Let this seaside-inspired bridal fashion shoot capture your imagination

When Jackie from top wedding blog Ooh! Mrs James came to us with her seaside-inspired bridal fashion shoot we couldn’t wait to show you how amazing it is.

So we sat down with her and asked about the influences behind the shoot, some of the fashion choices and why she decided on the theme she did. Over to you, Jackie…

Inspirational ideas

Nicki the photographer contacted me a few months ago after I opened my vintage wedding dress boutique and approached me with the idea of collaborating on a styled shoot. I jumped at the chance!

I chose the concept of having the models act like dolls or puppets as they go on a day out together, so then we worked on a story board. After Nicki found the perfect location, Seabank in Selsey, everything really started to come together. The more we shared thoughts, the more adventurous it got and our plan for a bright, colourful and unique shoot was formed. All we needed was some like-minded wedding suppliers to make it come together.

Super suppliers

Tess from Chatter Cakes is fantastic at what she does so was a natural choice for the confectionery. She came back to us with the most out of this world, wonderful creations, including a cake covered in hundreds and thousands with an upturned ice cream on the top and one covered in sugar buttons, as well as loads of cupcakes which didn’t last long!

Irregular Choice provided us with the shoes. They were the most outrageous designs; almost as if they were made for us! A Suit That Fits kindly lent us the waistcoats. And props, like the vintage suitcases, were from Lucy Jane Ltd.

Rosey Posey Creations made bespoke flower garlands and crowns especially for the shoot. She was fantastic at listening to what we needed and taking our ideas on board.

Our make-up artist was the talented Naita Channer who did the make-up and hair for all four models and really made the ‘doll’ concept come to life. The button bouquets were from the lovely Hannah at BonnieBoo Buttons, she also made some buttonholes for the chaps to wear with their waistcoats.

We also had the help of second shooter, Laura Mott, who captured everything back stage as well as extra bouquets from Fenella’s Flowers. Nicki was amazing and her energy was contagious, she kept us all going until the end of the day when we treated ourselves to much deserved fish and chips!

The theme of the day

The story goes, four delicate and unattainable porcelain dolls set out one day to take a train trip to the seaside. Their lives were full of beauty but they just didn’t know how to enjoy themselves. They were terribly serious things!

When they had decided on their adventure little did they know how the day would turn out.

After leaving the train with their luggage in hand, they just didn’t know what to do next! As they sat about looking pretty but a bit lost, a great big dog suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling the dolls! They thought the beast was delightful and he was soon followed by two sailor boys. The boys were enchanted by the beauty of the dolls and quickly ran home to dress themselves up. The boys were set on wooing these beautiful dolls!

After introducing themselves, the boys decided to change into their sailor gear and make themselves more comfortable. They bought the dolls strawberry milk, the most fantastic cakes they could find and all the balloons, sweets and bubbles the girls could possibly want, even a toy puppet! They set about serenading the girls with a banjo and charming them with their stories of the sea. As the day wore on, the smiles on their faces told the tale of how much fun they had had on their ‘Dolly Takes A Trip’ adventure  – they had even found love!

If you’re looking for more inspirational ways to style your wedding, our Wedding Planning section is crammed full of amazing ideas to help you theme your big day.

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