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Please note: Minna is now Indiebride London.

Today’s Southend Barns autumn wedding inspiration shoot is bound to cheer up any ‘January blues’. Think soft glowing lights, trailing foliage in vibrant autumnal hues, jewel-toned seasonal flowers and ethereal bridal style evoking visions of Elven folk from a Tolkien novel.

This beautiful shoot was dreamt up by the rustic farm venue Southend Barns in Chichester and To Have and To Hire wedding stylists. The shoot aimed to showcase local and ethical wedding businesses which of course we always love to see.  The styling was a celebration of autumn to reflect the beautiful textures, forms and colours it has to offer. Everything was perfectly captured by award-winning wedding photographer Kelly Hearn.

Southend Barns autumn wedding inspiration

The beautiful background for the shoot, Southend Barns, is a stunning set of converted farm buildings and landscaped gardens. Set on a working farm in the West Sussex countryside, couples can get married in the elegant Dairy Barn and then party the night away in the 200 year old Threshing Barn. Both have been built and run using the latest environmentally sustainable technology.

The Dairy Barn is fully licensed for all civil ceremonies and partnerships. It looks like the perfect neutral background to make your own. I love the simple sweet chestnut benches and the way the foliage has been styled to bring the outside in.

Seasonal flowers and foliage

As you are most probably aware we are massive advocates of using seasonal, British flowers and this shoot is such a perfect example of why. The stunning creations by The Wild Fox were either foraged for locally in the New Forest or gathered from the venue.

Autumnal foliage and lanterns were suspended from the overhead beams in the Dairy Barn which created a twinkling enchanted forest effect. Dried leaves and lanterns lined the aisle which led up to the most incredible natural display. To make a feature at the end of the aisle, a seasonal indoor meadow was created using flora foraged from the local countryside.

The bride’s bouquet was made using flowers collected from the gardens at Southend Barns which were tied with hand painted silk ribbons by Kate Cullen.

Natural, ethereal wedding dresses

To reflect the enchanting styling, natural wedding dresses by TNWC Recommended Supplier Minna were chosen. Minna’s ethical collection of unstructured and flowing lace dresses are made from sustainable, organic, recycled and locally produced textiles. We have long loved her vintage inspired designs. If you are looking for a relaxed wedding dress then you really must check out Minna’s collection. Their sister brand Indiebride also feature the most gorgeous collection of the coolest, shorter wedding dresses.

Autumnal bridal style

The dresses were teamed with Fairtrade rose gold jewellery from another one of our recommended suppliers CRED Jewellery. Handmade rose gold head pieces by Cherished were used in the bride’s hair. ID Makeup, Hair and Beauty gave the bride her natural waves and glowing skin. ID chose to work with Davines hair products which are all eco-friendly and have no carbon footprint. The make-up look was inspired by an autumn sunrise. ID used vegan and cruelty free products from Charlotte Tilbury, Becca, NARS and Hourglass to create glowing skin and soft bronzy brown metallic smoky eyes.

A 200 year old wedding reception barn

The 200 year old Threshing Barn is a great blank canvas to style as you wish. It radiates rustic charm with its authentic wooden beams and wrought iron chandeliers. To continue the autumnal theme the tables were decorated with lots of rose gold candle holders surrounded by swathes of leaves in warm coppery colours. I love the simple DIY idea for the white voile chair covers and place settings. Leaves were spray painted rose-gold and then tied around the napkins and chair covers, such a simple but effective look.

The beautiful wedding cake, created by Tartufi, was a three-tiered semi-naked sponge with buttercream.  A scattering of autumnal leaves and flowers from the gardens were then used to decorate it.

Such a beautiful range of autumn wedding ideas many of which could be adapted to suit the season. Thank you to all the suppliers for sharing this gorgeous shoot with us and brighten our day!

{ Details }

Venue: Southend Barns
Styling: To Have and To Hire
Photography: Kelly Hearn Photography
Florist: The Wild Fox
Jewellery: Cred Jewellery
Hair & Makeup: ID Makeup, Hair and Beauty
Hair Pieces: Cherished
Dresses: Minna
Silk Ribbon: Kate Cullen
Cake: Tartufi