We were delighted to welcome a number of local wedding suppliers for an elegant photoshoot at Swanton Morley House and Gardens to showcase lots of wedding day inspiration. The overall feel for the shoot was natural and minimalist and was designed and photographed by Cara Zagni Photography.

We used various locations at Swanton Morley House and Gardens, including our Ceremony Room and various areas in our gardens. There were lots of dried flowers and grasses, natural linens and ribbons and the most beautiful wedding dresses and bridal jewellery. The shoot also included delicious wedding cake ideas, gorgeous wedding stationery and elegant bridal hair and make-up. Enjoy!

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The flowers

“When deciding what flowers to use for this shoot we wanted to try and match the tones from the decor. For the bouquet and arch, we used a variety of gorgeous dried flowers and grasses with a hint of ivory and burnt apricot which reflected the wicker details from the table and the terracotta tones from the stationery. For our installation above the table, we used all dried flowers and foliages. We wanted to keep the colours warm but not orange. Instead, we chose to work around burnt apricot, caramel and coffee tones throughout the shoot.” – Cara Zagni Photography

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The wedding dresses and bridal make-up

“Amy from Adella Bridal provided two beautiful dresses for this modern shoot; the Jesus Piero style 115 from their 2020 ‘Cala’ Collection with a beaded tulle crop top and guipure waistband with flowing silk voile skirt, and the Theia Couture ‘Jean’ sleeveless satin slip mermaid gown with a plunge v-neckline. Both gowns are divine, but the clean lines of the slip dress make this gown the perfect minimalist wedding dress allowing Brooke from Boho Beauty Box and Beverley from PS With Love to complete the bridal look with fresh, glowy skin, a traditional high bun and delicate, feminine accessories. Less, sometimes, really is, more. ” – Cara Zagni Photography

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The wedding stationery and textiles

Jenna from Wonderland Invites wanted to hone in on the colour palette and create something both minimalist and in keeping with her aesthetic. She loved creating the wreaths, which featured both watercolour dried and fresh foliage and flowers. She also included simple line drawings of wheat sprigs to tie back to the modern harvest theme of the shoot. MiaSylvia focuses on ethical, sustainable and organic textiles for the eco-conscious. Each piece of fabric seen has been ethically sourced and hand-dyed by Mia. Mia uses 100% natural and hand foraged ingredients to dye with. From soft pinks dyed with avocado skins to the peach napkins dyed with cherry wood. Each colour is bespoke and personally curated for your special moments.” – Cara Zagni Photography

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The wedding cakes

“Emma from Buns of Fun created two cake looks. The first look: Our vanilla and coconut tall cake featured smooth and textured buttercream, wrapping the vanilla bean layers in a ‘hug’ style with rougher free edges. Ardorned with a simple large Alium seed head and smaller florets of seeds underneath the cake stand to create movement. The second look outside: Our vanilla and coconut tall cake with smooth and textured buttercream and a gathering of dried grasses and herbs, topped with dairy-free white chocolate and gold leaf wave.” – Cara Zagni Photography

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The team

With many thanks to all our suppliers who were involved in this shoot. We hope it has provided some beautiful wedding day inspiration. To visit Swanton Morley House and Gardens for a private viewing please use our contact form to book an appointment.

• Photography Cara Zagni Photography
• Florist Fox & Fern Florist
• Cake Buns of Fun
• Props Belles and Beaus
• Stationery Wonderland Invites
• Textiles Mia Sylvia
• Accessories PS With Love
• Dress & Shoes Adella Bridal
• Hair & MUA Boho Beauty Box
• Model Connie Robinson

It may be cold outside but we were delighted to have so many beautiful Spring flowers in our Ceremony Room this week. These gorgeous designs would be perfect for decorating any Spring wedding from the Ceremony space to styling the wedding breakfast tables.

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Using a mix of vessels filled with greenery from our gardens, lots of Spring flowers were also added to create a romantic style. Spring offers an abundance of flowers to choose from for weddings and many have an incredible scent too. We chose baby pink tulips, hyacinths, spray roses, viburnum and hellebores and added lots of texture with a variety of foliage and trailing ivy.

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The look was completed with lots of tea lights and elegant tall candles. We also added a table runner and pretty ribbons to add to the romantic feel. To create some height we used branches and added trailing ivy and suspended this above the ceremony table. We love this spring garden inspired look and are always happy to assist our couples with their styling plans for their wedding day.

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If you would like to discuss your wedding plans with us, please do get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you!

Our beautiful Christmas Wreath Workshops at Swanton Morley House, Norfolk are now available to book. This year, we are delighted to welcome Katy from Bracken and Twine Flowers who will be teaching this year’s workshops. Katy, a Norfolk-based independent florist, will be sharing her natural and beautifully romantic style of floristry with our guests.

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Guests will be able to create Christmas wreaths using a wide range of flowers, foliage and dried materials. We also include a breath taking array of other natural materials including pinecones, herbs, berries and seed heads. All foliage is cut from our gardens, ensuring a fresh, eco-friendly and bountiful supply. As a result, all our guests are able to get creative and make full lush wreaths. There is so much more to our Christmas wreath workshops than holly!

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Our Christmas Wreath workshops will also focus on using sustainable floristry methods. This means that we will not be using florist foam but natural moss based wreaths. We also have Winter Wreath workshops available covering techniques for making stunning wreaths using only dried materials. A perfect Christmas wreath for those looking to get ahead and bang on trend.

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Swanton Morley House will also be offering elegant Christmas bouquet and stunning table design workshops over the festive season. We can say with certainty that our workshops provide guests with a wonderfully creative experience.

The location

Swanton Morley House is located in the heart of Norfolk making it the perfect location to meet for our Christmas workshops. Our workshops are based in our beautifully converted barns. All guests have a substantial work area with all flowers and foliage set-out in our covered courtyard. We also offer a warm and friendly welcome to all our guests with wonderful hospitality. This all makes for a lovely start to the Christmas festivities.

Contact

For full details about our upcoming Christmas wreaths workshops, please visit our workshop website at Norfolk Flower Workshops or contact us on 01362 637828.

Congratulations to Ryan and Hannah, who celebrated their stunning autumnal wedding at Swanton Morley House and Gardens.

Ryan and Hannah chose to have a traditional Church ceremony, which took place at All Saints Church, Swanton Morley. After having tied the knot, guests arrived at our venue and were welcomed with drinks and canapes. Guests also enjoyed participating in garden games, whilst the newly weds were given the opportunity to have some gorgeous photos taken in the gardens.

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The courtyard marquee was beautifully decorated for the wedding breakfast. Sunflowers, bunched rosemary & lavender, teacups and bunting created a stylish vintage feel. Afternoon tea was served and guests were able to help themselves to a delicious-looking dessert table shortly afterwards.

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Moving into the evening, a mouth-watering Hog Roast was served to guests by Swanton Morley Butchers. The extravagant cake, decorated with wild flowers and topped with the miniature Bride and Groom, was cut and the newly married couple had their first dance. A lively disco in the Dance Room and sparklers brought Ryan and Hannah’s special day to a spectacular end!

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Our congratulations again for creating a stunning autumnal wedding with such a unique flare. We hope that you made some wonderful memories and wish you all the best for your future together!

One of the finest wedding venues in Norfolk, Swanton Morley House and Gardens is available to host unique weddings from spring through to autumn. If you would like to book a viewing or require any further information, please visit our contact page.

Images by kind permission of Darina Stoda Photography. Day Catering:
Back to Your Place. Evening Catering: Swanton Morley Butchers. Bar: Best@Bars. Equipment Hire:
The Banqueting Hire Service. Videographer: Younique Productions. Florist:
Crown House Flowers. and Daisy’s. Cake: Bakes by Sherry.

Congratulations to Stacey and Ashely who held their elegant Summer wedding at Swanton Morley House and Gardens!

On the morning of her special day, Stacey and her bridesmaids were able to get ready at the venue. Stacey wore a gorgeous white gown, which was complemented by the peach-coloured roses that made up her bridal bouquet.

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After exchanging vows in the Ceremony Room, guests enjoyed welcome drinks and canapes on the terrace. Gardens games were played and the Kavolini String Quartet performed relaxing classical music.

Stacey and Ashely were lucky to have beautiful weather and as a result were able to have some stunning photos taken in our gardens, meadow and woodlands.

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The courtyard marquee was exquisitely decorated for the couple’s elegant wedding, with peach-coloured floral arrangements, crystal glassware and a flower wall behind the top table. Following the three-course wedding breakfast, speeches and cutting of the cake, the party began!

Guests danced to the Bear Club’s lively beats and were served Hog Roast for relaxed evening dining. Marshmallows were toasted over the fire pit and hot chocolate, from the Ashely’s homemade hot chocolate cart, was enjoyed by guests. We think anyone who was there, would agree – it was certainly a fabulous evening!

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Many congratulations again to Stacey and Ashely, who put together such an elegant summer wedding! We wish you all the best for your future together.

Swanton Morley House and Gardens is a unique wedding venue set in the very heart of Norfolk. If you would like further information or would like to book a viewing please visit our contact page.

Images by kind permission of Tim Stephenson Photography. Day catering: Back to Your Place. Evening Catering: Cawdrons. Bar: East Coast Bars. Equipment hire: The Banqueting Hire Service. Florist: Crown House Flowers. Day entertainment: Kavolini. Evening entertainment: Bear Club. Flower wall: Prestige Events.

Congratulations to Natalie and Ryan who held their beautiful Summer wedding at Swanton Morley House and Gardens.

Excited cheers and confetti greeted the newly weds after having exchanged vows in the Ceremony Room. Guests then enjoyed drinks on the terrace and played garden games.

Natalie chose peonies, roses and nerines to make up the flowers for her Summer wedding. Eryngiums, the silvery-blue thistle-like flowers, were also included to celebrate the Bride’s Scottish heritage. These flowers were specially grown for Natalie and Ryan’s Summer wedding, here at Swanton Morley House and Gardens.

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Because of the gorgeous weather, Natalie and Ryan were able to have some stunning pictures taken in the gardens.

Later, guests moved into the courtyard marquee for the three-course wedding breakfast served by Florentina. Starters consisted of ‘Caprese’, followed by mouth-watering chicken and ham pie. A tempting strawberry and lemon curd Eton mess finished the meal.

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Moving into the evening, guests danced to The Collective’s lively tunes and took photos using the photobooth supplied by Tiger Booth. Florentina cooked paella in the courtyard and served it to guests for relaxed evening dining.

Our congratulations again to Natalie and Ryan. We wish you every happiness for your future together!

Swanton Morley House and Gardens is a Norfolk wedding venue, available to host unique weddings during the spring, summer and autumn months. For more information or to book a viewing please visit our contact page.

Images by kind permission of SummerLove Photography. Caterers: Florentina. Florist: Crown House Flowers. Bar: Frizzante. Equipment hire: Grice & Foster. Evening entertainment: The Collective. Photobooth: Tiger Booth.

 

 

Wedding Day Inspiration and Coral Elegance at Swanton Morley House 

Modern elegance, incorporating Pantone’s colour of 2019, “Living Coral”, was the theme of this season’s wedding day bridal shoot at Swanton Morley House and Gardens.   

Introduction

It was a pleasure to welcome some of Norfolk’s finest wedding suppliers on a cold and rather wet day in February but, we were all warmed by this colourful and inspirational styled wedding shoot.  The idea of the shoot came from Amber Briggs of Love Wedding Cakes who wanted to showcase how couples could add bright and warm colours into their wedding day, by either adding small accents and “pops” of colour or by embracing a full colourful spectrum.  Living Coral is a perfect colour to add depth, warmth and vibrancy to a wedding colour scheme and compliments many other colours too.  For our shoot we also added cool greys and hot pinks to give a modern elegant feel.

The Venue 

Here at Swanton Morley House and Gardens, we are known for our 10 acres of beautiful gardens, meadow and woodland.  However, our love of gardens also extends into our elegant wedding venue rooms which surround our unique courtyard marquee.  With planting throughout, our courtyard has a lovely Mediterranean feel and flows seamlessly through double french doors into the surrounding rooms of the converted stables with double height ceilings, exposed oak beams and panelled walls.   

Available for weddings between May and October, we are an exclusive wedding venue offering only a limited number of weddings each year.  For the shoot we used the courtyard marquee, ceremony room and even ventured outside to one of our covered seating areas.   So, whatever the weather our venue can always offer plenty of areas to capture stunning wedding imagery.  

The Wedding Imagery 

The imagery for our shoot was captured by Tim Stephenson Photography and videography was by Mike Savory.  Both are award winning and experts in their field and worked incredibly hard to capture the shoot perfectly.  They have a fun and relaxed style which puts couples at ease but definitely have all the skills and creativity to capture beautiful and timeless wedding imagery.  

The Bridal Gowns 

The gorgeous bridal gowns were provided by Adella, a luxurious bridal boutique located at the historic Ketteringham Hall in Norfolk.  Owner, Amy brought a selection of bridal gowns and accessories from the boutique’s extensive range which includes designer labels and Adella’s own collection which is designed in-house and exclusive to them.  

Libby wore a Madison James gown in ivory champagne with a beautifully fluid chiffon skirt, balanced with an intricately beaded bodice and cold shoulder detailing.  This gorgeous gown was also teamed with a bespoke designed hand painted leather jacket by artist BertieValentine for an effortlessly cool bridal cover-up. 

Lydia, also wore a Madison James gown in ivory and silver.  This gorgeous sheath styled dress included a delicate featherlike lace and sequined detailing with a tiered effect.  

Jumara wore a Dando London Gown in ivory.  This stunning all-over lace column style gown, featured shoe string straps with a sweetheart neckline, cut-out illusion side panels and a dropped V-back.  

The Bridesmaids Dresses 

The bridesmaids dresses were designed and made by Holly at Willow and Pearl and featured their newest sleeve design which has been added to their “create your own” designer dress range.  The “Waterfall” sleeve is the sixth sleeve to be added to their range, sitting alongside six bodice options, two dress lengths and 51 colour options bringing the total number of different dress design combinations to a dizzying 3,672. 

For the shoot, Holly selected the Temple dress with its classic straight bateau neckline, the Cloud dress with it’s draped cowl neck and the Fern v-neck dress.  These were all made from their signature fabric in coral with all the bodices being paired with the new Waterfall sleeve.  The beautiful jersey fabric is incredibly flattering to all shapes and sizes and has lovely movement and femininity.  Designing affordable dresses that women feel comfortable and confident in is something that Willow and Pearl are very proud of.  

The Hair and Make-up 

The elegant and romantic make-up and hairstyles were created by make-up artist Amanda and bridal hair stylist Michelle for Amanda Steed Hair and Make-up.  With a passion for make-up looks which enhance brides natural beauty and elegant hairstyles to suit face shapes and bridal gowns, Amanda and her team are experts in creating contemporary looks with a timeless feel.

Using soft peaches and warm tones, Amanda created a natural look that was sophisticated and beautifully complimented our models stylish bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses.

Michelle, added to the overall look with some amazing hairstyles, mixing between plaits and twists to create texture and shape with a classic twist.  Libby’s hair was styled with fishtail braids crossing over with a Dutch braid through to the top and finishing with an infinity braid and beach waves.  For Lydia’s hair, Michelle created a low textured chignon bun and Jaumara’s elegant up-do included braids and twisted rose shapes.  

The Wedding Cakes 

Amber of Love Weddings Cakes designed and made an elegant trio of cakes which created a stunning display.  The cakes included a single tier cake, hand painted in a watercolour ombre effect of coral through to white.  The two tier cake was decorated with a delicate grey marble finish and the centre piece was a four tier cake finished in white icing with a beautiful contemporary edge.  All the cakes were decorated with handcrafted sugar flowers in shades of bright coral, peach and pink and included gorgeous roses and blousy peonies.

The Flowers 

The stunning flowers arrangements for the shoot were designed by Corrina of Olive et Fleur.  Corrina used a colour pallet of warm coral and peachy tones, hot pinks, fresh greens, whites and slivers to create sumptuous handtied bridal and bridesmaids bouquets. Brimming was blooms, including the elegant “Juliet” rose by David Austin, the bouquets also included tulips, ranunculus and anemones with texture being added with the use of ferns, delicate waxflowers and succulents.  

The bold colours and lavish flowers were also used for the two striking pedestal arrangements and also included masses of greenery, trailing ivy and jasmine for a elegant flowing look.

The luxurious floral theme was continued with blooms and greenery being added to the table décor and Corrina dotted roses, ranunculas and tulips amongst the wispy jasmine trails to evoke a fresh garden inspired feel for wedding dining. 

 

The Table Setting and Wedding Stationery

To set the scene for elegant dining, our wedding breakfast table was dressed with a runner of wispy foliages and contrasting peach and pink florals.  The tableware, which was provided by CMA Hire included their white marbled glass plates and their new range of stylish matt grey concrete plates.  The look was completed with dove grey linens, antique gold cutlery and glassware including smoke grey water tumblers.  

Sam of Sam Wood Design, handcrafts beautiful and bespoke wedding stationery which are unique to every couple.  For our shoot Sam created sophisticated wedding invitations and complimentary wedding stationery items using a coral watercolour wash on white card for a crisp and clean look.  Other designs including, bespoke menus, table numbers and a welcome sign were hand painted in white onto clear acrylic boards with washes of coral on the reverse to give the designs a burst of colour.  

And finally…

We hope this beautiful shoot provides lots of wedding day ideas and inspiration and finally, but by no means least, we finish with Mike’s beautiful storytelling film of the shoot which also includes some behind the scenes moments.

Coral Elegance Film

With thanks to the suppliers who brought this wonderful shoot together.

Credits 

Venue: Swanton Morley House and Gardens, Photography: Tim Stephenson Photography , Videography: Mike Savory, Bridal Boutique: Adella Bridal Boutique, Bridesmaids dresses: Willow & Pearl, Wedding cakes: Love Wedding Cakes, Floristry: Olive Et Fleur, Hair and Make-up: Amanda Steed Hair and Make-up, Tableware: CMA Hire, Stationery and signage:  Sam Wood Design, Models:  Lydia, Libby and Jumara.  

Congratulations to Charlotte and Jonathan! 

Many congratulations to Charlotte and Jonathan who married at Swanton Morley House in October and fully embraced the glorious autumn season.

Surrounded by close friends and family, Charlotte and Jonathan exchanged their vows in our Ceremony Room which was decorated with beautiful florals by Crown House Flowers to give a lovely autumn feel.

Charlotte love of sunflowers shone through. These cheery blooms were included in her wedding floristry which were perfectly complimented with warm creamy tones and lots of foliage. We were also delighted to grow a small variety of sunflower (“Vanilla Ice”) which Charlotte wore in her hair and looked gorgeous.

Charlotte’s full length wedding gown with lace sleeves was stunning. Her bridesmaids, who wore dresses in a delicate yellow, complimented this beautiful autumn wedding perfectly.

As musicians, beautiful music played a special part in Charlotte and Jonathan’s day and guests were also able to enjoy our gardens in the warm autumn sunshine. Many guests participated in lawn games whilst enjoying canapes and drinks.

Later guests moved to our courtyard marquee and were served afternoon tea and were entertained by the wedding speeches.

Charlotte and Jonathan chose Liz Bishop Photography to capture their special day and she really made the most of the stunning autumn colour in our gardens and also captured some beautiful evening shots. 

Later, guests enjoyed dancing and a delicious hog roast.  In addition, a variety of puddings from the “Puddings Club” by Back to Your Place were set-out so guests could help themselves.  A four-tier wedding cake which was elegantly decorated with beautiful sugar flowers, was also enjoyed by guests who certainly went home full!

Our congratulations again to Charlotte and Jonathan and we wish them every happiness for their future together! 

Images by kind permission of Liz Bishop Photography, caterers: Back to Your Place, florist: Crown House Flowers, bar: East Coast Bars, wedding cake: Love Wedding Cakes, DJ: Mark Stanford