The vintage wedding dress featured in this shoot has a classic shape for the era and features a botanical patterned chiffon top layer to give it an extra floaty quality.
Given that the dress is 68 years young, it was certainly made to last and beguile again (and again and again hopefully).
This dress is 'classic', if you want that look, it's 'rustic' if that's your vibe and it's also 'city-chic' if you are thinking about an Islington Town Hall wedding, arriving in a 1970s Lotus Elite, for example.
We designed the shoot palette and objectives around this dress and the enchanted garden backdrop - this shoot was all about nature, earthy tones, browns, burgundies, warmth, camel hues, texture, throws, blankets, foliage, fairy lights, snowdrops, wilderness, wood and thatch, chalky paint, flying jackets, chilled vibes and a bride in the wild in boots!
Not reference points a 1950s bride would have ever contemplated - but the dress design endures and proves that when you choose well, you've got a keeper on your hands.
And as for the other elements?
A dark, textured cake, hand drawn stationery, a neutral, rustic bouquet with silk ribbons, short feathers woven into the hair and natural make up with a slightly darker lip.
The dress's Dior-like silhouette is timeless, feminine and elegant and coupled with its unusual textured fabric, gives the dress a fantastic sense of gravitas. It is a one of a kind piece and I wanted to show off how versatile it could look, through a modern lens.
It is always wonderful to use naturally occurring colours, tones and patina where possible...
(This included my husband's now 30 year-old flying jacket - a gift from his Grandma for his 18th. Oh, and my daughter, Winnie Bluebell, whose red hair, just seemed too good not to shoot!)
When a dress like this comes along, I know it is going to sell very quickly, and it did. Before I even got to publish this shoot, I had posted it off to a bride in New York.
If you like what you see in this post, then you need to stalk and book the following suppliers for your own wedding day.
The superhero shoot team on Instagram are:
photos @thymelanephoto
concept and dress @cambridgevintagebridal (please see all available stock via my Etsy store)
MUA @alikynoch
flowers @thatchandroses
stationery @7_fireflies
cake @allotmentbakery
silk ribbons @bertieandfred
couple @kata.palmai