Fiona Elizabeth Couture for a Winter Wedding Shoot in the Peak District

Inspiration

Fiona says: The colour blue and snow were strong themes for this shoot, inspired in part by my own wedding in February 2018, and focused around my blue wedding dress and velvet cape. I wanted to show couples how you can create a snowy winter’s wedding without solely relying on the weather, and wanted to bring the outdoors in and create a snowy backdrop inside the venue.

Location

Throughout the planning stages, we all were crossing our fingers and hoping that we would get some real snow on the day. To give us the best chance, I set out looking for a venue in the Peak District and came across a stunning private residence in Kinder Scout – it was perfect! It had a great atmosphere with lots of wooden beams and exposed stone work, with fabulous scenery too, in what felt like your own little corner of the world.

Styling

Zoey, from Zoey Louise Design, came up with the styling for the shoot, choosing a modern, romantic snowy day wedding design. The main inspiration was taken from the dress, with a floaty, romantic feel and a slight edge.

Bringing the outside in, UNVEILED Network Member Kate from Perfect Bouquet Full of Flowers used greenery and snow-like florals, but in a natural minimalist way. Soft draping chiffon and tulle were used to lighten the Great Hall, with cascading white florals giving the illusion of falling snow. White wired edison lights were hung from different heights, adding extra light. Greenery was used on the fireplace and around the room to bring the outside in, as if the greenery was growing through the walls and into the room itself.

The stationery was created by Paint Pots and Quills using a mixture of vellum paper and watercolour to carry through on the snowy feel of the shoot. Beautiful hand dyed silks by Laik Style finished off the bridal bouquet.

Our cake and dessert table were designed by UNVEILED Network Member Charlotte Wilcox Cake Design. Personal elements, such as the monogram, coordinated with the stationery whilst also working alongside the overall styling of wintery whites and pale blues with hints of gold to catch the light. Ruffles, sugar flowers and a mixture of handmade sweet treats added texture and interest to the beautifully styled table.

Attire

The dress was a big focal point for the shoot. It was my own wedding dress designed for my winter wedding, and created using soft icy blue tulle, hand dyed lace, and handmade 3D flowers delicately finished with swarovski crystals.

This dress was what finally gave me the nudge to create my own brand, Fiona Elizabeth Couture. I am passionate about creating bridal gowns that truly reflect the personality of the wearer. For me, that meant a blue wedding dress with an ethereal feel, a dress like no one had ever worn before, and a dress that offered an alternative more relaxed look for the evening. It was paired with the much-needed blue velvet cape for my outdoor ceremony.

To enhance the delicate feel of the floral features of the dress, it was accessorised with bespoke jewellery by Lily Flo, a bespoke headpiece by The Lucky Sixpence and a fabulous pair of blue and gold embellished shoes by Harriet Wilde. Hair and Makeup by Saskia created our model’s beautiful bridal look.

The look and feel of the photos was intended to be in keeping with the dress and complement the landscape. As Kinder Scout is such a beautiful place, our photographer, Caroline, wanted to capture plenty of the outdoors and the winter sun. The cape and crown together are very different, so she decided to keep the photos soft and romantic.

The groom’s suit and overcoat was provided by bespoke shirtmakers and tailors, Frank Rostron, based in Manchester.

Results

It was amazing on the day to see my vision come to life thanks to all the talented suppliers who were involved, which also included Extra Special Touch, Vanilla in Allseasons, Peter Lockwood Events and The Ceremony Company. I couldn’t have imagined it any better. We didn’t get any snow but it was still a magical wintery day.

I wanted to create a few different set ups around the venue, which we managed to achieve. We had intended to capture an outdoor ceremony space at dusk, however, we didn’t anticipate just how quickly we would lose the natural light and ended up running out of time. This is still something we would love to capture and we will return to this concept in the future. Who knows, next time we might just get lucky with the weather and get the snowy shoot we originally dreamt of!