Timeless Wedding Elopement Inspiration at Prestwold Hall

The underlying message rooted in Whitney and Hannah Clare’s styled shoot at Prestwold Hall feels incredibly poignant, especially after the last 12 months. To be able to create an elopement shoot that is truly timeless and can be replicated at a later date is the perfect kind of wedding inspiration that we need! I love the elegance, the flexibility it offers couples, and the deeply romantic tone threaded throughout.

Over to Whitney to walk us through this inspiring editorial…

Whitney says…

With the majority of our weddings for 2020 postponed, Hannah Clare (Hannah Clare Hair and Makeup) and I (Whitney Lloyd Photography) put our heads together and came up with an idea for an inspirational styled shoot. We teamed up with some incredibly talented wedding suppliers, and all with a common goal; to collaborate, reignite our creativity and remind everyone how incredible the wedding industry is!

Our venue, Prestwold Hall, a Grade I listed stately home, was the perfect setting for this English country garden inspired elopement shoot. With its landscaped gardens, acres of parkland and a conservatory filled with exotic plants this beautiful venue created the perfect backdrop for our vision.

2020 has certainly changed the wedding landscape and many couples are now looking for smaller, more intimate ways to celebrate their day. While elopements are increasingly popular in Scotland they are still a relatively new concept throughout the rest of the UK. Our shoot was focused on creating an intimate and personal elopement and incorporated a timeless colour scheme to give inspiration to those couples marrying in 2020 who may want to carry elements from their day to a larger post-covid wedding celebration at a later date.

Our couple Lia and Caleb, a real couple, were brought together through their love of music. They’re both super talented musicians – Lia has appeared on The Voice – and music plays a huge role in their lives. I love the photographs of them both performing together. It’s always so special at weddings when couples tie in important elements of their lives and we wanted to reflect this in our shoot. Lia looked beautiful in a Hayley Paige dress, supplied by Lavelle Bridal Couture. The Elke gown has a flowing skirt that can be removed to reveal a more fitted, lace covered dress. Perfect for brides who want a slightly different look throughout the day – or even at a second wedding celebration! Hannah Clare had created an elegant and natural look for Lia. I love how the Rachel Sokhal Bridal hairpiece looked in Lia’s loose hairdo. The perfect combination of relaxed with a touch of elegance. And we can’t forget Caleb! He looked so dapper in his evening suit by Scotney’s of London Road.

We hope this shoot inspires couples who may be thinking about eloping but just aren’t sure how a smaller wedding day might look. With that in mind it was important to me, and the rest of the team, that this styled shoot would play out as though it was a real wedding. Another special element of our shoot was provided by our celebrant, Ali from Cariad Personal Ceremonies. Ali offers couples a Harmony Experience. The Harmony Glass Experience is the first of its kind in the UK. The couple and those closest to them, should they wish to include them, pour glass crystals into a vessel whilst thinking of a prayer, blessing or good wishes. The colours chosen can be symbolic to the couple, or simply their favourites! At a later date the couple are invited to a studio to watch the crystals being made into a beautiful glass piece of art for the newlyweds to treasure forever.

Our stylist and florist, Lilac & Wild, designed the elegant colour palette of white and green, with just a touch of silver. Keeping with our timeless theme and considering the couples who may have a celebration at a later date, or perhaps in a different season, we used flowers that are available all year round. These included roses, lizzieanthus and hydrangea. Roses in particular are a timeless classic, along with greenery which never goes out of favour. Green leaves, soft ruscus and foliage can help create a timeless look that even in 30 years time would still look as great. We also purposely chose eucalyptus which is said to have calming properties – we felt this was very much welcomed in what has been a tough year for all!

Finally our top three tips for keeping a wedding timeless would be:

Choosing a neutral colour palette can help your wedding photographs stay timeless.

Communicate your timeless aesthetic to your photographer and other suppliers, from your stationary to your cake to your wedding dress, because choosing styles that are classic will make all the difference to the look and feel of your wedding day.

Lastly, a wedding in itself is timeless. It’s rooted in tradition and two people committing to each other is a rare moment that has been built around timelessness. Rather than follow the trends make your commitment to each other personal whether it be writing your owns vows, adding a unique element to your ceremony, having a hand-painted cake that is impossible to replicate or even signing your own songs that you’ve written together (like Caleb and Lia), authenticity is timeless.

Venue Prestwold Hall

Photography Whitney Lloyd Photography

Hair + Makeup Hannah Clare

Planner Sofia Weddings and Events

Stylist Sage & Belle Styling

Florist Lilac & Wild

Bridal Boutique Lavelle Bridal Couture

Cake Marley Rose Cakes

Celebrant Cariad Personal Ceremonies

Stationery PS Weddings

Wedding Painter Lissie Art

Wedding Writer Sho Writes

Harpist All Things Harp

Confetti Dreaming of Confetti

Bridal Accessories Rachel Sokhal Bridal

Rings Keishi Jewellery

Videographer Jo Hernandes Images

Sugared Almonds Bomboniere by Maria

Suit Scotney’s of London Road

With thanks to Model Couple Caleb and Lia