Wisteria Dreams at Hamswell House, A Styled Shoot By Gemma Randall

I have known Gemma for a couple of years and love her beautiful and unique photography. When we were asked to be a part of her wedding styled shoot last summer, there was only one reply we could give... It would be our honour.

Jeeves & Co created our Muse wedding stationery, featuring charcoal botanical sketches for the day. This is a timeless and romantic suite, perfect for couples looking for a simple yet chic design.

Our mirror table plan, crafted on a solid wood frame with resin detail, was photographed beautifully with the reflecting summer florals.

Name Places were handwritten in nib and ink calligraphy on vellum wrap, with a hand-stamped botanical wax seal to finish the look.

Working alongside the talented wedding suppliers Gemma handpicked, a dreamy, floral wonderland was created. Taking inspiration from Renaissance paintings, light and floaty materials, pastel colours and the beautiful natural surroundings of Hamswell House, this shoot is designed to mix traditional and modern styles, inspiring couples to take an editorial approach to a classic wedding.

Notes from the Photographer

What were the inspirations for this styled shoot?

I wanted this shoot to inspire the traditional bride, but with a modern spin. I come from a fashion background with my previous career and university degree, and I looooove to keep up to date with the fashion trends throughout the wedding industry. Statement fashion pieces and floral displays were key in 2021, so cue the big lilac dress and pastel florals. To add another layer to the inspiration and to keep in line with a traditional bride and wedding, I took elements from Renaissance paintings - light, realism and figure composition.

What was the process to set up this shoot?

For a well-executed styled shoot, it takes a lot of time, emails and mood boards. I firstly visited Hamswell House to get a feel for things and booked the date in the diary. I then had to source models, florist, furniture hire, hair & makeup artist, cake, dress, stationery, linen, cutlery, accessories, car hire and more! I’d be lying if I said it was a walk in the park, but it’s key to keep everything in line and keep coming back to the original inspiration and not steering away from your vision. Treating each supplier and their products with care and respect is crucial, as styled shoots are always a great way to network and work with new suppliers.

Tell me how the day panned out.

The shoot itself was a blast! We had so much fun and things couldn’t have gone better. It was an early start, but first up was hair and makeup while a few of us set up the ceremony and the table scene. We had a ceremony scene outside the orangery and also one down on the lawn to show the options available to couples getting married at Hamswell House. The table scene was set up underneath a magnolia tree, and we could then make use of the gardens and large pond for shots in the lilac Milia London dress.

Hamswell House is an incredible backdrop with so many hidden corners and gems, so we were not short on variation of photos.

Attention to detail is crucial and the bonus of styled shoots is you can re-shoot over and over until you get that money shot.

What challenges did you face on the day?

We had a heavy downpour of rain at one point, which was just when the wedding car arrived, which meant no shots with the roof down. The weather soon cleared up and we were off again. Other than that, I was very fortunate that everything pretty much went to plan!

What did you enjoy most about the day?

Working alongside some of my favourite suppliers and also meeting new ones! It was just incredible to see all of the hard work come together and visions come to life. When organising a styled shoot, I want the suppliers to really go crazy and do things they want to that they are sometimes limited when it comes to real-life weddings/being restricted to budgets. Everyone was in their element and I think everyone really benefited from that day.

How do you want to inspire couples by this shoot?

I want to inspire couples to believe and know they can still have a traditional wedding, but can add so many modern touches to make it more personal or more statement. It takes a lot of work, and a few vision boards but having a clearer vision will give you the wedding of your dreams. Nothing is off limits when it comes to weddings, so if you want to get married in a lilac dress, then get married in a lilac dress! Bring your dreams to life and create moments with you can cherish forever.

How did you choose your suppliers?

A few I have worked with before and their talent is out of this world, but I also tried to choose suppliers local to Hamswell House. There was a lot of studying their Instagram profiles to make sure their style and products fitted in with my theme. It was also down to how we connected too, as although I am a business professional, I am unapologetically myself and relationships are key when it comes to my work.

We created our Muse stationery for this shoot. Were you pleased with the final design?

Jeeves’ Muse suite could not have been more perfect for this shoot. Pippa and Alice hit the nail on the end with this collection and understood my vision and mood boards. The suite was traditional, chic and so classic. With pops of colour and the contrast of black typography, it slotted into the shoot and table scene effortlessly.

Favourite shot/shots from the day and why?

Both of the below photographs to me scream fashion and it was just so enjoyable to tap back into my roots and do more of an editorial style shoot and really let my creativity take over. And I mean, what is just not to love about that Milia London dress?!