Introducing Beech Dell – An Outdoor Woodland Wedding Venue

It was such a pleasure to work with the team at GreenAcres Weddings to showcase this new space. GreenAcres say “Our woodland dreamscape is reminiscent of the books we read as children, fairy tales of woodland dells and a magical atmosphere only nature can provide. The amphitheatre is beset with handmade seats for guests and winding steps lovingly carved into the landscape. This provides a grand entrance and a picture-perfect setting we’ve not seen anywhere else in the UK, but I guess we are biased!”

One reaction we can almost guarantee when couples see this venue for the first time, is a resounding… WOW!

GreenAcres is renowned for their beautiful bluebell woods, but for Beech Dell we wanted to create a very different look and tap into the scorched earth and rust tones that are so popular across interiors and fashion right now. We focused on brick and rose and our florist threw in some pops of orange to complement. These colours worked so well against the natural greenery of our surroundings and the beautiful wooden ceremony structure.

Our new floral crush, Jen from JenniBloom Floral Design, says; “It was an absolute joy to be a part of the team for this glorious shoot at GreenAcres, Chiltern. The natural, laid back vibe of the outdoor woodland ceremony area, really gave us a lot of scope to go similarly laid back yet stylistic with the flowers, using all the hues of late summer – bleached, burnt, dusky desert tones. Grasses are definitely one of my favourite things this season, and I managed to get my hands on some beautiful bleached grass, which really helped tie the florals together.”

Using soft nudes and dusky pinks, offset against toffee and brick tones, the palette really took on an almost Californian outback vibe, and suited the arbour backdrop perfectly. Jen continues “I tried to source ingredients that had a late summer feel about them, which was a little tricky in May – so I got to work experimenting and drying out different palm leaves and grasses. I wanted to show that by using flowers that aren’t necessarily trendy (chrysanthemums for example) you can use them in a non-obvious way that really throws the rule book out of the window, and transform them into something spectacular. I also used some absolutely spell-binding anthuriums, which really stole the show in their dusky brick tones.”

At Beech Dell, you’ll find everything you need for your woodland ceremony including the stunning wooden benches that surround the structure. In the pavilion, we simply added a sweet little vintage table and chairs by Hire Love for the signing of the register.

We’ve wanted to work with EYI Love for some time and this editorial seemed like the perfect fit. Lorna created a beautiful stationery suite of rust and nude card with a complementary blush vellum. Alongside this I added an illustration from 315 Press in a gorgeous copper metallic.

EYI Love also created our fab swing signs which lined the pathway to the steps down to the Dell. We chose words that perfectly summed up the venue – love, celebrate, escape.

Having worked with Laura from Perfect Day Bride before, we knew she’d be a great source of inspiration for our fashion! Laura introduced us to a brand-new designer hitting their boutique – Agata Wojtkiewicz. The first dress we chose was an elegant number called ‘Be Chic’. From the front the dress was lightweight, simple yet sexy whilst at the back a long train-like bow added an ethereal touch.

We added a beautiful hairpiece by AM Faulkner which tied in perfectly with the bouquet picking up on my favourite grass – hare tails. Barely-there accessories included a pearl necklace and a baguette diamond style ring, both by Lily & Roo.

For the second look, we chose the ‘Be Impressive’ dress which is basically two dresses in one. We initially styled it with a boyfriend-fit blazer from the Whistles wedding collection. Draped over the shoulders I loved the masculine vibe this gave to the silk dress. By Jodie complemented with a sleek low bun and flicked eyes creating a sexy, striking look. I added Perspex earrings by Cult Gaia and a straw hat by Toast.

We also created a second bouquet for this look, Jen explains “I wanted some of the arrangements to have a slightly edgy, contemporary feel to them – so with one of the bouquets and some of the arrangements for the aisle – I chose to use simply one type of flower only – in this case – lisianthus and spray chrysanthemum. This really worked and allowed the beauty of the individual flowers to shine through.”

Now I did say this was a two-in-one dress, so to switch it up By Jodie added soft tousled waves to match the romantic addition of the detachable train. From the front, this dress is minimalist heaven but there is a surprising sensual back made of crinkled chiffon which together with the train creates a very soft and romantic bridal look. I added a beautiful rust-coloured linen headband by Le Touquet which has firmly found a place in my own wardrobe.

The cake by Cherry Tree Cakerie smelled unbelievable and it was very hard not to sneak in a little bite mid-shoot! Charlene created a pale blush two-tier cake with oil painting style flowers on the side. Jenni added some grasses to complete the look!

I think my favourite part of this shoot has to be the incredible woodland feast created by Caper & Berry. GreenAcres Chiltern are able to offer street food dining and relaxed grazing and we wanted to show how beautiful a Moroccan-influenced picnic could be in their woodlands. Hire Love once again pulled out all the boho stops with their low table, floor cushions and Moroccan lanterns. They also created a little lounge set-up where we served lip-smacking cocktails including a summery Gin Bramble and a classic G&T using Manchester Pink Gin & Fevertree Light Tonic.

As for the food, Ellie from Caper & Berry says “With an increasing focus on sustainable living and sustainable produce, we wanted to develop a vegetarian menu which highlighted how we can produce sumptuous, mindful dishes – which even meat eaters will want to dive into. We included seasonal ingredients such as spinach and flavourful leaves which are handpicked less than a mile from our HQ. We always think of the meal as a whole experience, and included rich filling ingredients with chickpeas, avocado and feta to make sure stomachs are filled and no one is left wanting.” Ellie adds “With regards to the setting, GreenAcres take you back to nature, where a sense calm and peace set in. This lends itself beautifully to informal dining options such as feasting tables, allowing guests to interact and create beautiful focal points.”

Capturing the day was Rebecca Goddard Photography, we’ve worked with Beccy for over five years now and each time we get creative it’s such a pleasure! Beccy’s photography is beautiful and her tones were perfect for this editorial. We also worked with the wildly talented (and very cool) duo Zach & Grace. They created the accompanying film and we love their interpretation of the shoot.

Venue GreenAcres Woodland Weddings, Chiltern

Creative Direction Emma Hla, Coco Wedding Venues

Shoot Management Katrina Otter, Katrina Otter Weddings

Shoot AssistantGemma De-Grammont, Katrina Otter Weddings

Photography Rebecca Goddard Photography

Film Zach & Grace

Florals JenniBloom Floral Design Studio

Ribbons CFleurs Design

Stationery EYI Love

Illustration 315 Press

Banner Darwin & Gray

Catering Caper & Berry

Tableware Hélène Millot

Bridal Dresses Perfect Day Bride

Cake Cherry Tree Cakerie

Hair & MUA By Jodie

Jewellery Lily & Roo/ Cult Gaia/ Isabel Marant

Accessories (Veil and Headband) AM Faulkner

Furniture Hire Love

Blankets & Cushions Brolly Bucket

With thanks to Model Jesse, M+P Models