BTS at our Flourish Shoot: Capturing Romance on 35mm Film

02/07/2024

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The response to our new 2025 Flourish Collection has been absolutely wonderful! For this collection we wanted to create a beautiful inspirational shoot set in the grounds of a historic house in Suffolk. After visiting a few venues, the gardens of this stunning home felt perfect.

With a breathtaking walled rose garden, wildflowers and traditional English sculptures it was the perfect combination of manicured hedges and relaxed nature. With the introduction of hand painted floral materials into our Flourish Collection we wanted the surroundings to feel at harmony with these designs.

We decided to focus our shoot in the grounds, gardens and entrance to the home but the interiors were very special and we were lucky enough to use the library room for our set up and lunch. There was so much history, architecture and interiors to spark lots of inspiration.

This Suffolk home, with its timeless elegance, provided the perfect backdrop for our vision. The combination of opulent interiors and flourishing exteriors created a dream-like quality, enhancing the romantic narrative we aimed to tell.

A slower, more thoughtful approach

This shoot aimed to evoke a sense of romance, dreaminess, and timeless inspiration, achieved through the classic medium of 35mm film. Our extremely talented photographer, Sundari, captured the elegance of Flourish with rich, organic colours contribute to an ethereal feel, setting it apart from digital photography. Each frame on film captures light in a way that digital cannot replicate, bringing warmth and depth to the captures.

Shooting on 35mm film requires a slower, more thoughtful approach. Each shot was carefully composed, mindful of lighting and composition. The unpredictability of film, with its unique quirks and surprises, added an element of authenticity to the shoot. This way of working made every moment feel more precious, as we had to wait (very patiently!) for the film to be developed to see the final results.

In an age dominated by digital media, our return to 35mm film was a testament to the enduring power of classic photography, capturing the romance and magic of our new collection in an authentic and thoughtful way.

Timeless Make-Up & Hair for an effortless feel

When it came to make-up and hair we knew it was important to reflect the timeless qualities of our collection and the ethereal feel of shooting on film. Working with Pamela & Andrea, they created a delicate flushed look on our model, Morven. Using pink tones to tie in the florals through the grounds, they created an exaggerated blush look, minimal eye make-up, a dewy glow with pink stained lips. The overall look was fresh, uplifting and inspirational – it’s our new favourite bridal look and we hope our brides feel inspired by the talented work of Pamela & Andrea.

For hair, the lovely Emma created a relaxed swept back look, as some of our shots were running though the grounds and lying down, we wanted a natural wind swept feel. Keeping it modern, Emma pinned back the sides of the hair and created texture with soft waves. A hair down look that almost felt like an up-do, creating space and lightness around the face.

Capturing Movement

One of the key elements of our Flourish Collection is freedom of movement, our new designs embody a sense of lightness and comfort for our brides. With soft flowing natural silks, organzas and full fluid skirts it was important we captured this movement on video. Our videographer Neil captured video footage throughout the day to truly show the flow and elegance of the designs. And we must praise that opening shot, a beautiful wide angle capturing the drama of the venue and statement design feature of our Luca dress. To add some playfulness to the video we also incorporated some drone shots capturing the dreamy gardens from above.

Working hard behind the scenes were Andrea & Siobhan who made sure the dresses were prepped, steamed and fitted beautifully to Morven. Daniel, who is a pro at logistics and getting us all set up for the day. Mikey, Sundari’s assistant who helped keep the flow of the day and energy levels up. And Morven, our lovely model who was an absolute pro on the day, even battling heels on soft grass to get the perfect shot! A shout out to Emmy London for their stunning shoes, which completed our bridal looks perfectly.

We hope you enjoyed a little insight into our Flourish shoot! All designs are now available to try in our Islington Showroom.

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