OF THE LAKE. A STYLED WEDDING SHOOT AT TOWN HEAD ESTATE, WINDERMERE

CONCEPT

Ailsa says: We organised this shoot as Town Head Estate is a new venue in the heart of the Lake District. When I first visited Town Head, my instant reaction was to incorporate a boat on the lake. Think old English ‘Lady of Shalott’ with pops of beautiful pastels running throughout. We wanted to create a timeless sophisticated feeling that was full of romance and really captured the essence of the Lake District.

LOCATION

I am actually getting married at Town Head next year so, from looking around the place, I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to create a styled shoot there too. Being right by the lake and being surrounded by absolute beauty, it’s hard to not envisage all kinds of different styled shoots that could happen there. The lake for me was the inspiration, so the rowing boat was the ball that got everything else rolling. Town Head is romantic, it’s old, it’s unique and it’s full of character.

STYLING

We wanted something that was fun and punchy without it being really overpowering. We went with an array of colours, with the florist sourcing from local flower farms around the Lake District. The main colours used were blues and peach tones, with the stationery keeping in line with these colours. We also had a gin bar that had the most colourful drinks you could imagine, and rustic chairs around a table for the wedding breakfast setup. The aim was to create a selection of beautiful whimsical florals that captured the essence of the Lake District. Arrangements that really had that sense of freedom to them.

ATTIRE

To keep in line with the feel of this shoot, we went with two different dresses. The first a Katya Katya dress that was floaty and effortlessly beautiful, and the second was a fitted timeless classic from Maggie Sottero. Both dresses worked perfectly with the shoot even though they were very different from each other.

I love movement so the Katya Katya was perfect for in front of the window and the Sottero was great for the more styled shots outside. We paired the dresses with some beautiful handmade hair accessories from Hannah Grace Bridal. These were delicate and classic, and fit in perfectly with the shoot. The groom had a laid-back feel with a fitted blue suit with no tie.

BEAUTY

The model did her own makeup due to COVID-19, but kept it minimal and light. The hair was a relaxed updo, which showed off the back of the dress. It was a classic style without it being too “staged”.

RESULTS

On the day it rained! We were all driving to the site and I think each of us were looking in absolute horror at how bad the weather actually was. But the way we saw it, a bride and groom are not able to reschedule so why should we? We had to think quick on our feet, as most of the setup was meant to be outside! Luckily, we were able to use a beautiful room in the house and stayed undercover for most of the day. My aim was to get on the boat, so my thinking was, if it had to be a Notebook movie moment, then so be it! Luckily the weather subsided for an hour in the afternoon, so we had a mad dash with the couple to get out and get some shots outside.

When working with such an incredible team, it helps massively, even if you sometimes have to completely change your plan. But if you stay relaxed and just work collaboratively together, some beautiful work can happen.