a flamboyant 70s styled wedding shoot in the north west

We’ve got disco fever on the blog today thanks to this bold and beautiful styled shoot, which looks back to the glory days of celebrity hotspot Studio 54 for a dose of glamorous wedding inspiration.

With shiny disco balls, flamingos, a gorgeous peacock palette, faux-fro hairstyling and a black satin wedding gown thrown into the mix – this shoot isn’t for the fainthearted bride.

It’s not an all-out extravagant affair though; the captivating backdrop of Kirklinton Hall – a 17^th century ruin – adds a softer, romantic edge to the photography, too, as Megan from lighting and backdrop specialist Typical Type explains…

megan says: Like all wedding suppliers, when the quieter winter months come, we dream; we plan our marketing and part of that is collating amazing images. One of the best ways of doing this is to work with a trusted group of suppliers to showcase what we have learnt over the summer and what we would like to share with our couples.

I have been keen on doing a 70s style, Studio 54 shoot for a very long time. Then, we received some disco balls and, as they say, the rest is history! Luckily for me, the others in the team didn’t take too much persuasion.

Lake District-based photographer Tiree Dawson and I have done a number of shoots together and we always like to look for somewhere a little different. We searched for a long time and when Kirklinton Hallin Carlisle, presented itself, with its tumbled down walls and less than formal gardens, we knew it was perfect. We then broke all the rules with the Studio 54 theme.

Makeup artist Aimee Chorley and hair stylist Gareth both wanted to share a more modern take on the 70s, and they looked to people like Grace Jones and Bianca Jagger and reworked their iconic looks. Drawing inspiration from the AW17/18 catwalks, the hair was big and the makeup bright. With a peacock palette – there was plenty for Aimee to choose from.

For model Crystal, Gareth from Aqua Hair created a faux-fro, and her hair got bigger and bigger as the day went on. We even had a hair dryer blowing at one point to create movement – it all got a bit 70s power ballad! Model Erin had a sophisticated swept over style, inspired by Farrah Fawcett. Her eyes were strong turquoise, with a shimmer lip and – to add to the theme – no blusher!

The dresses Pandora and Nyx were specially made for the shoot by the talented team at Legend Bridal. Pandora harks back to the 70s with its boho vibe that brings to mind the disco beat of flares, soft lace and high waist dreamy maxi dresses. This dress is truly individual and so romantic with its oversized hood and flowing sleeves cut from lace, which has the deepest of deep borders. It has a sense of light-heartedness but just shouts of unadulterated luxury, too.

Nyx makes no apologies for being right out there; aiming to make a statement. This version was cut in a heavyweight black satin to create a figure hugging inner dress that shows all the right curves. The designers then took a gorgeous beaded corded lace with deep scallop and beautiful design to create a maxi dress showing plenty of leg from the front, while sporting the neatest of trains at the back. Not one for the shy at heart.

The Studio 54 set up required bold floral choices from Kevin at Brackens of Bowness: acid yellow Billy-Buttons, deep purple Calla Lilies, ferns and a-symmetrical bouquets. And let’s not forget about the incredible peacock chair and bright coloured backdrop with the disco balls, made for a party scene. We even used 500 glow sticks, woven into the fencing, to create the backdrop for our ‘disco’ sign. A special mention goes to Janet from Wilde and Romantic for the props she supplied on the day. The invitations and large painted backdrop were supplied by Neat Creative.

This shoot was aimed at those who want to do something a little different, who aren’t afraid to make bold choices. I think we succeeded in creating something eye catching, brave and fun.

The shoot went really well on the day. We arrived at a building site, and any inexperienced suppliers would have been forgiven for turning around and running away. It takes masses of vision to ‘see’ a bright disco in a stately home.

To my mind, the shoot just shows how important it is to have a team of specialists on board for your wedding to turn a venue into your dream wedding. So, before you question the price of your chosen supplier, ask what value they are adding. To me, you can’t put a price on experience, knowledge, skill and hard work.