The Beautiful and Damned – Refined Grandeur at Broadfield

Over to Frances at Broadfield…

Frances says…

Broadfield is a country house nestled in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside, dating in parts from the 14^th Century. It felt only right that a shoot had to showcase Broadfield’s stunning heritage features – its wood panelling, stucco ceilings, stone fireplaces and it’s just general air of refined grandeur. The house is a perfect setting for sultry glamour and that’s where the ideas for the shoot came from and then quite swiftly morphed into a play on The Beautiful and Damned – a love story with passion, glamour and more than a dash of drama.

The shoot was designed to be stripped back to a story about the couple, and for that couple to be incredibly stylish in a way that had more than a nod to eras past. We chose nudes, golds, blacks and Burgundy as the palette. The florals are moody and wild, but with touches of lightness. The shoot took place in that sweet spot between winter and spring that tells of new beginnings, and provides such amazing light.

The dress is by an incredibly talented designer, Mishi May, and is a one off couture piece. It is blush/nude satin with a structured corset top and a stunning, very long fishtail skirt. It’s a piece that wouldn’t be out of place on a true Hollywood siren from a bygone age. The shoes are by Diane Hassall, who specialises in blush tones with more than a touch of glamour. They are soft suede with a ribbon tie, in tune with the elegance of the look, but providing a more modern twist. The earrings and necklace are by Michele White, a designer based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter – they were chosen as the pearls and gold has a heritage feel but the style is quite modern.

The hair, whilst simple, is designed to reflect the siren look – we chose Pfion, the model, because of her beautiful dark brown hair. The hair was curled and styled to fall loosely, not taking away from the drama of the dress, but complementing it. The make up brief was a classic glamorous style but to bring a freshness that the modern bride could emulate. The lip colour just had to be red and the contrast with the nude of the dress brings the edge that this look needs.

The groom is in black tie – we wanted him to be formal, polished and groomed, but we chose a model with long hair to again provide the modern twist that would take the look from pure heritage to a more mixed contemporary feel, and to make it relevant for today’s couples.

There were three florists on this shoot. The bouquet was by Twisted Sisters Floral Design, chosen for their stunning, wild and modern take on florals. They also created all the florals in the drawing room, over the fireplace, in an unfinished arch style either side of the window and in the urn. The florals outside the front door of the house were created by May Rose Floral – these are softer, mixing flowers, pampas and sticks to create a wild but pretty look that fits the heritage stone frontage but plays on modern tastes. The third florist created the florals on the stairs, which showcase how wild but brighter, more spring-like florals can still work so well with a glam look – they were by Wild Bunch Flowers.

Venue Broadfield

Photography Captured by Katrina

Hair & Make Up Jennifer’s Dressing Table

Dress Mishi May

Shoes Diane Hassall

Jewellery Michele White

Florals Wild Bunch Flowers, Twisted Sisters Floral Design and May Rose Floral Design

Suit Bill Child Formal Wear

Stationery Retro Press UK

With thanks to models Pfion & Joe