Photography by Caroline Opacic

Written by Zuza McKen

This beautiful autumnal woodland wedding shoot was cooked up by Caroline and I, over a boozy lunch in Notting Hill. We’re both lovers of autumn and its rich colours so, we wanted to create something truly special that celebrated this luscious time of year and shows that weddings aren’t exclusive to summer. A bohemian woodland theme, with a hint of dark magic; Autumnal Maximalism at it’s finest!

We decided to call the shoot ‘House in the Woods’ after falling in love with the picturesque little barn we came across right in the heart of the woods at our chosen venue. It only seemed appropriate to use Tom Petty’s song of the same title, with the perfect lyrics to match;

‘I’m goin’ down to the house in the woods

See my little darlin’…

Hey now baby, what can I do?

What am I goin’ to do but love you

For the rest of my days, the rest of my nights

What can I do but love you?’

Upthorpe Wood is the most incredible place, nestled right in the heart of Suffolk. If you are after that perfect woodland setting for a declaration of true love, this is the place for you. It is stunningly beautiful and Sarah, the venue manager has a tonne of ideas for how to make events there truly special. If you decide to spend the night in the cabin there, she’ll even arrange for breakfast in bed to be delivered to your door!

Lisa and Jon are my clients, a couple who were supposed to get married in September, before ‘Rona came along with other ideas. This shoot was arranged as a little gift to them, as a way to celebrate their love the only way we can right now and create a little window of ‘yey’ in an otherwise crappy year...

The autumnal colour palette I’ve chosen worked beautifully in the soft autumnal light, both in terms of décor and styling. A gorgeous woodland ceremony was set up with a bold framing centerpiece. Augusta Hope created a beautiful floral arch for the occasion, which was surrounded by pumpkins (hinting harvest) and incorporated a vintage gold frame.

Our celebrant Michelle Taylor wrote and delivered her candle lighting ceremony, which is practiced in Colombia (Lisa’s heritage). It was so moving that all the crew shed a little tear! Lisa and Jon wrote their own vows and read them out to each other for the very first time that day. It was a really special moment.

The second set up was a boho rustic chill-out area with two mustard velvet armchairs, a vintage cabinet with a retro lamp, retro vinyl record player and champagne for two. It was planned to take place in the woods but had to be relocated to the barn because of the rain. In some ways this was even more romantic; being nestled away while the rain pitter-pattered on the roof. Dreamy. The woodland inspired cake was created by Meera at Meera Makes Wedding Cakes. How real does that bark look?!

The rule of six was strictly adhered to with our vintage trestle table wedding breakfast. We reflected the ever-fluctuating wedding guest numbers with mismatching vintage chairs in the open barn. The tablescape continued the theme of the shoot with vintage plates with hand-painted images of woodland birds, vintage silver cutlery and retro wine glasses, sourced by yours truly.

The beautiful fabrics (silk velvet napkins, table runners, and ribbons) were made by Debby at Amber Rose Preservation, and the glorious hanging floral installation and table centerpiece was created by Augusta Hope. All incredible props were supplied by Amy at Anthology Vintage Hire, who also helped with the set up on the day.

The stationery was a real wow-factor, so big claps for Sarah at Sundown Paper, who worked within the theme so perfectly and was a huge help on the day as well.

The little house in the woods was the inspiration for the whole shoot, so we had to decorate it with suitably beautiful copper leaves and flowers. This enchanting little cabin is a charming backdrop for photos but is also big enough to hold a double bed, allowing you to spend your first night there as a married couple. So adorable.

Lisa wore an utterly luscious and standout black wedding dress, from Poppy Perspective, and looked insanely good with black cowboy boots. The look was completed with the most incredible headpiece full of pheasant feathers, designed especially for the shoot by Bombini Studio. Hair and makeup were done to perfection by Vicky Jiggens Makeup to compliment the dark bohemian look we were going for.

Even though the pandemic wants to squish our happiness, we wanted to show that love is still love. And it’s more important than ever. Eloping to the woods, surrounded by rich

autumnal nature is exactly the type of behaviour we should all be adopting right now. So be adventurous. Stick your middle finger up to ‘Rona and embrace the change as best you can. One thing is for certain, love will conquer all.

See more snaps from our gallery below as well as the full line up of incredible suppliers that took part!

Concept & Photography: @carolineopacicphotography

Concept, Planning & Styling: @the_hullabaloo_collective

Venue: @upthorpewood

Hire: @anthologyvintagehire

Florist: @augustahopeflowers

Hair / MUA: @vickyjiggensmakeup

Dress: @poppyperspective

Headdresses: @bombinistudio

Celebrant: @michelle_funkycelebrant

Stationery: @sundownpaper

Ribbons / Textiles: @ambersrosepreservation

Videographer: @jayandersonweddings

Cake: @meeramakes_weddingcakes

Our real couple Lisa & Jon