STYLED SHOOT: WILD ATLANTIC ELOPEMENT

Ireland has a very special place in my heart and so I’m excited to share this gorgeous shoot with you! Beautifully photographed by Mairéad of Remain In Light on the Irish coast.

Love is love. When it comes to diversity in weddings, it doesn’t get any more special than this collaboration.

Photographer, Mairéad first approached Indian wedding blogger, Poonam with a styled shoot concept inspired by the wild landscape of the west coast of Ireland. A popular place to elope to, it seemed perfect for the theme of forbidden love.

It didn’t take Poonam long to fall in love with Ireland’s greenery and its Gaelic culture. After living and traveling extensively across the emerald isle, both Mairéad and Poonam were keen on capturing the beauty and heritage in an elegant same-sex elopement inspiration shoot.

Inspired by Ireland’s vast landscape along the Wild Atlantic Way, Celtic mythology, and the recent marriage referendum vote, we handpicked wedding professionals who would complement our themes. This beautiful part of the world is evocative of Irish culture and conjures images of myths and legends. One such story in particular is that of star-crossed lovers, Deirdre and Naoise whose love is forbidden and in turn they are forced to run away.

County Kerry is a popular place for such couples to run away and elope to. It’s a magical part of the country, with the Dingle peninsula being the most westerly point in Ireland. Many ships set sail for America and Canada from here, and descendants of those emigrants often return to their ancestral homeland seeking their own stories, some even coming back to elope.

Set amidst an idyllic backdrop of magnificent rolling green hills and a rugged coastline, 300-year-old manor Ballintaggart House is full of character and was perfect for our shoot. The space features elegant rooms and overlooks the spectacular Dingle Bay. One particular room that captured our heart was the main bedroom, which features a beautiful freestanding bath.

The wild landscape and nearby beach provided the perfect backdrop for our forbidden lovers. Hair and makeup artists, Tricia and Georgia created natural looks for our brides. West Kerry is a place to feel free and let go and we feel that the slick and windswept hair reflected that freedom. The berry tones in the lips and eyes added bursts of colour to inspire autumn or winter brides.

Each supplier involved in the shoot was inspired by the beautiful surroundings of Ireland in some form or another. One such example is Michele of Atlantic Bridal who designed and handcrafted two incredibly striking pieces capturing the raw beauty found in nature.

The ethereal Deirdre wore “The Reflections” crown featuring vines entwined between ivory porcelain flowers with a scattering of beautiful freshwater pearls. For Naoise, her gold clips featured bold leaf details and whimsical branches interspersed with golden beaded accents.

When it came to selecting jewellery, we always had our hearts set on Chupi’s designs. As put so eloquently, her pieces are a reflection of her and her upbringing, “irresistibly drawn to wild and natural things.”Moody and magical, Chupi’s engagement rings and jewellery in the shape of leaves, twigs and shells tied in so beautifully with the hair accessories and gowns. With names such as “One In A Trillion” and “Infinity”,we were thrilled with how well they complemented the theme.

Bride Deirdre wore a tulle and lace a-line gown from Bella Bleu and for Naoise we opted for a gathered silk, georgette skirt with a modern lace separate crop top.

Wanting to highlight the “forbidden love” theme, we opted for fruits such as berries and pomegranates to represent fertility, abundance and marriage, alongside rugged textures, and florals in vivid autumnal colours. Our elements portray love and intimacy with a hint of boldness.

The sweetheart table added loads of charm to our beach setting. Here we see two women eloping, confessing their love for one another through famous Irish literature.

We opted for love letters as opposed to traditional wedding stationery. Our stationery artist kept her calligraphy loose and free and utilized pearlescent teal ink on beautifully textured cotton rag paper, reminiscent of the rough waves and sea spray from the Atlantic Ocean. We brought all the elements together with colours that represent Ireland.

The pièce de résistance came in the form of a marbled cake with opulent gold leaf accents. Florist, Jill Wild thought it would be apt to have it mounted on top of her incredible wooden trunk table and just for additional drama, place it in the sea against the crashing waves.

Our fabulous florist Jill created an eye-catching asymmetrical bouquet and a stylish hoop for the brides, both full of luscious blooms, greenery, thistle and plants foraged from nature. The beautiful rustic fireplace in the manor formed the final backdrop. We decided to drape it with lots of wild foliage to once again highlight the surrounding natural beauty around us.

This styled shoot was in essence about love against the wild landscape of the west of Ireland, and how powerful it is when two beautiful souls come together to create magic.