In summer, Michelle from Make-up Artistry London and Lu Casey Hair asked me to work with them on an autumnal styled wedding shoot at Coltsfoot wedding venue in Hertfordshire. I said yes immediately because I love shooting anything with autumnal colours! The barn and grounds of Coltsfoot also looked absolutely stunning.. and they have alpacas. Say no more, I was in!
Hertfordshire barn wedding venue
Coltsfoot Wedding Venue is an elegant barn venue set amongst a farm in the heart of Hertfordshire. The venue spent the spring giving the barn a make over and introducing two Shepherd’s Huts for wedding guests to stay in.
As part of the work, the mezzanine floor in the barn was removed. Because of this, the barn now has the most stunning, high ceilinged room. There’s also an incredible floor to ceiling window which I just had to make use of for a bridal portrait.
Floral hoop backdrop for outdoor ceremony
For wedding ceremonies, Coltsfoot has a beautiful outdoor space, which can also be covered in bad weather. For me, autumn wedding decor is all about florals and bringing the outdoors in. To decorate the ceremony area, Rock the Day styling provided a huge hoop backdrop which Two Girls and Some Flowers decorated with lush seasonal flowers, twigs and foliage. Simple, but an incredible autumn statement as a backdrop.
Glowing auburn bridal look
Make-Up Artistry London and Lu Casey had wonderful ideas on how to bring autumn to the bridal style. Michelle created an incredibly natural air brush look, leaving a glowing complexion and rosy lips. To go with this, Lu styled loose curls with a seasonal crown to make Laura’s pretty auburn hair pop. Laura rocked two entirely different bridal styles, both from Birdcage Bridal .
Our groom, Rowan, got fully into the autumn mood with a killer burgundy suit from ASOS! I absolutely adore a coloured suit, and for this seasonal shoot, it worked like an absolute dream!
Coltsfoot wedding venue had endless spots I wanted to use for couple portraits. If you’re getting married here, you’ll be spoilt for choice for pretty photo backdrops. We shot in several areas in the courtyard, and I absolutely loved the red brick as an extension of the autumn colour palette.
I fell in love with this red brick wall, the foliage and the rustic aesthetic as soon as I saw this corner of the courtyard. It was a perfect tonal fit with our shoot!
As soon as I saw this arch, I knew I wanted to do a classic bridal pose here with Laura’s train flowing behind her. By this point it was an unseasonably chilly afternoon so Laura and Rowan were absolute troopers, looking so effortlessly relaxed even while cold!
To end the day, we walked out to the back of the venue where the sun goes down over the fields in the distance. Because of this, it’s a great spot for golden hour portraits.
We also got to make the most of one of Coltsfoot wedding venue’s big draws.. ALPACAS!
Wedding portraits with alpacas
Rowan and Laura fed the alpacas and then they had some time to pet them. I love this series of images as they show the pure joy animals bring. If you book your wedding here, I would definitely suggest portraits with the alpacas for some fun alternative wedding photos.
If you’re getting married at Coltsfoot wedding venue and are looking for a local photographer who adores barn weddings, and loves alpacas, enquire now! Let’s make some magic together!
The styled shoot dream team:
Photographer – Caroline Opacic @carolineopacicphotography⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Venue – Coltsfoot Country Retreat @coltsfootweddings⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Make-up Artist – Michelle Perkins ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Head Artist at Make-up Artistry London @muateamlondon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hair Stylist – Lianne Casey @lu.casey.hair⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Florist – Jen & Julia At Two Girls and Some Flowers. @twogirlsandsomeflowers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hoop Hire @rockthedaystyling⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Videographer – Cal MacBeth @calmacbeth.weddings ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Models – Laura @Lauraels_& Rowan @rcletlow⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Bridal Gowns – Birdcage Bridal Boutique @birdcagebridalboutique⠀
