Claudia + Bentsil

This was an editorial from around 4 years ago, and this year I wanted to revisit some of my older work, and breathe a little bit of new life into it. I wanted to recast my eyes over, process with a slightly less dramatic edit, and dig out some gems that have been hiding away in the archives of my hard drives.

This is Claudia + Bentsil, an industrial Manchester warehouse wedding story, imagined by the talented stylist Rebecca Marie Weddings, founder of Lark Workshops. I loved the grittiness of the venue, which plays into the grungey and industrial feel of Manchester, but with a really elevated and elegant twist, brought to life by Rebecca, and Sasha of Sassflower. Look one featured Claudia in a soft and romantic Berta gown, with tulle and sparkles, to really contrast with the darkness and grit of the location. Sasha used the structures in the warehouse to create florals that looked like they could've grown there, organic and whimsical and textured, in neutral tones and colours. I wanted to use the light we did have to illuminate the space, and this beautiful couple, and photograph them in a quiet and understated way - I wanted to really lean into the romance and intimacy of the styling, and work against the setting. The second look was a playful short mini dress by Jean Jackson Couture, with an installation and piano setting again by Sasha. This look was more about city chic and movement, playfulness and fun, taking the motion from the city of Manchester, into this renovated warehouse. I love the images of Claudia laughing with abandon, and the mini dress looks incredible on her. For the piano setting, I wanted to work against the light, and create some real mood and haze and atmosphere, and these might be some of my favourites of the bunch.

A little trip through the archives to shed some light on this beautiful little shoot. I'm glad I found it.

Venue - Atlas Studios

Workshop - Workshops by Lark

Stylist - Rebecca Marie Weddings

Florals - SASSFLOWER

Dresses - Berta and Jean Jackson Couture

Stationery - Gray Starling Studio