Styled Wedding Shoot at Stratton Court Barn with a Woodland Fairy Theme

I’m super excited to be posting my first styled wedding shoot here on HollyGoesLightly and boy is it a good one!

Featuring a fair maiden on horseback with a stunning venue as a backdrop, what more could you want from a summer wedding? I’ll let the photos and the wonderful Karin, Wedding Coordinator at Stratton Court do the talking, but this is serious wedding inspiration fodder. Enjoy…

The Venue – Stratton Court Barn

Stratton Court Barn – a charming country barn, perfect for letting each couple put their own stamp on their big day. Set within 50 acres of Oxfordshire countryside. Can seat up to 80 guests for a sit-down meal, and host up to 150 for an informal evening reception.

The Dresses – Butterfly Bridal

Butterfly Bridal in Bicester. Beautiful boutique stocking Enzoani, Essense of Australia, St Patrick by Pronovias and Charlotte Balbier (among other designers).

In the outside photos you see the “D1799” dress by Essense of Australia – simple lines and flowy chiffon. So easy to wear, and absolutely perfect to team with a flower garland and rustic bouquet for the real boho chic bride.

The second dress is the “Lainey” by British designer Charlotte Balbier, from her Willa Rose Collection. This more structured dress is a tulle gown in an oh-so-subtle blush pink with an illusion neckline. The traditional A-line and lace teams so well with that magnificent headpiece. Both dresses and accessories are available from Butterfly Bridal.

The Flowers – Flowers by Kirsty

Flowers by Kirsty is the genius behind every piece of greenery and flower you see in this shoot. Kirsty tied in scents from beautiful trailing jasmine, mixed in a pop of colour from peonies and even turned Winnie – our gorgeous grey horse – in to a dream with a rose garland. Kirsty can be found in both London and Oxford, and creates everything herself in her studios.

The Cake – Batch 17 Bakes

Helen from Batch 17 Bakes created this log tiered cake with our fairy bride in mind, complete with fairy door guarded by toadstools at the back. Who could resist such a pretty cake? Helen specialises in bespoke cakes, creating wedding cakes totally unique to every couple.

The Lighting – Oakwood Events

Oakwood Events received a brief asking if it was possible to create a shelf… with lights hanging from it. Steve and Sarah set to work and made this incredible structure, with Edison bulbs with intricate filaments, simply dripping warm light over the table. This was a work of art in its own right, but the fantastic dimension the light shelf added to the room – coupled with Kirsty’s greenery – really needed to be experienced, not just seen!

The Food – Lemon Zest Cuisine

Lemon Zest Cuisine are the preferred caterers for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, but they’re talented chefs and service team regularly delight weddings guests with their haute cuisine food. Nick, their head chef, personally created the mini toadstools hiding in the moss, made out of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and sea salt; the marshmallow and strawberry “mushrooms”, with white chocolate and raspberry flakes; and the handmade chocolate “stones” and truffles.

Hair and Make-Up – Sarah Yeo

We were lucky enough to secure the utterly sophisticated Sarah Yeo Weddings for hair and make-up. Within moments of arriving, Sarah fills the atmosphere with glamour and warmth, and sets about transforming her charges in to the most beautiful version of themselves. She says that “beauty comes from within”, but, boy, does her skills help! Keeping with the theme, she kept the make-up natural. The loose hair, with the garland plaited in, suited the Essence dress perfectly, while the more formal do let the headpiece and Lainey dress do the talking.

The Photographer – Dan Rayner

Dan Rayner Photography is your original documentary photographer. Even on a styled shoot, there is a minimal amount of directing happening! Letting you be who you are, he will capture the little moments that matter. As you can tell, he loves working outside, playing with natural light – and trying to avoid re-touching, editing and anything fake!

The Stationery – Warren Day

The table plan, menus and place cards were made by Oxford-based Warren Day, who is just starting out in this field. The 3D table plan, complete with real branches with fairy doors and windows, was a real show-stopper. Warren also specialises in sign-writing: making beautiful, hand-printed chalkboard graphics for couples all over the county.

Styling and Coordinating – enquiries@strattoncourtbarn.co.uk

Karin says…

“I wanted to bring the woodland inside… so the rustic bowls, stag head runner and slate grey napkins continued the theme. The glasses were sourced from Brackley Antique Cellar – a haven for country chic finds – and played off the Edison Bulbs perfectly.” 

I think Karin and her team of wedding wonders have done a splendid job.

If you’d like to feature your wedding here on HollyGoesLightly, then email a few of your favourite shots to [email protected] with a bit about you and I’ll be in touch.