Firstly I apologise for my lack of blogs for the whole of August! As an alternative Essex wedding photographer, I’ve been so busy! It was peak wedding season for me so I was tucked up at my desk getting through editing. Now that the season is calming down and I only have a handful of weddings left of 2019, I have a bit more time to blog! This week I thought I would share one of my favourite styled shoots of the year, shot at the beautiful Barns at Lodge Farm wedding venue in Essex. The shoot itself was one celebrating Americana and the wild west.
A few years ago, driving through the Arizona desert on Route 66, a shoot idea began to form in my head. It was largely inspired by The Killer’s song ‘Runaways’: I pictured newly-weds driving out into the sunset across the desert, ready to start a new adventure together. I’ve always loved tribal and native American influences and these drove the style for the shoot. I really wanted to create a feeling of an exciting, nomadic fresh start and a couple ready for their next free spirited adventure.
I knew immediately I wanted the Barns at Lodge Farm to be the location for the shoot – I rarely shoot at local venues, and this was the perfect choice! With the combination of rustic barns, industrial style grain stores and hay stacks, the Barns at Lodge Farm kept the original influences of the shoot while adding an interesting range of backdrops. Bryony, the venue manager was the loveliest host – thank you so much Bryony!
Amy from Anthology Vintage Hire did an incredible job of bringing my idea to life. She sourced a beautiful collection of tribal soft furnishings, a low dining table setup and irresistible ceremony area with a wooden arch and peacock chairs. Vanderhume and Bohotanical also added some finishing touches, such as the handmade hanging on the arch (Vanderhume) and a huge macrame hanging as a backdrop (Bohotanical).
With my personal and brand ethos focusing on sustainability, I really wanted to source sustainable flowers for this shoot. Bohotanical was the perfect choice. With her range of faux flowers we could create the perfect florals whilst not needing any new stock. We opted for dried flowers and pampas which fit with the colour theme so beautifully.
I’ve worked with Katie before and knew her look would be perfect for this shoot! She brought along her friend Claire as a partner. I absolutely love when friends model together as it means you get real connection and joy in the photos. Lauren Siddons was our Hair & Makeup artist – she was so enthusiastic about the shoot and came up with creative looks I would never have even dreamed off. I absolutely adored the way she styled Claire’s hair with braids and hoops – it looked so fierce and unique.
For Katie we opted for dark, smokey makeup to work alongside her hat and accessories, whereas Claire’s was a more subtle look to go with her eye catching hair and large earrings by Vanderhume. I am in love with the fierce, feminist vibes from our models.
Wonderland Invites was my only choice for this shoot as her style and designs encapsulate the theme so well. She created a bespoke set of stationery with a rusty colour palette, tassels, dreamcatchers and tribal skulls.
Keeping with my sustainable preference, Cakes and Leaves provided a vegan three tier lemon and poppy seed cake. I can say without doubt it went down a treat with the team!
The whole premise of this shoot centered on a road trip. To add the english flare, Buttercup Bus took part with beautiful Pushka the Camper! This 1972 babe was the perfect colour fit and totally brought the adventurous and nomadic side to the concept.
Aneberry Bridal provided me with two incredible dresses for this shoot. We opted for two different styles: Claire wore an effortless and elegant dress with a short train, while Katie wore a bohemian lace dress. I loved the slit at the front and little lace details around the shoulders and chest.
I stumbled across Denim & Bone on Instagram a few months ago and approached her straight away about featuring a jacket. Inspired by her travels, Denim & Bone’s jackets stand out for me as boho treasures evoking a wild and fearless feeling. Her ‘Formally Wild’ leather sat so beautifully with the overall vibe of the shoot and complimented the other bridal accessories wonderfully.
A huge thank you to all the suppliers who collaborated on this shoot. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed bringing this idea to life, particularly at a local venue and with a gang of ladies I totally trusted to pull it off.
If you are looking for Barns at Lodge Farm wedding photography then look no further! Get in touch now to save your date.
Full list of suppliers:
Creative Direction, Planning & Photography – Caroline Opacic Photography / @carolineopacicphotography
Venue – The Barn at Lodge Farms / @lodgefarmbarns
Hire & Styling – Anthology Vintage Hire / @anthologyvintagehire
Florals & Styling – Bohotanical / @bohotanical
Soft Decor – Vanderhume / @vanderhume
Stationary – Wonderland Invites / @wonderland_invites
Cake – Cakes and Leaves @cakesandleaves
Classic Car – Buttercup Bus @buttercupbus
Models – Katie Lee & Claire Obodai / @katie_lee_model & @nutri_future
Make Up & Hair – Lauren Siddons MUA / @laurensiddons_mua
Dress – Aneberry Bridal / @aneberrybridal
Jacket – Denim & Bone / @denimandbone
