An Ethereal Winter Wedding Shoot at Minley Manor

3/8/2024
Written by Lisa Cotte

On a crisp, cold winter’s day, a group of wedding suppliers from across the South East gathered at Minley Manor on the Surrey/Hampshire border to bring to life an ethereal winter wedding shoot. Organised and styled by wedding planner Ana of The Wedding Bee, and photographed by Natalie Silvester, the brief was romantic and whimsical with cool tones of white and icy-blue.

The shoot location; Minley Manor, a 19th century French-Gothic style Grade II listed house, is a ‘dry-hire’ venue - essentially a blank canvas to be styled and accessorised as desired. The Orangery was the setting for the main section of the shoot; a large barrel-vaulted space with high ceilings, original exposed brickwork and stone floor. (If you do book your wedding here during the winter months it is worth noting that there is no central heating so you’ll need to make arrangements for this).

The brief for the floral design was white en-masse to really harness and capture the cool, wintery aesthetic that Ana sought to create. Without the bed of greenery typical in peak wedding season, the shapes we created with the flowers were far more transient and loose - almost barely there, creating a whimsical look that was effortlessly romantic. For the ceremony backdrop we used a bed of gypsophila and limonium, which was interspersed with pure white roses and ruscus in footed bowls. These were arranged on varying height, white columns, draped with deep blue linen and adorned with pillar candles. The overall look was informal, natural and wildly romantic - the absence of straight lines or formal shapes created a fluid look which drew the eye through the arrangements.

The bridal flowers followed the all-white aesthetic, with an elegant, minimal bridal bouquet for Jess which exuded a whimsical softness through the use of ruscus and wispy limonium. This softening of the overall shape paired beautifully with the flowing lines of the Pure Couture Bridal dress. Will’s buttonhole was similarly elegant, using the same flowers and therefore visually tying the couple together.

Ana styled the top table with beautiful accents of pale blue, white and elegant glassware contrasted with the deep blue table linen. We created a floral garland which extended across the entire length of the table using elements seen in the rest of the shoot for continuity and to create a sense of cohesion from one part of the wedding to the next. Beautiful tapered candles were dotted along the length to add height, shape and a soft, romantic glow.

It was a beautiful shoot, and so wonderful to meet so many amazingly talented wedding suppliers. On one of the coldest days of the year Jess and Will were truly brilliant and went above and beyond to create these stunning images.

You can read more about this shoot in this article on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings.