Behind the scenes: Tropicana Wedding

Featured over on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings...

What Louise from Whimiscal Wonderland Weddings said....

"Ready for some jungle fun? I sure am, this fierce and strong tropical wedding ideas editorial oozes sophistication and style. Co-Coordinator and stylist Lauren Alexander Weddings together with florist Jasper and Quinn curated an awesome team of wedding suppliers to really showcase their talents within the brief and When Charlie Met Hannah captured everything so beautifully. But just what do I love about this shoot?

The flowers really make a bold statement, with tropical leaves and flowers creating strong shapes and vibrant colours too. Then there are the cakes, which are just too cool, think flamingos and pineapples complete with cute toppers and creative hoop backdrops. So many other touches bring this shoot together, from the orangery venue and glass signs to the bridal fashion and beauty, not to mention the amazing props, stationery and decorations. There are just so many inspiring elements to take in. Wow."

Lauren Alexander Weddings

It all started when Jordan, from Jasper and Quinn got in touch and asked if I would be interested in co-designing a styled shoot focused around beautiful strong tropical flowers, leaves and excellent structures. Running with this in mind, we devised a shoot brief which outlined the basics and then this evolved over time, especially when working with the gorgeous suppliers we brought together. When Jordan and I first started to think of venues, the biggest thing we wanted to find was somewhere light, yet completely different. We wanted to bring the outdoor in, and Tortworth Court’s Orangery was the most perfect backdrop! The importance of this shoot was to capture all the senses as well as be fierce, animalistic and overwhelmingly beautiful. We wanted to make an impact on the weddings of next year, the trends and embrace something a little different. With this we aimed to make ‘strong tropics’ a style that trail blazes onto the 2020/2021+ wedding scene! Handcrafted specifically for the shoot, the dress and two piece jumpsuit were embellished with colour, love and sass. An incredible handcrafted cape and veil were accessorised beautifully and crafted for the shoot, alongside bespoke hair accessories and jewellery with pom poms and raffia. Deep, sensual and tropical foliage and flowers created drama, height and texture throughout transforming a lovely venue in itself into a tropical paradise perfect for any couple to gain inspiration from. Our cakes were utterly stunning, a little playful and then a spice more traditional. The vibes were all about strength: strong women, strong colour, strong patterns and above all strong tropics. Think fierce, think colour, think glitter and sparkle. With Frida Kahlo inspired accessories, a specialised tropical cocktail station, a glitter station, pom poms and earthy texture we wanted to utilise an eco-friendly concept of reusing props and making sure that all were ethically sourced products. As such most pieces were locally brought together reducing carbon footprint, and pieces were handmade and bespoke for the shoot that would then later be sold to customers.

As a stylist for this shoot, I wanted to coordinate colours that were a little different from what we have been seeing on the wedding circuit. Texture was super important, using raffia, wool, and lots of structure, yet softened and playful. Lynne from Rustic Rentals has all the pieces that you can absolutely wish for! From her gorgeous peacock chairs, Moroccan lanterns, rugs, tables and she took the brief and brought to it a fun and quirky vibe! Sometimes you need to bring in gorgeous props to turn your already incredible venue into something spectacular, which is what Lynne did! Amanda from Hustle and Twine rocked some gorgeous macramé with a stunning table runner, chair backs, and incredible bouquet wraps. Adding depth, individuality and gorgeous texture, this added to the earthy vibe we were looking to achieve. Never forget to add those little elements that really bring your personality out!

Working with coloured tablecloths and multi-coloured napkins, we really didn’t shy away from colour. This was also mirrored in the stunning hand-drawn stationery provided by the always lovely Sally from From Sally With Love. She took our cocktail cart and created watercolour cocktail drawings, a stunning couple portrait and beautiful table stationery. Taking the drawings off the paper, she was able to have her designs printed onto fabric, which we hung from Lynne’s screens which was the perfect welcome sign! This tropical vibe was then mimicked in the main stationery suite with stunning menu that also doubled as the name card! One of From Sally with Love’s little elements is to hide a secret something in the design, and we used the pineapple throughout to keep the tropical feel in each area.

Following on from the bespoke feel, I hand-embroidered the table names – focusing on the top table. You will be able to see snapshots of the top table tropical name (with flamingo!) and then a hand-embroidered puffin sign too! Again these little elements, elevated the whole shoot adding personality and individuality.