Pretty & feminine wedding boudoir at The George in Rye Hotel.

I have known stylist, Louise, for a while and have always loved working with her. She effortlessly creates such beautiful looks, so when we started chatting one day about creating an inspirational shoot that would capture something special and different I knew it would be wonderful. We shared a vision; to create a pretty and feminine wedding boudoir shoot that captured the dream-like anticipation of a bride getting ready on her wedding morning. We’re both huge fans of the amazing work of Elizabeth Messina, and wanted to capture our version of romantic and beautiful boudoir – without the overtly sexual feel and look that is often associated with boudoir photography.

Louise chose a very subtle, pastel palette, using lots of soft ivory, peach and blush tones with the slightest hint of sage green to create a romantic look, while still keeping a grown-up feel. The shoot was designed to be quite editorial, picking out details and beautiful poses to create an ethereal and dream-like effect. A pretty bedroom and the Ballroom at The George in Rye provided the perfect backdrop to set the scene with these soft colours and gorgeous details.

We decided to challenge the typical idea of femininity, choosing a model (the gorgeous Chloe-Jasmine Whichello) with a short, bleached pixie-crop. Sev, from Hepburn Collection, worked his magic with his favourite ‘Milkshake’ products – using Liquid Designer on wet hair before blow-drying a soft, tousled style and finishing with Sticky Paste for texture and volume.

Make-Up Artist Mariam Jensen created a flawless base with a dewy finish, picking antique rose colours for the eyes and lip with a soft blush to highlight the cheeks, a natural look for the boudoir shots. For the bridal portraits, Sev added more volume and height to Chloe’s hair and we picked a comb from Connie & Dolly to give her a bridal look. Mariam pumped up the volume on the makeup, with a bold coral lip and stronger eyes and cheeks for a more chiselled look.

Chloe modelled a selection of sheer, floaty lingerie from the Ell & Cee Bridal collection. Their range is full of pretty and sexy pieces that offer something very special without giving too much away – no wonder they’re a favourite choice for brides! For our editorial shots, Benjamina from Indeco Flowers created stunning floral garters and necklaces. We also used a selection of vintage silk and lace veils from Faith Caton-Barber and Kelly Spence to add a soft and ethereal bridal touch to the boudoir shots.

The flowers were designed to be very whimsical and loose, with trailing foliage spilling out of the arrangements, and garlands becoming entwined and emerging from the interior and furniture. Benjamina’s pretty style was perfect! The bouquet and centrepieces were created from a luxurious mix of blush pink hydrangea, piano roses and ranunculus, and displayed in vintage glassware and cut crystal against lace linens. She also created a delicate hydrangea backdrop for the portrait shots, picking up the muted colours and painterly effect of the décor.

Faith Caton-Barber from Faith Caton-Barber Bespoke Bridalwear designed the gentle fishtail silhouette dress ‘Dusty’ especially for the shoot after Louise shared her vision for the whole look. She used soft pink silk and trimmed it with cream silk ruffles, to create something feminine, romantic, and to paraphrase the Hollywood costume designer, Edith Head, “tight enough to show she’s a woman, and loose enough to show she’s a lady”

Krishanthi from Cakes by Krishanthi created a perfectly elegant and pretty cake. She took her inspiration from the elegant mood board that Louise created. It had lots of blooms and neutral tones that really captured the whole ‘boudoir’ feel.  She was keen to create a design that had a sense of pure indulgence and elegance.  The bow on the middle tier was inspired by lacy lingerie to add a touch of that lush boudoir feel to the cake.

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The Team

Styling: B.loved Wedding Design & Styling

Flowers: InDeco Flowers

Fashion Styling & Bespoke Wedding Dress: Faith Caton-Barber

Hair: Sev Hubert from Hepburn Collection

Makeup: Mariam Jensen

Lingerie: Ell & Cee

Shoes: Emmy Shoes

Bridal Accessories: Connie & Dolly

Props: Rowen & Wren

Cake: Cakes by Krishanthi

Veils: Kelly Spence and Faith Caton-Barber

Venue: The George in Rye

Model: Chloe-Jasmine Whichello

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See more editorial and commercial photography by visiting the gallery. If you are wanting to book a shoot for your business or brand, get in touch. I love working with creative businesses to capture photos that truly reflect the brand.

Thanks

Fiona x