Intimate Wedding Ideas Inspired by the First Look

We love styled wedding shoots for many reasons, but a major part of it is seeing how many different sources there are for inspiration. For photographer Chantal Lachance-Gibson, inspiration came in the form of a styled shoot inspired by the first look! It was with those short quiet moments before the wedding begins in mind that Lavender Blue and Lemonbox Studios were brought in to style this shoot to perfection:

From the photographer and event designer, Chantal Lachance-Gibson: I wanted to create a first look inspired shoot since despite its popularity in North America, it’s yet to take off in the UK. It is such a romantic moment between the couple and it frees up a lot of time for the couple to enjoy their guests later on in the day. I thought doing a First Look inspired shoot would help bring it into the spotlight and encourage couples to consider adding it to their wedding day. Over the past year I have developed a great network of talented suppliers I love working with. When I approached them to collaborate on this shoot they threw themselves into it to a level that went over and above what I expected.

The shoot is intended to be as a soft, whimsical and romantic but luxurious while reflecting our grand and stately location. We went with soft peaches and mint greens with golds, the perfect complement against the rich tones of the interior, and the lush Scottish countryside. Our venue was Springkell House Hotel which is a stunning stately home with beautiful grounds. We carried out a pre-shoot a recce with our stylists to inspire them and help us to use the grounds and venue to its full potential. It also gave us further creative inspiration needed for the photos and the story we wanted to create. My husband and I are a photography team but I also invited my friend and fellow photographer Kristin Mitchell from Struve Photography as we often work with her. We have a similar style so I knew it work well. We had often chatted about doing a styled shoot together. We have worked alongside Laura Gray for quite a few weddings over the years. She is an absolute talent and goes above and beyond, which why I wanted her for this collaboration. The makeup was soft and natural as we wanted it to be and the hair was romantic and also unique. We used fresh flowers in Gail’s hair and decided to put the head piece at the back to show brides that creative thought can make your day that much more unique.

The cake was made by the talented Lisa from Little Cake Parlour. I have shopped with her prior to setting up my photography business. We always recommend her as her cakes are absolutely breathtaking and she shares our dedication to clients. She took the colour palette and inspiration from our Pinterest board and ran with it to create something utterly beautiful. The dress was created and specifically designed for the shoot by the talented Wendy Harman from Flossy & Dossy. We kept in touch via a group I created on Facebook for everyone involved which kept us all in the design process. “The dress is going to be quite understated, illusion tulle and lace on top and a lovely floaty Georgette skirt. So it should fit in with all the pretty details and colours” She had our model Gail in for fittings to ensure the dress fit perfectly. Our beautiful flower arrangements and bouquet were by Allie Mccann at Lavender Blue We also met in her studio to detail what was needed for the shoot. Laura and Natalie made drawings for all of their designs which was perfect to visualise what we were trying to achieve. The flowers were incredible and completed the shoot. In her own words: “we want to compliment the overall design and palette. We are queens of the summer and all the most precious blooms are available now.” Our models are also in the wedding industry. Gail is a photographer and her partner David is a videographer. We felt a real couple added sincerity of then seeing each other for the first time and it worked. We captured the emotions and intimacy of that moment perfectly. They also understood what we were trying to achieve and the feel for the shoot.

From the stylists, Laura and Natalie of Lemonbox Studios: We wanted to create a romantic and whimsical feel using soft colours to reflect the palate of the beautiful venue, with pops of brighter shades of peach and mint to add a contemporary twist and gold highlights to create a of fusion of modern & classic vintage. The colours were emphasised further by using peaches on the table and by the gorgeously soft and elegant florals which were supplied by Lavender Blue Glasgow. We love to create contrasts not just using colour but also textures and materials. The chunky rustic timber table top with delicate lace pattern offset with contemporary ghost chairs. Soft ribbons mixing chintzy patterns, mint & peach satin & romantic lace all hung from a crisp white frame to create a colourful & intimate canopy for the table whilst providing a backdrop to the vintage chandelier centrepiece. All the details designed and made by Lemonbox Studios work together to finish the look, including stationery, favours, signage and a beautiful oversized floral printed backdrop for designed & made by Little Cake Parlour. We wanted to continue the theme out to the stunning gardens where we set up a lounge area complete with our hand painted hanging bench sofa. The mossy & gnarly tree branch contrasts perfectly with the elegant furniture and a sparkling chandelier to provide a romantic setting for the bride and groom.