Whole Lotta Love Weddings
- Nov 4, 2020
- 3 min read

House in the Woods autumnal woodland elopement inspiration

Updated: Nov 27, 2020

We often think of weddings as a summer affair but I think autumn has magic like no other. What could look more romantic than a bohemian woodland setting rich with those autumnal colours?

We decided to call the shoot ‘House in the Woods’ after falling head over heels with Upthorpe Wood and it's little fairytale cabin right in the heart of the woods.

Queue Tom Petty’s song of the same title:

‘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?’

Our bride and groom Lisa and Jon are my clients, a couple who were supposed to get married in September, but ‘Rona had other ideas. I've arranged this shoot as a little gift to them, so even though they had to postpone their big day to 2021, they still get to have a happy memory in this horrendous year that is 2020.

The autumnal colour palette looked beautiful both in terms of décor and styling.

There were five setups I've designed for Caroline and Jay to shoot:

1. A gorgeous make-believe woodland ceremony with a bold framing centrepiece. The florists at Augusta Hope created a beautiful floral arch, which was surrounded by pumpkins (hinting harvest), incorporating a vintage gold frame by Anthology Vintage Hire.

Our celebrant Michelle @michelle_funkycelebrant delivered her candle lighting ceremony, practiced in Colombia (Lisa’s heritage).

Lisa and Jon wrote their own vows and read them out to each other for the very first time that day. It was so very special.

2. A boho rustic chill-out area with two mustard velvet armchairs, a vintage cabinet with a retro lamp, retro vinyl record player, where the happy couple could have some time out sipping champagne.

This set up was originally supposed to be in the woods but had to be relocated to the barn because of the rain. This somehow made it even more romantic with the rain pitter-pattering on the roof.

3. The wedding breakfast was set on a vintage trestle table for 6, reflecting the ever-changing rules on wedding guest numbers, with mismatching vintage chairs in the open barn. My tablescape continued the theme with handpainted vintage plates of woodland birds, vintage cutlery, and retro gold-rimmed pheasant wine glasses.

The beautiful fabrics (silk velvet napkins, table runners, and ribbons) were supplied by Debby @ambersrosepreservation, and the fabulous hanging floral installation and table centerpiece was created by @augustahopeflowers.

The stationery was a real triumph by Sarah @sundownpaper.

4. The little house in the woods was decorated by Augusta Hope with beautiful copper leaves and flowers. This enchanting little cabin is a magical backdrop for photos but is also big enough to hold a double bed, you can spend the night there as a newly married couple, and even get breakfast in bed delivered in the morning.

5. Where better to have the first dance than a specially built and raised decking area in the woods? Magically lit with festoon lights, it's romantic beyond belief!

Lisa wore an incredible black vintage lace and tasseled wedding dress designed by Phiney @poppyperspective, that looked wicked with black cowboy boots.

The most incredible headpiece full of pheasant feathers was created especially for the shoot by Jess @bombinistudio. She also made a red flower headpiece for Michelle, our celebrant.

Jon wore a dark brown velour suit jacket with a black shirt, black jeans, cowboy boots, and the biggest grin we’ve ever seen on a groom, ever!

Hair and makeup were done to perfection by Vicky @vickyjiggensmakeup.

The woodland-inspired cake was created by Meera @meeramakes_weddingcakes. How incredibly realistic does that bark look??

The fantastic furniture and props were supplied by Amy @anthologyvintagehire, who also helped immensely with the setup and decor.

And all of it was captured on film by the incredible Jay @jayandersonwedings, who is not only a master cameraman but very nifty with the drone.

Upthorpe Wood is the most incredible venue for a small wedding, right in the heart of Suffolk. You can even spend the night in the little cabin after your big day, and get breakfast delivered in the morning!

Even though the pandemic ruined our plans in 2020, we wanted to show that celebrating love is more important than ever. So why not give 'Rona the middle finger and elope to the woods?!

The best thing about eloping is that you get to have the biggest bash with all that you love next year.

Lisa & Jon, I can not wait for us to do this for real!!!