Gaynes Park in Essex is one of my favourite venues. It's only five minutes down the road from my workshop, and it holds a special place in my heart as the place I got married. So, when Victoria from Victoria Murray Photography approached me about a styled shoot at Gaynes Park, I jumped at the chance to get involved.

Styled shoots are a great opportunity for wedding suppliers across the industry to come together and get creative - putting together looks and themes that will give brides and grooms a taster of what's possible for their wedding day. 

The Quintessential English Rose

The brief for this shoot was modern luxury for the English rose. We wanted to mix classic, traditional elements with contemporary styling for a beautifully opulent wedding day. I can't think of a better venue to meet this brief than Gaynes Park. Its manicured gardens and gorgeous orangery made it the perfect place for our romantic English roses. 

It will come as no surprise to you that roses were the feature flower in the work I did for this shoot. I wanted to include an abundance of full and fragrant varieties, and I chose a palette of white, cream, blush, pale pink and soft peach. This was a real treat for me as I got to use some of my favourite garden roses: David Austen Juliet; David Austin Keira, O'Hara, Margaret Merril, Mansfield Park and lots more besides. 

I know that roses are sometimes seen as cliche when it comes to romance, but I am deeply, deeply in love with them. The rose is a flower with such potential and inherent sophistication. There are so many varieties to choose from, and their petal structure never fails to add a touch of elegance to any bouquet or arrangement. Nothing represents the English garden quite like the rose, and I won't hear a word said against it!

Something A Bit Special

I created two bouquet arrangements for the shoot - one rich and luscious with luxurious colour, and the other more pared back but no less sculptural, filled with white roses and grey-green foliage. 

I knew that I also wanted to make a statement piece in the orangery - something that would bring the outdoors in and add a rose-scented wow factor to the day. I constructed a half arch with tumbling leaves and full pink roses. It was a labour of love but I'm so happy with the results.

Artistic Styling

The brilliant Laura from Devine Bride was our styling superstar for the day. She designed the beautiful tablescapes, including calligraphy from Judy Broad and contemporary agate slice place names. Our bridal model looked incredible in dresses from Blackburn Bridal, and must admit I got goosebumps when she walked under my arch of flowers for the first time. 

I loved being a part of this shoot, and I hope there will be many more opportunities for me to let loose with romantic roses in the future!

Check out the credits for the full dream team, and if you'd like to chat roses and arches and bouquets (oh my!) then get in touch. I can't wait to hear about your wedding plans. 

Love, 

Alana

The Dream Team:

Photographer: Victoria Murray Photography  
Planner & Stylist : Devine Bride. 
HMUA: Lupton Hair & Makeup Artistry 
Dress Designer: Blackburn Bridal.
Shoe Designer: Freya Rose 
Floral Designer: Petal and Wild 
Stationery: JB Calligraphy 
Venue: Gaynes Park 
Jewellery: Ormolu London 

Wedding season is in full swing, and the weather has been glorious – perfect for beautifully fragrant, colourful bouquets of summer flowers. I’m excited to share some of the weddings I’ve been working on soon, but today I want to celebrate one of my favourite summer flowers: the peony.

We’re pretty much at the end of peony season now, which is always a slightly sad time as they’re just so gorgeous! This summer has been a wonderful year for them though, with late May to early July being the time they’re at their best. The peony has been a sought after bloom among brides for years, and they’re certainly not a fad flower. Soft and elegant yet big, bold and blousy at the same time, this beautifully sweet and somehow timelessly elegant flower adds a real wow to any bouquet.

Part of the reason I love to use peonies is their texture. The delicate ruffles of the petals add a really sculptural finish to bouquets and arrangements, and the colour palette of the peony means they can either form a beautiful backdrop of whites, creams and blushes when used in abundance, or else they give a punchy accent in corals, deep pinks and reds.

The Perfect Moment

Timing with peonies can be tricky, as they don’t show off their full ruffled glory immediately. Order them too early and you risk overblown petals in your bouquet, pick them too late and they’ll be tightly wound little buds. Heat plays a big part in the speed at which the flowers open, so once purchased they need to be carefully tended and looked after to make sure they’re at their best on the big day. Your florist will be experienced in coaxing peonies into beautiful life, and everyone has their own little tricks of the trade to keep them looking plump and gorgeous. My personal top tip is to wrap tights or stockings around the flower to help it keep its lovely globe shape. If possible, I also keep them in a cool, dark place until they’re needed.

This gorgeous little pink number was a cheering sight in my studio for a week. I shot it each day, opening up to reveal its inner loveliness.

So thank you, peonies for brightening up my work and my life this summer! I’m starting to look forward now and can’t wait to get stuck into some lush late summer and autumnal colour. Stay tuned for a showcase of some of my recent work, and some details of the lovely weddings I’ve been involved with this year.

Love,

Alana x