We are thrilled to welcome the amazing Laura Farmer from Freeformimages Photography to our Wedding Inspiration Blog. Laura is a wedding & elopement photographer based in Devon, and is one of our Approved Suppliers here at The Boho Bride Guide.
Laura will be sharing her Eco Luxe Wedding Inspiration Shoot with us, which was shot at the beautiful River Cottage, nestled in a picturesque valley on the Devon - Dorset border, UK, surrounded by rolling fields and stunning scenery. Sounds perfect!
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Laura wanted to embrace as much as possible, the ethos that as one of the biggest celebrations of your life, your wedding day, can at the same time be earth-friendly and not harmful to our environment. By considering the way we use resources, and look to conserve them as much as possible such as water and energy. As well as looking at ways we can reduce and prevent our contribution to air, water and land pollution, we can work towards rebuilding our earths ecosystem for future generations to come. Laura hopes this Blog Feature will inspire you to implement some of the more eco-friendly aspects of wedding preparations into your plans, without compromising on your wedding day dreams!
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The Venue
A wedding at River Cottage will always inspire and enchant. Surrounded by rolling fields and beautiful countryside, River Cottage is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Couples can say "I do," in the famous farmhouse or the walled kitchen garden, or the beautifully restored Threshing Barn. River Cottage really is the perfect setting for an unforgettable wedding.
"Creating an Eco wedding with a luxury twist was at the heart of this shoot and was coordinated in harmony with the venue and suppliers involved."
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Bridal Bell Tent
Native Bell Tent Hire aimS to be as green thinking as possible. ”We choose high quality, long-lasting bell tents made from sustainably sourced cotton. Our canvas tents are arguably more eco-friendly than the modern nylon tents".
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The Bridal Look
The Bride had a selection of 3 dresses within this editorial. 'The Beach Dress' made by Luna Bride , is available at The Conscious Bride, made from organic silk, bamboo and French lace all of which is handmade in the UK.
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The 'Meraki' two piece made by The Conscious Bride 'Own Label,' is created from vintage broderie anglaise. Hannah says, “I wanted to create something from cotton that had form and structure. So many wedding dresses are in silk and I wanted to find away to utilise beautiful vintage cottons and still create a wedding dress that was comfortable and striking.”
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And finally a bespoke heirloom silk gown made by The Conscious Bride 'Own Label.' “This dress was created specially with this shoot in mind. The lace on the top was purchased from a fair a few years ago and I had been hanging onto it for something special. Teamed with this hand loomed fair trade silk from Cambodia it is a dress that keeps traditional technique and skill alive. Lined with non bleached bamboo (from a closed loop system). It's still all about stunning and slightly daring backs, and because the lace was only a small piece it influence the design.”
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Bridal Hair and Make-up
The make up products used were also environmentally friendly, zero waste, recyclable, carbon neutral, sustainably sourced ingredients, non - toxic, non GMO, vegan, cruelty free and gave a flawless look. Michelle Stanford Makeup Artist gave the model a look that was inspired by the colours used in the shoot, so a smokey look, with some coral and gold added to the mix. With a beautiful coral lipstick to finish.
The hair by The Up do Girl was a soft; natural textured looking hairstyle “I felt would suit the brief and the beautiful countryside venue location”. The hair products used are a brand called Maria Nila, their products are vegan and cruelty free, they use climate compensated packaging, working with Zeromission and Plant Vivo which helps farmers plant trees in poorer parts of the world for reforestation.”
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Even the headpiece by Hey Jules Bridal Accessories was up-cycled and re-worked the elements. “I managed to find some gorgeous 1940’s vintage fabric millinery flowers from a local vintage shop, which I used as part of the main headpiece along with some beautiful blush vintage pearls and other antique beads. I love the 3D effect and the softness of the pearl sprays and glass leaves. The gold and lavender crown contains the most beautiful vintage brooch that had been in my collection for a number of years just waiting to be used in something special! The soft colours and organic structure were perfect for the River Cottage theme.”
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The Groom Attire
The Groom wore a selection of Cock & Bull Tweed Collection’s handsome and colourful tweed waistcoats and caps accompanied by a classic hemp long sleeve shirt and organic chino trousers. 'Using the finest hand-woven tweeds from the Isle of Lewis, paired with organic hemp/silk linings enable us o provide excellent quality and sustainable style. Even the bow ties from Patore’UK are lovingly created from solid wood, the grain ensures no two are alike. To complete his look were unconventional sophisticated men’s shoes from Bourgeois Boheme, providing ethically made, sustainable, vegan shoes with a literal minimal footprint.
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The Decor
Using natural fabrics hand dyed with natural pigments Vicky from Do me A favour, added the colour tones of coral from the brief. These elements flowed out from the foliage of greenery table runners, creating a wonderful natural, but sumptuous feel to the tables. Slate chargers gave depth and contrast to the wooden tables and we used gold cutlery and gold tea light holders to bring more of a luxury feel to the decor.
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Wedding Florals & Foliage
To give the stunning Threshing Barn Dining Area an extra dimension, Petal and Posie Floristry hung many macramé plant hangers with beautiful plant holders filled with gorgeous seasonal flora’s such as Tulips, Narcissi, Hellebores and lots of foliage for a lush, green 'just gathered' spring look. This created a ceiling of natural luxury and framed the top table in a unique way.
Our hand made table plan was strung with matching stationery to the table settings and was naturally at home with the cake and gift area of the room.
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The Locally-Sourced Wedding Food
The food for this styled shoot was supplied by the River Cottage kitchen, where they grow their own ingredients in the River Cottage gardens or source locally. Enjoy the very best local, seasonal produce prepared by talented chefs in the picturesque surroundings of River Cottage HQ.
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The Wedding Cake
Claires Sweet Temptations a luxury cake designer covering the South West UK, created this show stopper of a wedding cake. Bringing in the metallic accents from the table styling, to blend into the fresh elegant feel of this shoot, whilst at the same time having a hint of luxury.
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Everything about River Cottage chimes from the stunning surroundings to the ethically sourced food. “As a Celebrant my main creativity is through my words; however for the shoot I used my old favourite wooden lectern and created a beautiful hand fasting cord plaiting together all natural cotton and linen ribbons and cords…adding feathers too. ??
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The Rings
The rings are symbolic and so important in a wedding so it was only fitting to ask Eco Wood Rings to provide us with the stunning wedding bands. "You have a unique opportunity when you choose a custom eco wood ring to create something truly meaningful. |
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Handpicked Wedding Confetti
?The confetti supplied by Keslowena Confetti, was hand picked and lovingly made for this shoot. Hops, delphinium and lady’s mantle were the choice of petal and the soft scents were perfect for the Cottage Garden ceremony.
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With Love,
Jen x
The dream team that made this happen:
River Cottage - Venue
Freeformimages Photography - Photographer
The Conscious Bride - Wedding Dresses
Beyond Skin - Bridal Shoes
Cadogan Cardigans - Shawls
Michelle Stanford, Arbonne - MUA
The Up Do Girl - Hair
Hey Jules - Bridal Accessories and Stationery
Nixie James-Scott, Unique Ceremonies - Wedding Celebrant
Keslowena Confetti - Confetti
Petal and Posie - Florals
Claire Sweet Temptations - Cake
Thought Clothing & Cock and Bull Tweed Collection - Grooms attire
Bourgeois Boheme - Groom's Shoes
Patore' UK Wooden Bow Ties - Grooms accessories
Eco Wood Rings - Rings
Native - Bridal bell tent
Do Me A Favour - Styling
Hooky Madness - Macrame
Models Paul Hobbs & Roksana Skabrika
