Set in the stunning town of Roquebrune sur Argens, between Cannes and Saint-Tropez in France, Tropicana Flore was the perfect location for this gorgeous shoot. Inspired by the spirit of Africa. Photographers Celine and Patrick of Studio Balzac told us all about it. “We were inspired by the way of life, the people and the colours reflecting this beautiful continent”, they said.
With towering palm trees and lush greenery, they went for a natural colour palette, letting earth tones and textures sit alongside white floral accents. They chose a gold metallic to add some luxury, with opulent flower stands adding dimension to the table décor, gold glasses and golden wax seals for a touch of elegance. A dramatic black and white cake offered some extra golden sparkle as well.
This shoot is such a dream, with soft fabrics, gorgeous florals and a real life couple. Sent to us by AE Events and shot by Flavio Debarros, it got us dreaming of a sweet summertime celebration.
Always tempted by a sweet treat, the pretty pink macarons are the perfect favour for any wedding table, nestling in amongst the soft textured ribbons and tulle.
Phoebe from AE Events told us, “When done right, the deliberate randomness of the design for this celebration is perfection…from the mix of stemware, chairs, floral pops of colour mixed with decadent French macaron, every element has a purpose in the overall design aesthetic and fits our Un-Bride and Un-Groom to a tee!”
With much of the world still shaking off the constraints of pandemic restrictions, this shoot gave the designers a much needed outlet for their creativity. Phoebe explained, “When dreaming up this styled shoot I wanted to create something special and some magic moments when the world of design and creativity was so low. The space we transformed was a small shop but the amount of colour and life we added was beyond special.”
Having an issue dedicated to all things eco and sustainable, meant that for this shoot we only wanted to work with brands with this core ethos behind them too. All the items featured in this editorial come from brands putting sustainably at the forefront of everything they do. Whether that’s selling second-hand or vintage pieces, using 100% recycled or recyclable materials, or employing manufacturing processes that are kinder to the planet.
The location we shot at, room2 in Chiswick, was chosen because it’s the world’s first whole life net zero hotel! The hotel uses 89% less energy per m2 compared to typical UK hotels, and it is the first hotel in the world to fully account for its entire carbon footprint, making it ‘whole life net zero’.
Renewable energy is maximised on site with solar and ground source heat pumps, which convert 100% of the energy needed for heating, cooling and hot water and the rooms have ultra-low flow pressure showers (which use less water) and ultra-energy efficient lighting and appliances.
The hotel has a zero-waste policy (and is the first UK hotel to introduce food waste into its in-room recycling bins). Even the roof space has been maximised for sustainability; 200 tonnes of soil and wildflowers have been planted up there to increase biodiversity and absorb CO2, along with beehives and bug hotels!
Minimalist is anything but boring, as wedding planner Mery Lem set out to demonstrate along with photographer Vibrant Feelings in this monochrome shoot. Embracing inclusivity, they built the shoot around their model Math Max Queer, playing with gender boundaries and celebrating the LGBTQ+ communities alongside natural and architectural beauty.
Perched high in the medieval city of Carcassone, France, the shoot took place in the village of Roullens, where rough stone, faded woods and narrow, stony streets sit alongside turrets and towers that stretch into the sky. History was set against stunning contemporary Y.brown dresses, designed as unisex, gender-neutral and for all personalities and body types.
There were two things we wanted to do with our Jan/Feb issue’s shoot – to inject some much-needed colour into the proceedings, and to play around with gender expression. We’ve never had a male cover star, or done a shoot with just a male model, and this theme felt like the perfect opportunity to finally do so.
The super-saturated colour palettes were so fun to put together and after such a tough, dreary few years, we couldn’t think of anything better – anything more needed – than kicking off 2022 making a bold and bright statement.
Minimalism is dead. The time of being self-conscious and shy is over. It’s time to let your colours fly, show off your unique sense of style and have fun with fashion again. Relegate those sweatpants to the back of your wardrobe, it’s time to experiment and discover a new colourful you!
We spoke to Kit, our model, about being a part of such a shoot and here’s what he had to say, “It’s so important to be pushing a narrative of breaking gender norms. I’m very thankful that I can say I’ve been a part of this shoot, not only for me but also for people who are like me and feel like they don’t fit in.”
“Putting the first dress on and after gauging the reaction of the team was the best part of the day! Everyone was so supportive and genuine; I knew we were all going to have a great day of working together. A good team means a good day, and honestly the team at Rock n Roll Bride were nothing but lovely, inclusive and supportive.”
“Wearing dresses and ‘women’s’ clothing makes me feel empowered and gives me confidence. All those times that boys on the playground picked on me for being too fem, now look at me – I’m on the cover of a magazine in a stunning custom fitted gown!”
Issue 41, the gothic issue, featured one of my all time favourite shoots (do I always say this? Yes, probably!) We wanted to elevate the idea of a gothic bride and to create a shoot with a high end, high fashion feel, yet something still super attainable for anyone wanting to embrace the dark side.
Its important to us that the shoots we put together for the magazine aren’t just beautiful, but that they feature wearable pieces which you can incorporate into your own wedding day look, whether you’re going for something more traditional with a subtle gothic twist or you want to be a full-on gothic princess.
Our stunning non-binary model, Nan, has albinism and when we found them, we know they were the perfect face to bring our gothic meets high fashion vision to life.
