On Wednesday, 2nd September, we were fortunate enough to shoot at the most exquisite venue- Blenheim palace, showcasing my British handmade couture dresses.
This stunning location is situated in Oxfordshire. The palace spans acres of land and boasts both breathtaking gardens and grounds.
The real beauty, however, is arguably within the palace rooms, where each detail has been expertly preserved in a true showcase of British architecture. We felt that the venue represented our creations perfectly, as whilst they exude luxury, they’re also truly British as they are created here entirely by hand.
We woke up at dawn as the sun rose over the beautiful location. We were only given two hours to shoot inside because the public would be present. Although this was short, this intensity led to incredible productivity. Stuart Wood, our photographer, utilised his time perfectly, and we got better shots than we could ever have imagined. The library room offset our blue and gold couture Chantilly lace dress effortlessly. The two models in the Great Hall next to cakes provided by Elizabeth’s Cake emporium created an awe-inspiring view for the public as they entered the palace.
We then moved to the exquisite gardens, where we could continue photographing the other dresses. In addition, Muse motion Productions used their videography skills to follow the shoot and show our gowns’ beautiful movement. One of the highlights of the day was when our stunning model Thalia took the feather train from our beaded Chantilly lace and silk crepe jumpsuit and let it fly behind her in the wind, displaying the material and design perfectly and also showing off Freya Rose’s fabulous mother of pearl heeled boots.
Finally, at around 4 pm, we started to feel the rain. But this did by no means dampen our mood. We closed the shoot with Philip Corps Flowers dressing a simple corner of the room with his lovely floral designs, something that was so simple yet so effortlessly stunning.
Collaboration and teamwork are of utmost importance at Shimmering Ivory, and that is what made Tuesday the 2nd’s shoot so special. Following corona, the bridal industry has been hit with many lows, and many of us have found business turbulent. For this reason, we decided to make this shoot a celebration of our industry and thus decided to collaborate as a team effort. Below is a list of all those involved we had an amazing day with lots of hard work, creativity and positivity.
- Creative Director and Stylist: Shimmering Ivory Couture by Siân Hughes Cooke
- Bridal Designer of Shimmering Ivory Wedding gowns: Sian Hughes Cooke
- Sian’s Assistant: Amy Kettridge
- Social Content Creation: Bex Whitley
- Shoot Assistant: Anastasia Fokina
- Photographer: Stuart Wood + assistant Alan
- Videographer: Muse Motion Productions
- Hair and Makeup: Chloe Hiskett
- Fine Jewellery: Heartwood Jewellery
- Costume Jewellery: The Jewel Jar
- Shoes Freya Rose Florist: Phillip Corps Flowers
- Hair Accessories: Dolecka
- Cakes: Elizabeth Solaru – Elisabeth’s Cake Emporium
I am a luxury bespoke bridal and occasion-wear designer based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. I set up my own brand Shimmering Ivory following a long career as a lingerie designer; my greatest achievement was designing the $15 million millennium bra for Victoria’s Secret. I recently showcased my new collection now virtually at the Bridelux atelier.
We created something truly magical with suppliers of such a high calibre alongside the beautiful Blenheim Palace.
