London-based Sabina of Makeup by Sabina M offers her modern brides a glowing, radiant, natural glam look that would be perfect in any setting, but it really shines amongst this inner-city setup on location at Coal Drops Yard. The trendy restored yard offered our suppliers the perfect backdrop for an uber cool on-location shoot. With a pretty floral styling and a colour palette that brings out the best features of the urban venue and the simplistic but elegant gowns, this is wedding inspiration at it’s best.
Speaking of the gowns, there are two stunning custom creations featured here and we simply cannot pick a favourite between the gorgeously chic shift dress with the high neck lace or the feminine, off the shoulder, crepe gown with pearl detailing. We’re spoilt for choice! Either way, both dresses are complemented perfectly by the makeup choices for the model so we’re handing over to Sabina to find out how it all came together and what inspired her to create this shoot.
With images by Emztography
Sabina says: With everything going on in the world right now, intimate weddings are on the rise and I wanted to create a shoot focussed around the smaller details. The bouquet, outfit, accessories, and hair and makeup were the focus of this urban, chic, ‘Bride in the City’ shoot. Honing in on our confident and modern bride, our images show that you don’t have to have a huge guest list or extravagant setup in order to make a statement.
We shot the beautiful model, Sandra, in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross London. This stylish and contemporary outdoor shopping and food complex, just minutes from Kings Cross and St Pancras stations was the perfect modern industrial backdrop to our shoot. The dark blue industrial doors of the yard perfectly complemented the blue-black centres of the white anemone flowers in our bride’s bouquet as well as the silvery blue used on the eyelids for a pop of unexpected wintery colour.
We went with an oversized and statement bouquet, using lots of green foliage, white, black, blues, plum and blush tones reflecting the wintery day in London. Catherine at Floral Evolution’s artistic flair for arranging flowers in an unstructured and luxurious manner perfectly complemented the super modern look of the shoot.
Hebe at UNVEILED Network Member Miss He Bridal designed and made two effortlessly chic wedding dresses for our bridal look book shoot on location. The first was a simple slip dress layered with a long sleeved, high neck, lace top and a statement tulle bow veil from UNVEILED Network Member Nicola at Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe. For the second look, we used Hebe’s clean cut, off-the-shoulder crepe wedding dress with pearl details and a long buttoned train. Letting down Sandra’s natural curls, we completed the look with one of Nicola’s contemporary headbands featuring howlite, moonstone and natural quartz. Oozing elegance and luxury with simple and minimal adornment, our ‘Bride in the City’ had all eyes on her.
Ema Bridal created two gracefully simple hairstyles, continuing with the no-fuss modern urban feel of the rest of the styling. For the makeup, I drew inspiration from the wintery tones within the bouquet. A transformative silvery blue shimmer on the lids shifted our look away from the typical bridal look, creating something more unusual and contemporary. This was framed with a winged out shape to create a bold cat eye effect. Sticking to browns instead of deeper blacks on the eyes keeps the look wearable. The skin was kept soft and natural and the lips enhanced with a berry hued nude, perfect for a winter bride. This look would suit brides who want to enhance their features with makeup and are not afraid to try something different. Paired with the laid back ,simple hairstyles keeps everything modern and effortless, perfect for a fast-paced city bride!
Braving the cold and drizzly London, winter weather, the shoot went surprisingly well. During this tumultuous year, I wanted to show that something beautiful could be created outdoors and in a Covid-secure way, hence staying away from a typical indoor wedding venue. I hope that this shoot inspires our brides to make the most of the ready made backdrop that is their city. So whether you are in London, Manchester, or another amazing city with hidden gems, why not find a new spot in your hometown and use it as a backdrop to your engagement or wedding portraits!