A Return to Rookesbury Park... an Elegant Green and White Styled Shoot

I’ve been delivering Weddings Flowers to couples at Rookesbury Park for years, this beautiful venue holds such a special place in my heart. About 11 years ago, I took part in a styled shoot at the house, the photos were so pretty I chose to use the homepage of my first website.

So you can imagine my excitement when, as part of a showcase of their favourite suppliers, I was invited to take part in a very chic styled shoot at the house once again. It felt like coming full circle.

The Brief for the shoot was to create an Elegant, Classic Green & White asthetic, which let’s say could be timeless, understated and refined. What we delivered was soft, graceful and we loved every moment.

The challenge for the florist when taking part in a styled shoots is often the same – our materials, the flowers are perishable, so every stem counts. I have to make the very best use of the ingredients available on the day; think about the light, the angles and condition of each flower. Seasonality matters too, some flowers have short availability, so it would unfair to feature them as inspiration if they’re not available for long stretches of time for potential clients who could be inspired by the style we created. To give the flowers a fresh feel I chose to use Lilac blossom, Ranunculus, reflexed fluffy petalled Roses and Viburnum. For the banquet table these were set in delicate Italian glassware to create softness and movement along the table. Orchids were fixed into dipping bowls with a flourish of moss, while the addition of Grapes and Pears added layers of fresh green texture in footed bowls. I love adding the fruit for depth- it brought a pop of colour and abundance without overpowering the flowers.

For the wider shoot, we imagined our Bride and Groom were called Florence and Hugo. It’s always helpful to build a story, this helps to inform every creative decision including the design of invitations, menu cards and even bepoke wine bottle labels! (See supplier list at the end of the blog if you love this).

The dresses were graceful and elegant, perfectly in keeping with the setting. Hair and make-up followed suit with a soft, refined finish, while the suit was set in a warm ‘chino’ tone to complement the green and white palette beautifully.

Styled shoots are always such a team effort, I decorated the drawing room, embracing its classic proportions and period charm. We were asked to lay up the banquet table in the hallway where the light was simply wonderful. We moved the table closer to the window to make the most of the natural light - an easy decision once we saw how it illuminated the glass, fruit and florals in the photographs taken by Lucy Poulaki.

Syreeta at Luxury Hire Company added petal shaped charger plates, gold accents and layered props to elevate the place settings settings, I loved the floating candles and footed bowls. In fact I'm in love with everything Syreeta brought from her studio. I adore a “vibe” as it’s more realistc and true to real life weddings, so the bespoke Stationery  elements woven throughout to ensured things felt curated rather than over-styled. As you can see Lydia Wild Flower Cake Studio made the most beautifully elegant 4-tied cake; with white icing which reflected the fabric drapes used to style the spaces, we chose to frame the cake with flower filled bowls and candles.

Overall the whole thing has been a joy to be a part of I can’t wait to see how the drawing room photographs look,to share more of the beautiful spaces at Rookesbury House, and of course my favourite THE Bouquet!

Sometimes a styled shoot isn’t just about beautiful images - it’s about remembering why you started and celebrating your creativity in a relaxed way. Thank you so much to the events team at Rookesbury Park, and all my fellow Wedding suppliers.

With love, Sarah x

p.s. Here’s the line up of the suppliers Instagram Pages :

Venue: @rookesbury_park - Photography: @lucypoulakiweddings MUA: @demiearnoldmakeup - Hair: @rachaelsmithhairdressing - Dresses: @Avenue51bridal

Suit: @charlesgaleformalwear - Jewellery: @nicholls.jewellery - Bridal robe: @thebridaleditionuk

Shoes: @thebridaleditionuk - Female Model: @__kaanashurmer - Male model: @itsAdamPaul

Florals: @sgfloraldesign - Styling: @luxuryhireco - Cake: @wildflowercakestudio

Balloons: @neonandblush - Stationery: @happyeverlyafterstationery - Illustrator: @charlottechivertonillustration