We’ve got another styled shoot to share with you today, and it’s a humdinger of Norse-inspired gorgeousness. The suppliers we selected pulled out all the stops to create something bohemian, whimsical and just a little bit dark. The overall result is something a little different for us, but we love, love, love it!
Photographer Maria Assia came to us knowing she wanted to do a styled shoot in London, with a Scandinavian or Nordic theme. We love the stories Maria is able to tell through her images, so we thought that taking the shoot in a slightly darker, more mysterious direction would make for some beautiful photographs that really suited her style.
We hit Pinterest pretty hard, and quickly decided that Norse-inspired, rather than Nordic was the way to go. It allowed us to include some more folkloric elements. It also let us think in a wilder way, bypassing the traditional clean lines and minimalist look that you traditionally get when you think Nordic.
Inner City Wild
I’m not gonna lie. Finding a venue to fit this brief in London was t-r-i-c-k-y. We wanted something natural, ideally with a feeling of faded grandeur, and maybe even some ruins. Venues like this aren’t exactly ten a penny in the big smoke. However, with a little perseverance and a loooot of research, we found Abney Park Cemetery. Its rambling wildflowers, abandoned Gothic chapel, secluded paths among the tombstones and oodles of atmosphere ticked all the boxes and more.
Now we had our style and venue nailed we knew we wanted a bridal outfit that fitted with the dark norse style. In walks in Catherine Deane‘s Ariel top……STUNNING! The embellishment had a hint of a delicate suit of armour which fitted our brief perfectly. This was paired with the Darla bodice and Danielle skirt also from Catherine Deane.
When it came to accessories we turned to Curious Fair and their gorgeous creations. We fell in love with their white feather fox mask which had the perfect mix of bold whimsy and mystery that we were after. Curious Fair‘s masks are all hand made and the attention to detail is incredible. If you are looking to add a bit of whimsy to your non-traditional day then definitely speak to these guys! When our gorgeous model arrived with a leather jacket in tow we knew we had to grab a few shots with her wearing that too – bride in leather jacket is ALWAYS a winning look!
Cass Rizzuto created a seriously fierce braided hairstyle that wouldn’t look out of place in the TV series Vikings! (We LOVE Lagertha’s style and maybe this influenced us a teeny bit!) Harvy Raino then complemented the look with soft yet smokey bridal makeup.
At Home Among the Wild Flowers
For the gorgeous florals we got Sarah from The Flower Bird on board. The stunning florals included a fab white arch decorated with florals and a gorgeous loose bridal bouquet. Adding foxgloves to the bouquet added some height and that all important touch of drama. We also love the use of cow parsley in the arch as it fitted in perfectly with the natural surroundings of the cemetery.
We were keen to keep everything feeling as though it belonged amongst it’s surroundings, almost like it had just sprung up from the cow parsley and bluebells. To do this Sarah used moss & twigs to form a natural and textured table runner down the centre of the table. This was then complimented with rustic plates, goblets and a faux fur throw, all from Classic Crockery.
Zoe from the The Golden Letter was in charge of the stationery and designed a striking suite using a palette of sage green and white. This suite included love notes written in Norse runes on the invitation ad on the envelope liner! Such a gorgeous romantic touch!
Lastly, the cake……we knew we wanted something a little different, something that would stand out but would also fit in with our shoot theme. The traditional Norwegian Kransekake was the answer and Emily from Maid of Gingerbread was the fabulous one to bring our idea to life! She created a gorgeous Kransekake decorated with delicate silver piping. It was perfect, and smelt like a dream!!
We are so lucky to get to work with some fantastic suppliers in this wonderful industry and this shoot was no different. Every single one oozes incredible talent and worked together perfectly to bring our vision to life. Hopefully this will inspire you to add a little Norse magic to your woodland wedding.
Love
Rebecca x
SHOOT CREDITS
Photography: Maria Assia
Co-ordination & Styling: The Wedding Spark
Venue: Abney Park Cemetery
Dress: Catherine Deane
Flowers: The Flower Bird
Cake: Maid of Gingerbread
Stationery: The Golden Letter
Hair Styling: Cass Rizzuto
MUA: Harvy Raino
Fox Mask: Curious Fair
Crockery & Tableware: Classic Crockery
Model: Rebecca White