Glittering elegance for a Deco-style winter bride

Winter weddings are the perfect excuse to choose decadent and luxe elements and this stunning shoot captures the magic of Deco style, but with a contemporary twist. Featuring glittering wedding gowns and jewels and opulent flowers, it’s the perfect glamorous theme for the party season

Winter is the perfect time to play with light and metallic and glittering elements, and this stunning wedding photoshoot captures the magic of that most decadent of eras – the 1920s. Plays on light, shade and sparkle were key elements of the Art Deco period, but this was also a time of emancipation, as photographer and creative director Jacqulyn Hamilton points out.

“Women were becoming emancipated, gowns were becoming fitted, shorter and more glamorous and Coco Channel had encouraged Woman to throw away their corsets and embrace their natural forms. The female form was celebrated and glamourised. Females fought for their rights to vote, to be in control of their own bodies and to be beautiful, sexy and alluring – how ever they wanted to be – a legacy we have a lot to be thankful for today.”

The team chose gowns by London designer Eliza Jane Howell, and a palette of warm reds, golds and greens. These were the perfect choice for the shoot’s historic location, The Elvetham Hotel near Hook, Hampshire. Once home to the Seymour family, this is where Henry VIII met his third wife, Jane Seymour. Its stunning period features include stone fireplaces, decorative stained glass windows and rich wood panelling – the perfect foil to elegant vintage-style party gowns and accessories.

Winter bride styling

Hair, make-up and wardrobe design was by Cara Mcdaniel. She says: “I took inspiration for the make-up from the flapper girls of the 1920s and ’30s, but wanted to give it a modern twist, with a nude gloss lip. Our model Layla has such gorgeous eyes, we went for dramatic dark blues and gold, to emulate the opulence of the dresses and the surroundings.

“My favourite products at the moment are Fenty Beauty blush match stix in Yacht Lyfe and Anastasia Beverly Hills light contour palette. The dark blue in the eyes was from Smashbox and the golds in the eyes from Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury – all cruelty free and forward-thinking brands.”

Cara Mcdaniel incorporated roses into the bridal up-do, adding drama while keeping an overall softness to the look. She says: “I did have some hair pieces but didn’t end up using them, as Layla’s hair was so beautiful when curled. I just shaped it a little at the back with the flowers and then set it with one of Eliza Jane Howell’s gorgeous head pieces”.

Opulent flowers

Lydie Dalton designed the opulent flowers for the shoot. She says: “The inspiration for the bridal bouquet and the urn was, of course, the dresses, 1920s style and the photography brief of contrast, light and shadow. The designs are my own take on that era – when bridal bouquets were very large and trailing with lots of ribbons”.

Lydie Dalton used a colour palette that incorporated lush shades of green and raspberry, with trailing amaranthus and jasmine, Phoenix palms, eucalyptus ferns, astilbes and ornamental grasses for texture and movement. Brunia added flashes of silver.

The light and shade element was artfully introduced with contrast. Lydie says: “I introduced contrast with the nude colour of the amazing Quick Sand rose and the white of anemones. I used textural ribbons in crushed velvet and organza in shades of green and blush to complement the floral designs and the gowns”.

She created an armature (structure) to give a sense of lightness and ensure each bloom shone in its own right. Jasmine used for the trails came from Lydie’s own garden – it’s a favourite plant, as she has over 20 plants in four varieties.

Eliza Jane Howell’s distinctive dresses have fluid and form-flattering lines with a strong sense of light and movement, requiring very little adornment. Cara Mcdaniel did incorporate a few well-chosen pieces from Eliza Jane Howell’s own accessories collection, adding elegant heels by New York designer Steve Madden.