Today I’m sharing a bridal shoot I planned and photographed just before lockdown hit. March feels like another world away now, but I was so lucky to fit this in before the world vanished into the upside down! This celestial shoot was inspired by one of my musical heroes: Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. It took place at South Farm, a stunning Cambridgeshire barn wedding venue. As a London wedding photographer who loves to travel out to the country, I’ve wanted to shoot here for so long.
Introducing ‘Sisters of the Moon’
As a huge fan of Stevie Nicks, I decided to pay homage to her queen of the gypsies/witches fashion sense and the song ‘Sisters of the Moon’. I wanted to create celestial wedding inspiration while incorporating gypsy elements. South Farm is the perfect Cambridgeshire wedding venue for this because of its gorgeous Romany caravans!
The venue
As a Cambridgeshire barn wedding venue, South Farm has a bit of everything. A gorgeous farmhouse, an outdoor summerhouse, two barns, a dairy, the caravans.. and pigs!
We started in one of the romany caravans, which had buckets of charm. Dark wood, a tiled fireplace and a cosy little double bed. I would love to stay here if I was a wedding guest. It would be a truly unique place to sleep post wedding shindig!
Our ceremony location was the Old Dairy, a narrow window-lined room with original beams. In here, Hire my Decor set up a moon backdrop, and Bohotanical surrounded it with dried flowers making a centerpiece installation.
The fashion
Mia Sylvia’s one of a kind gowns suited this shoot so well – ethereal, floaty and vintage in style! The halterneck dress featured her signature hand-dyed detail which added a gorgeous pop of colour. Of course, I couldn’t do this shoot without some high leg lace boots from House of Elliott. They are Stevie Nicks all over!
Bridal Hair by Jennie created a laid back, loose boho feel alongside two makeup looks by Ema Ciobanu.
The theme
I’ve dreamt of doing a Stevie Nicks gypsy inspired shoot for a while. In my head it was always set around a Romany caravan and there would be an element of spirituality. This is where the celestial idea came from, which also happened to be a wedding trend for 2020!
Fleetwood Mac are one of my favourite bands. The day I saw them at the o2 was one of the greatest nights of my life! I wanted to pay homage to Stevie and the gang so brought along some of my records to also feature.
My latest shoots have all been inspired by certain songs. I’ve previously created a shoot based on a Killer’s song. I can’t wait to show you the last idea that came to life, based on a 1970s rock star.
We set up a dining area in the Tudor Barn which overlooks the pigs and chickens. I adore barn wedding venues as they are so pretty and characterful. The beams and the rustic feel of this venue were utterly adorable.
Anthology Vintage Hire used a low dining table, cushions, and pouffes to create a welcoming and intimate dining set up for a small wedding.
Sadly that day there were gale force winds which meant we couldn’t really shoot outside. We tried.. and everything just blew over instantly, including the moon backdrop! However, I did stumble across this gorgeous old cart which I thought was so cute for the cake shots.
The details
Wonderland Invites created a beautiful invitation suite, featuring night sky colours, a ‘Sisters of the Moon’ lyric, and moon illustrations. They were stunning and paired beautifully with The Honey Bee Wedding Cake Company’s moon and star-shaped biscuits. Vanerhume’s textile moon hangings decorated the caravan, matching gorgeously with the dark woods.
The grounds
At the end of the day we finally managed to shoot without the wind blowing everything over! There are so many nooks, sitting areas and backdrops within the grounds of South Farm. It really is such a unique Cambridgeshire barn wedding venue! In the end, we chose this (sheltered) arched walkway next to the pond.
Anthology Vintage Hire set up a gorgeous seating area with bamboo furniture and this coffee table. Decorated with crystals and a tablecloth from Mia Sylvia, it looks like a boho dream.
My lovely friend Jen DeBerigny also came along to film the shoot. You can see her films here.
Concept, planning & photography – Caroline Opacic Photography / Videography – Jen DeBerigny / Venue – South Farm / Styling & Hire – Anthology Vintage Hire / Moon Backdrop – Hire My Decor / Florist – Bohotanical / Dresses & textiles – Mia Sylvia / Stationery – Wonderland Invites / Cake & Biscuits – The Honey Bee Wedding Cake Company / MUA – Ema Ciobanu / Hair – Bridal Hair By Jennie / Shoes – House of Elliott
If you are looking for a Cambridgeshire wedding photographer who loves country venues and capturing creative shots of your day, look no further! Pop over to my enquiry form to tell me all about your wedding and your love story.
