Essex Wedding Photographer: Boho Cacti Inspired Shoot at the Old Parish Rooms

Inspired by the current ‘botanical pick me up’ trends, and having always had a love for cacti, I’ve always wanted to do a styled shoot featuring them. Whilst succulents have been in the wedding spotlight for a while, I thought their spiky cousins deserved to be included in the action. This shoot happened back in March, but we were waiting for it to be published on Bride & Tonic before we could share anything. 

I wanted a modern and bright venue for the shoot – my first choice was the Old Parish Rooms, a gorgeous intimate venue in Rayleigh. The airy white surroundings made it the perfect blank canvas for a modern shoot focused on details and striking decor. Against the white walls, I added a strong contrast of colour – greenery from the plants, and a vibrant peach to bring the palette to life.

Styling was provided by Rock the Day, who created a stunning wedding banquet set up with a peach dip dyed tablerunner as a centrepiece, topped with black potted cacti and a hanging floral hoop above.

I absolutely loved their dream catcher inspired chairbacks, which added a whole new feel to the bohemian furniture supplied by Anthology Vintage Hire. Stationery was provided by Knots and Kisses, who I’ve wanted to work with for a long time. 

To add a bit of fun to the shoot, Fable and Moon brought along their kids tepee corner, specially filled with cacti activities, a photobooth and miniature cacti inspired sweet treats by Tiny Sarah’s Cakes. Having gone vegan myself a few months ago, I wanted to use a cake supplier with the same ethics for this shoot. Alongside the bitesize treats, Sarah also created a three tiered vegan cake, complete with adorable Mr & Mrs Cacti toppers.

Our final setup was a ceremony area with a large hoop, expertly decorated with florals provided by Bohotanical. Using eucalyptus as a stunning base, there were pops of colour provided by Carnations, Roses and Clea Veronica. This hoop really added a luxe and stylish backdrop for an eye catching ceremony. You also can’t beat a peacock chair, so of course Rock the Day included one for the day 🙂 

Zuzanna was dressed in bespoke vintage inspired gowns by Poppy Perspective. We chose two contrasting gowns – one with an incredible lace cape, for a soft, carefree look, and a second, gold sequined dress to provide a more luxe, stylized feel. Knot Your Average Bride completed the contrasting looks with a loose up do and nude make up, followed by catwalk worthy slick backed hair and deep lips to perfectly match the colours within the florals. The gold dress and deep lips really look perfect for a festive wedding, don’t you think? 

To add that extra sense of boho luxe, Zanna wore lace ankle boots from House of Elliot and handmade, unique jewellery from Aimee Winstone. Together, they added the beautiful final touches! 

Featured Suppliers:

• Concept, Planning & Coordination- Caroline Opacic Photography // www.carolineopacicphotography.com
• Photography – also Caroline Opacic Photography
• Venue – The Old Parish Rooms // www.theoldparishrooms.com
• Styling & Hire – Rock the Day // www.rockthedaystyling.co.uk
• Children’s party area – Fable and Moon //  www.fableandmoon.com
• Cake & Sweet Treats – Tiny Sarah’s Cakes // www.tinysarahscakes.co.uk
• Flowers – Bohotanical // www.bohotanical.co.uk
• Dress – Poppy Perspective //  www.poppyperspective.com
• Hair & Make up – Knot Your Average Bride // www.knotyouraveragebride.co.uk
• Shoes – House of Elliot // www.houseofelliotcollection.com
• Jewellery – Aimee Winstone Jewellery  // www.aimeewinstone.com
• Stationery Suite – Knots & Kisses  // www.knotsandkisses.co.uk
• Model – Zanna Lagowska

For more ideas on how to use cacti and succulents in weddings, follow my Pinterest board. Caroline x