‘The cusp of Autumn’ inspiration: In the Stix

We took part in this beautiful styled shoot back in September, designed and planned by Natalie Hewitt, a design led wedding planner which was featured in Love My Dress. We are so pleased to be able to share these gorgeous images with you, taken by Anna from Pear and Bear, who is such an incredible wedding photographer. We’ll let Natalie tell you all about the day…

The sun is shining. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. But the air is crisp and the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn yellow and orange. We are at the back end of summer, on the cusp of Autumn and as we make our way down the grassy embankment, the four glamping domes at In the Stix stand proudly on the horizon.

In the Stix is a trendy glamping site, with four luxury domes; each with a log burner inside for cosy nights, an adjacent kitchen with gas hob for a more rustic camping experience, woodfire pizza ovens on the porch and a wooden hot tub to relax in. There is also a huge fire pit you can sit around, toasting marshmallows in the evening and the most picturesque babbling brook at the bottom of the field. You really feel comfortable being outdoors and the peacefulness of your surroundings is refreshing!

Opening their doors to marquee and tent weddings from spring 2019, In the Stix is the perfect location for celebrating your marriage in a relaxed, fun and unique setting. With all four domes having a mezzanine floor with additional sleeping, the site has the capacity to host 24 guests – perfect for your family and wedding party to stay the night before and the night of your wedding.

Our beautiful shoot introduces you to the stunning setting, as well as inspiring you for a light, bright and airy Autumnal feel; as not all Autumn weddings have to be dark and moody!

Imagine having a personal ceremony outdoors, conducted by a celebrant in front of the most beautiful floral arch, surrounded by your closest friends and family. The most luxurious outdoor lounge area to relax and enjoy a glass of champagne after and an alfresco wedding breakfast to follow. Partying the night away in a Teepee or Sperry tent and at the end of the night, curling up in your dome, in front of the log burner, reminiscing on the day you have just had!

As a wedding planner and designer I am passionate about creating not only a perfectly planned day, with the best supplier team, but also to design a bespoke look for my couples that truly reflects their style and taste. Attention to detail is just as important as the overall look. Luxurious bohemian styling is my signature look; classic, timeless, relaxed and fun is the essence of our weddings and events. And In the Stix creates a perfect location for our couples wanting a beautiful, yet fun celebration. I loved designing and planning this shoot – it’s really made me want to plan my wedding again!

I love Fig and Fern’s style! Claire’s ability to create the most incredible arrangements, choosing stunning florals and foliage and the way she forms installations and arrangements is very “now”. Claire says, ‘The flowers were inspired by the garden and hedgerows during the mellow shift between summer and autumn when last flush of summer roses intertwine with fluffy clematis seed heads and rose hips. The warm emerging sunset colours of the changing hedgerows are echoed by the rich pinks, browns and coral dahlias and chrysanthemums and antirrhinum combined with architectural hedgerow finds, connecting the scheme to this beautiful time of year. The sumptuous bouquet combined the best of the British seasonal flowers such as floating cosmos, Japanese anemones and cafe au lait dahlias with cappuccino and blush nude roses’.

The bouquet is stunning; with earthy tones and soft muted pinks finished off with the luxurious silk ribbon from Silk and Purl! I love it!

For me, florals always form the main focus to the styling, they set the colour palette, the feel and mood of a wedding or event. But the next key styling element was the furniture; this can make a huge difference to the overall look of a wedding and even choosing the right chairs can create a completely different look. Wedhead provided the crossback chairs and Farmhouse trestle table for the intricate tablescape; which featured Ester and Erik tapered candles, gorgeous florals and autumnal fruits, acorns and conkers. The table and chairs are both signature staples and are loved for their beautiful wooden grain and subtle texture which added to the set up without making it appear too rustic. Wedhead also provided the lounge furniture for the seating area from their French range in beige linen which helped draw attention to all of the beautiful nature-inspired details the editorial boasted, thanks to simple lines and neutral colours. It’s about bringing the indoors, out and creating a little sophistication and elegance to a rural setting.

The gowns! Alexandra Anne provided three looks for our shoot – gown one, at the floral arch, was a 8016 Jesus Peiro. A fitted tulle bodice with lace trim in stripes across the bodice and a flowing tulle skirt, give this dress it's cool yet romantically classic look.

We featured the Nyika gown in the lounge setting, which is my personal favourite! With its plunge neckline, wide bat wing sleeves and dropped waist skirt, it’s effortlessly cool! Designed and made in the UK, in a pale ivory luxe crepe by designer Charlie Brear, who is one of my top designers.

Charlie Brear is queen of separates and offers unlimited options within her collections; the gorgeous Lyra Skirt and Sapha top, work beautifully together and I love this combo against the backdrop of the blue shepherds hut.

Stephanie from Blake Models also wore the most incredible Art Deco engagement ring from The London Victorian Ring Co; the impressive square cut yellow sapphire is surrounded by a halo of round brilliant cut diamonds. The two-tone ring is made in Hatton Garden in London. The yellow sapphire is a lovely pale yellow with a vibrant shimmer. The ring is made so a diamond wedding ring or plain wedding ring can flush against the ring setting and looked just as stunning in the velvet Mrs Box. I really struggled to part with the beauty!

The Bridal Artists finished off the bridal look by creating striking but natural makeup. A subtle smoky eye and lashes really add definition to the makeup and works perfectly with Stephanie’s gorgeous glossy brunette hair. I wanted to keep her hair down first for a more relaxed look and pinned up later for a little more sophistication for our second outfit. Jenni explains what products she used for this ultra-chic look; “In the planning and design process for this photoshoot I wanted to create a versatile look for a stylish Bride. A look that can be taken from the wedding ceremony through to dancing into the night. To create a long lasting flawless base I prepped Stephanie’s skin with Kiehls Oil Free Moisturiser. I then added Bobbi Brown Illuminating Moisture Balm to add a healthy skin glow. Once dried I applied Smashbox Cosmetics Primer Light onto the T-Zone. One of my go to foundations for Brides and shoots is Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue, with buildable, flawless and long wear coverage it sits beautifully all day long. I wanted to make the eyes the main focus and created a smoky eye with elements of Browns and metallic nudes from the Bobbi Brown Nude on nude palette. A top gel line with soft kohl shading underneath and finished with Eylure lashes. Stephanie's gorgeous full Brows were groomed out and enhanced with one of my kit staples, Benefit Kabrow. Skin makeup for me is all about building and blending gradual fine layers. Bronze, blush and highlight to give contour, depth, highlight and a pop of colour. Our nude lip is Uber Beige by Bobbi Brown complimenting the look perfectly but not taking the focus from the eyes. Then the whole look is finished and spritzed with setting spray - All nighter by Urban Decay.”

And if you want to know The Bridal Artists secrets to gorgeous glossy hair, Sally prepped Stephanie’s hair with a blow dry using the L’Oréal techni art range to ensure it would last in the slightly breezy conditions of a warm day in the open air. Setting the hair using ghd platinum stylers also ensures pure staying power. “I only work with fresh clean hair, busting the myth that hair needs to be slightly dirty to last the full day, the techniques and product line I use allow me to do this. The first look I styled down, loose waves with the front pulled back in a soft twist to compliment the boho feel of the dress. Next, I took the hair up in a soft undone braid, setting the style slightly off centre and securing at the nape gives the look a more elegant feel. Playful and ethereal but always super stylish.”

Our groom, Jeff from Blakes Models sported two Remus Uomo suits from Coneys; a navy suit and then an aubergine one which is so unusual but subtle enough to work perfectly with our colour palette. He also wore Eton shirts and Eton and Remus ties!

Rose Press created the fabric table plan which we hung from the floral arch, which was a great second use for the ceremony backdrop. Their Invitation suite and On The Day stationery is luxurious yet modern. With hot foiled gold accents, a beautiful combination of thick white and brown / cream card and hand sketched foliage which ties the outdoor feel perfectly. Who knew there would be so much to talk about paper, but it turns there’s a lot; colour, texture, thickness, printing type, letter pressing, debossing, hot foiling… the list goes on! But Nicola knows a thing or two about stationery and always created the most incredible bespoke ranges for couples wanting something unique!

For an additional personal touch, Miathco embroidered bespoke napkins, which I think are such a lovely keepsake. They also created an Oscar Wilde quote on a fabric banner which we hung from the end of the farmhouse table; such beautiful detailing.

Katie from Couture Cakes is one of my favourite cake designers! She made my wedding cake many moons ago! The striking crisp white cake with real flowers looks so fresh and the subtle patterned tier to add texture and detail.

Last but by very means least, this shoot was photographed by the most incredible photographer, Anna from Pear and Bear. I love her style, it’s crisp, bright and fresh. A look that is so timeless and really captures the detail perfectly. I have so many favourite photographs from this shoot, but I think my hero shot is our groom giving the bride a piggy back, back up to the domes. I think it captures the essence of the relaxed and fun weddings and the type of couples that will tie the knot at In the Stix. They will certainly have the most incredible memories to treasure from an amazing weekend of glamping, partying and relaxing.

Styled Shoot, Wedding StationeryNicola Cooper15 November 2018