Understated Luxury at Somerley House

This shoot has a cracking team of wedding suppliers behind it, including Emma Soulsby Flowers and her bang-on-trend circular floral backdrop, Wedhead and their stunning hire-furniture and some serious bridal fashion from Luella’s, Otaduy and Cherry Williams. Oh and let’s not forget Kitty Wheeler Shaw and Baxter and Ted capturing all the style!

So scroll down my friends and get pinning!

Jenna says…

Somerley Estate holds a special piece of magic for me because it sits on the Dorset and Hampshire borders and is less than 3 miles from my childhood home. A privately owned house and wedding venue, it was designed in 1750 and has been in the Normanton family for five generations. I wanted it for my own wedding but at that time Somerley had closed its doors due to family bereavement. I was so pleased to see the house open again for weddings and when Weddings Manager, Alex invited me to a meeting at the estate I just knew I wanted to capture the magic of the place with the styled shoot.

Not only is Somerley gorgeous, grand and rich in history, it is run by the most incredible team. Your wedding is in very safe hands.

With this shoot I wanted to bring a piece of my signature understated luxury style to blend with the grand surroundings. The colour scheme was grey with teal and soft apricot blended with silks by Kate Cullen and acrylic and copper materials.

The super talented Georgina Read Creative beautifully designed the stationery on cotton combination paper with torn edges. It also featured a lovely copper seal detail. In fact this was one of my favourite details! The stamp used was THE Somerley stamp and it’s hundreds of years old.

With over 7000 acres of land, there are so many areas to Somerley. I chose the planted wood as the setting for the tablescape. The styling was clean and minimal and featured cut glass candlestick holders, ghost chairs and exposed wood table from Wedhead. For the seating plan I used champagne filled glasses with handmade copper escort tags – luxury with a modern twist!

And then to the cakes! Rachel Husdon worked magic and produced 3 different designs – the centerpiece being a 3-tier square cake with chinoiserie design.

The amazing florals were all down to the lovely Emma of Emma Soulsby Flowers and the main feature was the biggest circular ceremony backdrop of seasonal flowers. From concept through to installation, Emma worked tirelessly not only to produce the masterpiece but also ensure that the whole thing was sturdy enough to withstand the elements – tipped by Coco to be a big trend next season, Emma was ahead of the game with the concept.

For the bridal looks, the first was all about modern elegance. I chose a wonderful 2-piece by Otaduy. The 2-piece is a popular choice for the contemporary bride but I wanted to show it could also have a more classic feel. The second bridal look was my favourite, hair and make-up artists Louise Leaves and Mel Kinsman worked their magic and our model looked film star-esque.  The gown, from the first collection by Cherry Williams London, was incredible with a gorgeous fanned train and cut out back detail (I love an exposed back!).  The final look had an edgy feel. Shot in the stables, this was the most dramatic look with hair accessorised with a handmade piece by Victoria Millésime. For this look I chose a gown from Luella’s Bridal that was clean in cut with simple fine straps and a beautiful dropped back, paired with bridal mules from Emmy London.

We couldn’t have left Somerley without capturing the gorgeous and grand interior. The gallery room is incredible. Breathtaking. The Walls are adorned with family portraits spanning the generations and the floor-to-ceiling mirrors are spectacular.

Capturing the entire day was a super trio made up of photography by Kitty Wheeler Shaw and videography by Baxter and Ted.

Venue Somerley House

Photography Kitty Wheeler Shaw

Film Baxter and Ted

Planning & Styling Jenna Hewitt

Flowers Emma Soulsby

Cake Rachel Hudson Cakes

Stationery Georgina Read Creative

Makeup Mel Kinsman

Hair Love Hair by Lou

Furniture & Styling Props Wedhead

Bridal Fashion Luella’s Bridal, Otaduy, Cherry Williams London

Bridal Shoes Emmy London

Groom’s Attire Adam Waite

Cufflinks Alice Made This

Silks Kate Cullen

Rings London Victoria Ring Company

Hair Accessories Victoria Millésime

Jewellery Simon Wright