and timeless sophistication, Madi Lane gowns tell the tale of ‘girl meets dress’ – a timeless love story. She was propelled ever forward by the beauty of art, the elegance of design, and an enduring love affair with nature. This dress was uncomplicated, timeless and elegant. It was the perfect fit for this shoot.

Elsbeth, at Hire Twenty One, has curated beautiful tableware and props. Her background in art and textiles makes possible the most graceful tablescapes. It reflects the autumnal tones with natural linens, stoneware vessels and hand-crafted ceramics. It was an eloquent correlation to have handmade ceramics by Every Story, based in the Vale of Belvoir, dress the tables at Oddhouse Farm, a venue also nestled within the same landscape. It’s those touches which show the detail behind Elsbeth’s design.

At Green Gate Blooms, we reflect natural garden-gathered florals inspired by the seasons. I grew as much as possible in my cutting garden and sourced from other local growers to create beautiful, bespoke floral designs. My work is centred around seasonality and sustainability, using lots of seasonal foliage, finding elderflower leaves and hydrangeas morphing in colour, signalling the seasonal change. Dahlias and Rudbeckias provided the perfect colour palette for this brief, alongside many naturally dried grasses and seed heads. My work is always grounded by what is growing in the moment, and it was this moment we wanted to capture.

Although we tried to achieve an overall feel of enchantment and storytelling, we hoped to ground it in the reality of this beautiful venue. I want to inspire couples to show them this is achievable for their dream day. We ensured all suppliers were local to this venue; this increases the couple’s sustainability by reducing their carbon footprint and means that every part, from hair and makeup to flowers, cake and styling, is accessible for anyone considering this venue. Couples inspired by seasons and nature will hopefully see what is attainable in autumn, wherever they may be. Finding suppliers that aspire to work sustainably will help make this happen.