The Location

The Priory, Little Wymondley is a beautiful, peaceful, and unique venue which is open to host both wedding ceremonies and receptions. Since 1992, The Priory has hosted over two thousand weddings. At the heart of this historic setting is the tithe barn, built in 1541 by James Needham who was a carpenter to King Henry VIII. The tithe barn is a magnificent building and is possibly the finest timber barn in England. Owned and run by the Hope Family, The Priory is an exclusive wedding venue set in the scenic Hertfordshire countryside.

The Inspiration

As the wedding and concept planner, my vision was to create a styled shoot focused around a romantic and rustic wedding which is timeless and looks beautiful throughout all seasons. I created a mood board that covered all sections of the shoot ensuring that the theme ran seamlessly through each area of the venue. I wanted the focal point to be the foliage and large table garland whilst bringing in whites and hints of golds. I reached out to a team of suppliers who shared their thoughts and brought their own personal touches and twists to the shoot.

The Flower Design and Styling

When it came to the flower design, I knew I had to have Kim from Bloom in Gorgeous involved. After sending her my inspiration mood board we had a chat over the phone to make sure we had a clear picture of what was needed for the florals. The brief was white and green with hints of gold. The table garland was made up of mixed foliage which created a layered and textured look with different colours of greens throughout. Kim added subtle small blooms of astrantia, spray roses, wax flowers and trailing ivy to achieve a soft subtle look. The eucalyptus hoops were also the perfect addition to go behind the top table as this followed the theme from the foliage garland. To decorate the table, I wanted to ensure that the focus was the garland but I styled this using both tall gold candle holders with white and green candles and small votives to add layers. The tableware included gold rimmed charger plates and glasses, gold cutlery and ceramic plates.

The talented Lauren from Victoria + Claire immediately saw my vision and their props work perfectly for a rustic barn theme, especially the wooden arbour arch which Kim enhanced by using a gold grevillea which is a lovely sprayed foliage bringing the edge of luxury vibe to the arbour. We used wooden crates to add depth and we softened the wood effect by scattering ivory drape through. We decorated these with cylinder vases and lanterns all lit with candles which added an intimate feel to the shoot. We also used this design for our welcome sign and the hand sanitizing station. We partnered with Danielle from House of Halley who creatively designed the chalkboard and sanitiser station sign at the top of the aisle. 

The Bride & Groom

The bride wore Wanita by Victoria Jane supplied by @ivoryandlaceb. The dress, which was an elegant satin strapless sweetheart fit & flare gown with bow back detail, added a simple beauty to the shoot. We incorporated a hint of gold by collaborating with @pieces_of_paige jewellery suppliers using her Mable rope bracelet, Chrissy rope necklace and the Luna hoops. Emma Bridal Hair and Make up specialises in creating chic red carpet inspired looks for the modern bride.  Emma wanted to keep things minimal, with a stylish bun, to compliment the clean lines of the dress. For makeup, she created a flawless and glowing base with an emphasis on the eye. The groom wore a black fitted three piece dinner suit which was sophisticated and complimented the bride’s beautiful wedding gown.

For the bridal bouquet, Kim created an unstructured bouquet using lots of mixed foliage and flowers including standard roses, she also bought in hints of gold by using a gold ribbon. Kim also ensured that the buttonholes matched and complimented the bride’s bouquet. 

The Stationery

Vicky from Paperoo designed the simple but beautiful stationery. The layered postcard invite was printed on a beautiful lightly textured white card.  The stationery was finished with a personalised guest name tag tied together with soft sage green satin ribbon and a pop of gold in the eyelet.  Keeping everything white allowed the main details of the collection to come through on the tactile nature of the design with the various layers and shapes.  The soft ribbon contrasted with the sharp edge and gave it a luxurious feel. The invites were complimented with personalised menu cards on the day.

The Cake

For the shoot, Brogan from Finest Layers supplied a rustic 2 tier wedding cake. Inside the cake, there were four layers of lovely vanilla sponge filled with vanilla buttercream. For the decoration, Brogan went with a rustic buttercream finish with clusters of beautiful flowers supplied by the amazing florist. The cake was finished off with hints of gold leaf to give it that extra touch to tie it in with the gold theme.

The Suppliers

Wedding Planner and Stylist: LBC Weddings and Events

On the Day Assistant: Miss Carlysle and Co Events

Venue: The Priory Little Wymondley

Photographer: Isabelle Elliott Weddings

Prop Hire: Victoria + Claire

Florist: Bloom in Gorgeous

Model Couple: Bronte and Lewis

Hair and Makeup: Ema Bridal Make up

Dress: Ivory and Lace Bridal

Accessories: Piece of Paige

Suit: Ann Bridal Mr Macky menswear

Cake: Finest Layers

Stationery: Paperoo Wedding Stationery

Signage: House of Halley

Table Decor Hire: Dress it Yourself