Collective Edinburgh | A Contemporary micro wedding styled shoot for the foodies and the eco conscious
It’ll come as no surprise to you reading this that 2020 was a tough one for the wedding industry. In the summer Mercedes and I got together to chat about the changes that were happening in the wedding industry- not just related to covid but also around the negative impact that weddings can have on the environment but also the positive and exciting trends of people choosing to plan their wedding around their unique interests and values rather than external expectation and tradition. We hoped that in putting together this styled shoot it would help us, as suppliers, to be creative in a time where work was sparse but that it would also have a positive impact on the industry moving forward into a season where weddings look different in many ways.
Here are some words from Mercedes on how we approached this shoot, written for The Wedding Collective annual.
‘There has been a distinct change in weddings over the last year, with couples and suppliers approaching things differently. Every aspect of the day is being reconsidered and the value we put in certain areas explored. More and more couples are looking to their wedding as a form of self-expression, a physical representation of their relationship, and of their relationship with their guests. We are all scrutinizing traditions and antiquated notions, and questioning what Pinterest tells us is a “stylish” wedding.
These are the notions we took into designing this shoot, to produce something for those looking to do things a little differently. Creative expression for our food-loving modern couple became the focus, in a city-centre setting where ancient architecture met contemporary design.
We wanted to illustrate the opportunity of injecting some of your personality through the décor and styling by bringing in pieces you will go on to welcome into your home. Edinburgh artist, Arran Rahimian, provided us with some of his extraordinary paintings which we included in the wedding breakfast styling, and as a striking backdrop for the ceremony. We used various ceramics by KJA Studio, including bud vases and utensil holders, to decorate the table filling with flowers or adapting as candle holders.
With a colour palette, and details of the setting and the couple, we gave suppliers full creative freedom to showcase their genius. We were thrilled to include the chefs at The Lookout restaurant who invented a few artful dishes for the table packed with seasonal and local produce. Schillicious uniquely masters making cakes into pieces of abstract art, and we included them in the styling as consciously as the placement of the candles and flowers. We brought in Pyrus who arrived armed with seasonal produce, fresh flowers, and dried grasses and built installations inspired by the paintings, accessory colours, and the architectural structure of their surroundings. Robbie Purves (hair) and Heather Snowie (makeup) worked off of each other, the personalities of our couple, and what was being assembled around them. They focused on the silhouette of the dresses by Olive Jones and Charlie Braer, and the rust and copper tones from the florals, paintings, and cakes.
No detail was too small, nothing was overlooked. It was to be something conscious of sustainability and the current climate, while keeping a unique beauty and creative expression at its heart. An expression of what can happen when you truly collaborate and dismiss constraining rules and expectations. Have fun, trust in the people you have chosen to work with, and be unapologetically you.’
For more information on planning an eco conscious wedding or event check out this article by 77 Diamonds.
Venue - Collective Edinburgh
Photographer and Concept - Claire Fleck
Styling and Concept - Scarlett & Bell
Florist - Pyrus
Artwork - Arran Rahimian
Cakes - Schillicious
Ceramicist - KJA Studio
Food - The Lookout
Makeup - Heather Snowie
Hair - Robbie Purves
Dresses - Olive Jones
Models - Tash & Matt (a.k.a Albys, best sandwichs in Edinburgh)
