Drovers Rest | A Styled Shoot

You know those messages you get when you're like whaaaaatttt?? and kind of 'pinch me' at the same time? Being asked by the lovely Kesri from Drovers Rest if we'd be up for them bringing us over to Wales and putting us up for a couple of nights and being asked to style a shoot to launch their brand new wedding venue?! Urmmmm YES PLEASE!!!

We were recommended to Kesri by our gorgeous pals Lovaine & Jon from The Wild Bride <3... and then the lovely Laura from Festival Brides was bought in to do the creative direction of the shoot... Already we knew it was going to be a good shoot!! <3

Drovers Rest is STUNNING!!!! It’s set on a beautiful 16th century working organic farm with loads of old beautifully kept stone buildings and the great outdoors to explore <3 They also have so many gorgeous animals; from Alpacas to mini Falabella horses, sheep, pigs and pygmy goats!! Perfect for those photo ops!! In addition to 2 wedding barns they also provide luxury accommodation meaning the wedding party can make a weekend of it! 

To get the ball rolling Kesri sent over some ideas she liked and some photos of the spaces... I used these as a guide to plan the concept for the shoot... I wanted it to be real, authentic and to suit the venue and the vibe they have there.... You can read more about what inspired me by clicking here as I explained it all in this fab blog post on Festival Brides. But basically.... We created a stripped back minimal shoot with nods to navajo textiles and simple natural decor! Just beautiful!!!

In this post I'm going to share with you some of my fave shots and will give more details throughout, but head tot he end to see the full list of suppliers involved in the shoot! Also anyone who likes what they see (and is planning a shotgun 2019 wedding) should head to Drovers rest as they have a special launch offer where you can get a whopping 50% off your venue hire on their free weekends!!!

Anyway.... enjoy.... <3

Steph, our gorgeous bride for the shoot looked sensational in this epic Vagabond Bridal gown!! {I mean those sleeves!!!!} 
October Hair and LC Makeup and played their part in ensuring Steph was looking her best... Steph's bouquet was created by  Great British Flowers! Swoon!!! 

For this shoot we were keen to launch a brand new backdrop... something a bit different for us. I can us with the design by taking inspiration from traditional navajo patterns and Maxwell cut the shapes out from mdf. I then had fun painting them all and piecing the design together. I was so happy with the finished result and just think this'd look dreamy in any bohemian ceremony!! What's lovely is that the design looks completely different with the light flowing through.... check out more pics below!! <3

We also had the pleasure of styling this amazing barn for a 'reception'. The idea I had, was to create a canteen style reception with clusters of small tables and I love it... a really informal and relaxed alternative to the traditional round or trendy long ones! We softened the space by adding large woven rugs to the wall and made use of the venues fab rustic furniture! Each table had a difference centrepiece. A mix of wild blooms, woven mats, and candlesticks I made from vintage clear glass bottles filled with water and foliage! For this shoot I also hand made and dyed all the napkins which were tied with traditional  cowboy bolo ties! It's these little details that I so enjoy coming up with when I get to style a big shoot! Wouldn't this be a fab idea for a take home keepsake / favour too?

One of the loveliest things about styled shoots is collaborating with other professionals... Jenna from Wonderland Invites designed bespoke menus to fit our table stands and the rest of the incredible stationery suite. She took inspiration from my backdrop and used a similar design though-out.... Honestly, Jenna's designs are just incredible!!! I also contacted Coccia Ceramics after seeing her stunning crockery at MCWF previously!

For this shoot I was also able to use the stunning woven pieces from my friend Alice Hume aka. Vander Hume. Alice loaned us some stunning hangings from her new Harvest Moon collection and the most stunning pair of Meraki earrings... It all came together perfectly with the earrings matching this fab Verbena Madrid crown, jewellery from Lauren Hunt Jewellery and second look dress from Vagabond Bridal.

Sam, from Sam’s Sweet Treats also used our backdrop for inspiration for the cake and wow!!! how amazing does it look? I didn't see this till the day and was blown away!

The shoot also allowed us to play about with other table settings and I enjoyed creating this sweetheart table for two and also a large banquet style table too... I think this really shows how versatile not only the space is but the styling ideas we used!! Here's a few pics form the table for two and I'll pop some more pics of the big table further down... 

In addition the the incredible crown Verbena Madrid also sent over these AMAZING earrings.... I really wanted to keep these beauties and I was the only fans as you can see they were also popular with Drovers Rest's 4-legged friends <3

Here's the promised shots of the big table.... Doesn't it look stunning?? We used this garland from Great British Flowers, and lined the tables with flickering candlelight and a simple place setting! Proof that minimal can look gorgeous!

Finally to end the day we created this set up highlighting Drovers Rest's fab outside bar / pizza oven set up... Our Naked Tipi looks gorgeous covered up a bit with foliage and fairy lights and a roaring firepit! We also had fun creating this bar set up with our dispensers and metal goblets!

So there you have it, an incredible shoot for an incredible venue! Thanks to all those involved and for Drovers Rest for inviting us along... With this amazing set up I don't think it'll be long before the bookings start rolling in!! <3

Photography: The Wild Bride;
Venue: The Barn at Drovers;
Creative Direction: Festival Brides;
Concept & Styling: Lo and Behold Bespoke;
Dresses: Vagabond Bridal;
Flowers: Great British Flowers;
Hair: October Hair;
Make-Up: LC Makeup;
Cake: Sam’s Sweet Treats;
Stationery: Wonderland Invites;
Crockery: Coccia Ceramics;
Crowns & Red Earrings: Verbena Madrid;
Rings: Lauren Hunt Jewellery;
Placemats, Hanging Charms & Earrings: Vander Hume;
Rugs: The Old Electric Shop;
Boots: Boot Barn;
Bride: All So Stephy