Styled Shoot – The Parlour @ Blagdon

The Parlour @ Blagdon is one of my favourite north east venues and as their recommended stylist and wedding florist I am there a lot.

The space is beautiful and really versatile as it has separate spaces for the ceremony and reception as well as a gorgeous courtyard for outdoor ceremonies when the British weather is being kind.

While I wasn't working on any actual weddings during the Covid lockdown I was adding some new items to the hire catalogue and dreaming up some new styles so we did a styled shoot to get some new photos to show what can be done in this fabulous space.

I've shared my tips for dressing the wedding ceremony and guest tables as well as some other areas of this gorgeous venue.

The Entrance

When your guests arrive at the venue on the day they walk through the courtyard to the ceremony space. I created this dreamy archway to greet them and point them in the right direction. This space can be personalised with a welcome sign too.

The Ceremony

In the ceremony space, there are different options for dressing the chairs. White or ivory on every chair is a classic look and is so elegant. Choose the colour closest to the bridal gown.

If you want to bring in a specific colour then think about dressing alternate chairs with a coloured chiffon sash, then you can add greenery to the other chairs if you want a rustic look.

If you want to highlight the aisle, dress only the aisle chairs and add a bundle of foliage or little bunch of flowers on the inside edge.

Lanterns lining the walkway look gorgeous with any decor or layout.

The Details

Bespoke signage can give your guests any messages you want to convey before the ceremony.

Thinking about the front of the space where the couple will stand, you can use a backdrop to create a neutral background for your photographer to capture the special moments and a floral arrangement on the registrars table will dress the space where you will sign the register.

The Porch

In the porch entrance to the Willow Room there is plenty of space to display welcome signs, a guestbook, your table plan and anything else personal to your day.

This is a nice place for some photos of relatives on their wedding day or photos that tell the story of you as a couple.

Centrepieces

There are so many options for wedding centrepieces, the list is almost endless but in this room, I recommend lower centrepieces rather than tall ones. The beams overhead give enough interest to this part of the room and of course, they can be dressed with bunting, fairy lights or foliage.

A few tips with centrepieces:

Don't take up too much space. Your guests need to be able to see each other to talk and you need plenty of space for the delicious food and wine you are all going to share. The centrepiece should dress the table and give a focal point not take over the room.

Think about something to ground the arrangement or centrepiece to the table. A wood slice or a puddle of fabric make a great platform to display your flowers or candles.

Have some fun with them, don't be afraid to personalise your centrepieces with things that reflect your personality.

The Top Table

For the top table, again, you have lots of choices but just remember to make sure there is nothing in front of the happy couple.

Usually, the long and low floral arrangement from the registrars table would move to the centre for the wedding breakfast. This maximises your wedding flowers throughout the day while also making sure all the guests can see you both. You can add tealights or little bid vases of flowers along the rest of the table or even some vases to pop the bridesmaids bouquets into.

If you don't want to use a focal floral arrangement you can dress the length of the table with a soft runner and dot little vases and candles along the front edge or use something like lanterns and terrariums linked with some stems of foliage.

There are lots of other ways to dress this amazing venue and bring your own stamp to the styling of the day but if you start with the tips and suggestions I've made here you can't really go wrong.

Karen Alexander Wedding Florist

If you're getting married at The Parlour (or anywhere else in the north east) and would like some help with your flowers and styling, get in touch through my contact page and we can arrange a time to chat.

Credits:

All Styling & Flowers - Karen Alexander Weddings

Venue - The Parlour @ Blagdon

Signage & Table Plan Lettering - Lavelle Lettering

Photography - Joss Guest Photography