A Reunion Collab Shoot

Less than two weeks ago I had this crazy idea - it was to set up a styled shoot in an overgrown field. At the time I had no clue where to even begin with finding the right location. I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like and also knew this wasn’t something I could do on my own so I reached out to suppliers who I used to work with pre France. I first contacted Simon at Buffalo Tipi’s because I vaguely remembered him walking through a field like this on his IG story the previous week. Within an hour he had found the most idyllic location for look 1. Then I managed to persuade Flowers by Passion, Sam’s Kitchen Events and Ash James to get involved, and just like that I was planning a styled shoot with two different locations in 5 days.

LOOK 1

Once we had the location locked in, I created a vision board which I shared with Jo from flowers by passion, she instantly got it. The magic between us is she usually just knows what’s in my mind before I do. We decided that we wanted to create a clean & contemporary style blended with a natural meadow location and bringing this through with the florals. I knew that I wanted to use something different for the cutlery and plate ware, so it was the perfect mix to work with the new business that is Country Crockhire – I’ve known Ellie for years and again because of Covid she’s come home to Bath. So, Ellie got involved and we used her amazing contemporary ceramic plates, glassware and cutlery. It completed the look, especially with a more modern style of candle from Ester & Erik. We also had Athena from Meticulous Ink create some simple yet effective menu cards, having those sit on the darker linen napkin really lifted the whole place setting.

In typical English summer style, the day started off wet, but that didn’t stop us. I had my wellies on and loved getting into the middle of the long grass whilst working out the best angles with the very talented Ash James, I love his photography and he’s possibly the only other person who is more obsessive about the tiniest detail than myself – lets just say we spent a good 30 minutes moving candles to ensure the balance was just right!

The whole look came together perfectly, and it was just so easy. The image of the table sitting perfectly within the long grasses was exactly what I had envisaged.

LOOK 2

Later in the day we moved to location 2, which was outside a Bath stone barn on the outskirts of the city. The idea was to create something with a bit more colour but still staying within a more contemporary style. I think this worked well – the colours pop against the backdrop of the wall. We also used ceramic bowls for the flowers and candles to sit in. I love using different materials as it gives the whole table texture especially when the base of everything is a natural wooden table.

LOOK 3

For years now I have championed the style of family style for a wedding dinner, this is something Sam’s Kitchen does very well. We wanted to showcase just how interactive this can be but not just that just how much drama and colour it adds to the tablescape. The original plan was to have this dinner outside however the English weather had a different idea. The family style menu works so well in all settings, people can get involved and it creates an instant talking point amongst people that maybe would not know each other.

Being back in Bath this summer where the company was first established was never the plan but because of Covid you could say we’ve come home, it has been such a nice feeling having incredible suppliers on my doorstep. We have all been working together for years and have friendships outside of what we do, so it was such fun to get the team back together for this.

I feel totally blessed to have the opportunity of working with such talented individuals, we have so much planned for the future and this won’t be the last you see of this wedding team creating magic! Watch this space.

Josh x

The team:

Ash James - https://ashjamesphotography.com/

Ellie Kenning - @countrycrockeryhire

Jo - https://flowersbypassion.com/

Sam Wylde - https://www.samskitchenevents.co.uk/

Simon - https://www.buffalotipi.com/

Athena - https://meticulousink.com/

The job of a wedding planner

We may be biased but we think a wedding planner is essential when planning a destination wedding. They have so much knowledge from being in the industry for many years, therefore they can advise on where to save money and how to plan for every eventuality.

Our process is simple -

• Meet with our clients to understand them as people.

• Support on finding the right venue.

• Create a design pack - this becomes the bible when talking with suppliers such as florists.

• Book the right supplier for each task at hand - a planner will always have their go to suppliers as they will be people they trust and understand how they work - this can be invaluable for a destination wedding.

• Create the schedule and ensure everyone knows their roles.

• Attend the rehearsal and ensure the venue is ready in the build up to the wedding, confirming final logistics with the suppliers.

• Be on site on the day of your wedding- this is the big day and something you should enjoy, which is why we ensure we manage everything from start to finish. Ensuring the set up is perfect, and that everyone knows what they should be doing. But above all, being on hand for you and your guests - we act as a host in some way to guide everyone through the motions of the day and ensuring the transition between key moments is seamless.

• Clean up - the part everyone hates. But its essential, we will ensure the venue is left exactly how we found it, allowing you to enjoy the post wedding haze.

There are always elements of planning a wedding that you may think you can do yourself, and yes you would be right but its the overall management and ensuring that nothing is missed. The on going support for you and your partner when situations may arise that you don’t know how to attack.

Image by @katylunsfordphotography

The process can be stressful when doing it alone as you are juggling work and home life as well as making big decisions for your dream wedding. You shouldn’t have all the answers or know what you are doing as for most of our clients its the first time you are doing this, however its not our first time by no stretch of the imagination, therefore we know how to deal with most situations that may come up during the process.

People ask us - do you just do ‘on the day’ - the answer is ideally not, this isn’t because its not worth our time, but that its too late if somethings been missed. Its incredibly difficult to manage something that you have not been involved with, trying to piece it all together can be troublesome when time is precious - guests are arriving and there’s not enough chairs, or the hair and make up artist is stuck in an accident on route, the band are arriving and want to know where to set up…. the list of eventualities goes on. All can be avoided when working with us throughout the whole process.

Image by @annafowlerweddings

We do understand that budgets can be tight and that hiring a wedding planner can seem like an extravagance, however it allows you to enjoy the process and ultimately be present on the day. But secondly a good planner will save you money by knowing ways to utilise the space or will understand what is required and what is not, they may also have private suppliers that you wouldn’t able to find that are half the price. Yes initially it seems like an unnecessary spend but you have to ask yourself - do you want to enjoy the morning with your bridesmaids, do you want to feel relaxed that everything is taken care off and do you really want to know what’s going on behind the scenes on your big day or would you rather sit back and enjoy as your guests will.

“We had the most amazing 4 days. Every one of our guests absolutely loved the venue, the staff and all the little touches that makes Josh so good at what he does. Both of us felt so relaxed and comfortable, and because Josh took care of everything so well, we really got to enjoy each others company over the wedding weekend”

— R&F, Bride & Bride, London

Contact us today to discuss planning your dreaming wedding.

Thank you for your visiting.

Josh x