Whimsical romance is the plan for this afternoon courtesy of photographer Hannah McClune who kindly sent over this beautiful Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding inspiration shoot she organised. With gorgeous styling by Serendipity Weddings, pretty stationery by Paperknots and some incredible cakes by The Cake Boutique. I so love this dreamy shoot.

Thanks so much to Hannah McClune for sharing her images with us today, here is what she had to say about the shoot:

“The inspiration for this shoot was a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; we wanted to capture the romance and whimsy of this classic love story but in a way that would appeal to today’s modern couples.

Our venue was Pennyhill Park, a stunning 5-star hotel & spa in Surrey. Pennyhill has several gorgeous rooms available for weddings including a stunning library suite. With its original fireplaces, classic wood panelling & shelves stacked with books it was the perfect backdrop for a Shakespearian inspired theme! The highlight of Pennyhill Park though has to be its outdoor terrace pavilion which is licensed for civil ceremonies and partnerships. We focused shooting on the pavilion as well as making use of some of the 120 acres of stunning grounds that surround Pennyhill Park.

I asked Rachael from Serendipity Weddings to come on board early in the process to help style and coordinate the shoot. Her brief was to incorporate the quirky features of the story in an elegant way so using a romantic colour palette of blush pink, pale green and gold accents, Rachael set about creating some subtle but whimsical ideas to bring the theme to life. Her fabulous styling included a drinks station complete with a ‘love potion’ punch, using sprigs of wild thyme in the place settings, order of services designed to look like Shakespearian scrolls and not forgetting the pair of tiny gold donkeys that we all grew very fond of! Rachael also helped with supplier sourcing and was fantastic at getting us all organised and overseeing the running of the photoshoot on the day.

Lisa Butler from Paperknots designed an entire stationery suite for the photoshoot which featured a stunning design of illustrative wild flowers, berries and leaves set within an enchanted forest. Lisa created a beautiful monogram of the bride and groom’s initials which is used across the range to personalise it for each couple. The invitation suite which includes a save the date, RSVP and a beautiful hand drawn map was tied with blush ribbon and accompanied by luxury textured envelopes and delicate patterned linings.”

 

 

“Tarnia Williams of Flowers for Weddings provided the beautiful floral elements for the shoot. On receiving the brief she was instantly drawn to the beautiful David Austin roses. The soft colours of ‘Kiera’ a new variety worked perfectly with the blush palette and oozed romance. Tarnia added other varieties of roses and eustoma in complimentary tones for extra interest, and seed pods for texture.

The coral berries worked as great highlights to the arrangements which included a dramatic candelabra centrepiece and a timeless teardrop bouquet.”

 

 

“Jo from Tea and Doilies provided the gorgeous mismatched vintage crockery for the reception table. She also created a beautiful feature of the pavilion by hanging vintage teacups with ribbon and added some of Tarnia’s roses for a stunning backdrop.  As well as offering a wide selection of china and props to hire to add that something special to your vintage tea party, Jo also offers customised and bespoke wedding stationery.”

 

 

“The stunning dresses in the shoot are from Chic by Hollywood Dreams and were kindly provided by Helen Lord, owner of Wokingham bridal boutique Borrowed Blue & Lace. Megan wore style CH030; a strapless chiffon dress with a ruched bodice and a beautiful tiered and layered [Helen Lord] waterfall effect a-line skirt. Her fingertip veil is ‘Jessamy’ by Rainbow Club. Christie’s dress was style CH033 and featured all-over sequinned lace, an elegant sabrina neckline and a glamorous fish-tail train. She wore the stunning cathedral length ‘Starfire’ veil also by Rainbow Club.  Helen also lent us the beautiful bridal shoes that you’ll see in the images. They are by Hassall for Rainbow Club and the style is called ‘Blossom Time’.”

 

 

“After putting a shout-out on Model Mayhem we managed to secure two gorgeous models – Megan and Christie – to play our bride with Johnny taking on the role of the groom. They were all really professional and didn’t complain once despite the endless posing and freezing cold temperatures!”

 

 

“The Sweet Stylist Laura Atkinson put together an elegant display of blush, gold and caramel-toned sweets to echo the colours used throughout the photo-shoot. Laura filled gorgeous Bon Bon jars with classic vanilla fudge and strawberry cheesecakes as well as some charming woodland themed sweets – coconut toadstools and white chocolate mice – to tie in with the theme.”

 

 

“Styled by The Sweet Stylist, the table incorporated a pretty gilt sign evocative of the play’s theme and a collection of vintage glassware to display the treats on offer, including gourmet marshmallows by The Cake Boutique. Miniature milk bottles were set on wood slice coasters and tiny gold glitter flags added a touch of sparkle.”

 

 

“Cake Designer Melissa Woodland from The Cake Boutique put together a pretty, playful and elegant trio of cakes, each incorporating elements of the theme. The main cake was layered tiers of blush, ivory and brushed gold leaf, separated by beautiful co-ordinating David Austen roses provided by Tarnia. The other two cakes featured vintage style sugar buttons and fairylike ruffles, all in the blush and gold palette.”

 

 

“Our groom wore a brown check 3-piece suit from Next. A pale pink tie and handkerchief and floral buttonhole completed the look.”

 

“Charlotte of Charlotte Elizabeth did a fantastic job on Megan and Christie’s make up with neutral but smoky eye-make up and a delicate wash of pink on the cheeks and lips. Charlotte enhanced Megan’s stunning natural curls with some simple fresh flowers and for Christie, created a playful fishtail plait tied with ribbon.”

 

 

Credit Where Credit is Due…

Venue: Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa 

Photographer: Hannah McClune Photography

Styling: Serendipity Weddings

Make up artist: Charlotte Elizabeth

Florist: Tarnia Williams

Cakes & Desserts: The Cake Boutique

Sweetie Table: The Sweet Stylist

Vintage Prop & Crockery Hire: Tea and Doilies

Stationery Designer: Paperknots

Dresses and Accessories: Borrowed Blue & Lace

Models: Meg O’Duffy, Christie Hitchens, Johnny Cassell

Ideas galore!! Right i’m off to pin my heart out hehe!! Thanks so much to everyone involved for letting me share this gorgeous shoot on WWW today XOXO Lou