Too crazy to be ‘a wedding’. Too beautiful to be ‘a party’

Somehow, calling Abbie and James’ colourful alternative barn wedding at the Giraffe Shed, ‘a wedding’ doesn’t do it justice. I mean, there was a happy couple, a ceremony, and a bunch of speeches. And even by Giraffe Shed standards, the styling was freakin’ exceptional. It sure as hell looked like a wedding. 

But they were doing shots and pumping music before the dress was on. The energy was way too high to just call it ‘a wedding’. But you can’t call it a party either; it was too romantic, too beautiful, too filled with love to be called a party. 

There’s no other way of putting it. This was a fucking celebration. 

With ‘first day of a festival’ energy all day, stunning styling masterminded by one insanely talented bride, and a whole lotta love to round off the edges, Abbie and James’ Giraffe Shed wedding was one helluva day.

Music and Madi Lane to start the day.

The Giraffe Shed wedding venue was designed (and is still run) by a wedding photographer. So even the little bridal hut is just perfect for brides and photographers alike. The light’s perfect, it’s a skip and a jump to the ceremony. There’s even somewhere to hang your dresses. 

And as soon as I stepped through the door to meet Abbie and her girls, the energy was crazy. I’ll tell you what, one or two shots and some kickass music really sets the vibe for the day!

Abbie wore India by Madi Lane Bridal. The figure-hugging, embroidered lace dress was feminine, sexy, and completely boho in the most stylish way. She completed the look with natural makeup, Hollywood waves, and a vibrant bouquet of peonies, dahlias and roses (basically all the best summer flowers!) It was the perfect bridal look for a colourful wedding in a cool, laid-back venue like The Giraffe Shed. 

Meanwhile, across town (well, in a hut across the venue), the boys were getting ready, too. It was a flurry of woollen suits, hip flasks, beers and blaring tunes. 

I could feel it in my bones…the day was about to kick off.

Styling inspo for your wedding ceremony in The Giraffe Shed.

Abbie’s styling vision for the ceremony was epic. So epic, in fact, that after her wedding she literally started her own wedding planning business! I mean, this girl had one batshit crazy vision and that vision came to life in the best possible way..

The same vibrant flowers in her bouquet lined the aisle and spilled over the windowsill behind the altar. Colourful candles sat on every spare inch of space around the walls. And in a stroke of weird-and-wonderful genius, there were lamp shades hanging above the altar. It was so colourful and quirky in such a stylish way. And it contrasted so well with the Giraffe Shed’s effortlessly cool Brooklyn loft chic. 

And it was all so harmonious, too. How the pinks and peaches in Abbie’s bouquet matched the candles and the lampshades. And how her bouquet ribbon was in the same toffee as James and his groomsmen’s ties. Tying all the little details together into one cohesive palette can take a wedding’s styling to a whole new level. And Abbie nailed it like a boss. 

After a wonderful ceremony, they all headed out into the sunshine and were met with an absolute storm of confetti for THE BEST confetti shot! And you gotta hand it to Abbie, even the freaking confetti matched the palette.

Cigars, drinks and couple shots (and couple’s shots).

Having a wedding in The Giraffe Shed is as much about the atmosphere as it is the aesthetics. Because in the summer especially, the vibe is on point. Kids were running around on the grass, or playing in the little ‘play tent’ Abbie had set up for them. The rest of us were either chillin’ outside, drinking and smoking cigars in the sunshine. Or inside the barn, taking selfies and doing shots at the bar with Abbie and James! I loved the ‘guest book’ mirror they had inside the barn for guests to write on, the selfie corner, and the book of envelopes to hold all the little polaroids. It was such a fun, personal alternative to a guest book. And- in between shots at the bar- people were having a great time with it. I’d have loved to be there when Abbie and James looked through the book of photos the next day! While the boys were puffin’ on the last of their cubans, I snuck Abbie and James away to give them a little breather and get some shots of just the two of them. We made the most of Abbie’s epic ceremony setup first, and then headed outside into the sunshine.

Why wedding photographers love The Giraffe Shed.

The Giraffe Shed is awesome for wedding photography in general. But the place comes into its own for your couples portraits. Simply because you’ve got so many cool little backdrops all within about a hundred yards of each other. The weathered wall of the barn, with its faded black wood and its awesome grainy texture. The stripey pink hut, the sundrenched open fields, the caravan, the pink bath (I fucking love the pink bath!) There are so many textures, so many colours, so many different vibes. Chuck in a couple of smoke bombs for good measure and you’re guaranteed some awesome shots. James and Abbie were loving it too. Those guys were honestly so much fun, and so completely into each other. And in the midst of such a non-stop crazy day, it was so nice to give them a little while to just stop, take a breath, and be together as a couple before they jumped headfirst back into the party.

Colourful boho-chic, high energy and hilarious speeches.

The reception styling was boho-chic in the most wildly colourful way. Sky blue plates sat on pink table runners that ran the length of the trestle tables. And delphinium and roses sat in little green vases along the centre, in between long-stemmed colourful candles. And call me crazy, but gimme a rainbow tablescape over a pure-white dinner service any day. It just felt fun, you know? 

And yeah, it was fun! Even during dinner, the tunes were still pumping and the vibes were sky high. The speeches were an absolute riot, with James’ best man and his brother delivering a howler of a speech. 

There were also some heartfelt words from Abbie’s Dad and her Maid of Honour, which were such a nice contrast to the high energy and laughs from the boys. Literally every aspect of the wedding was covered in the speeches; the laughs, the energy, the party, the love. It was all there, bringing the day together.  

The best way to finish a Giraffe Shed wedding.

Abbie and James kicked off the party with their first dance. And I’ll tell ya, if you want an awesome first dance shot, get yourselves some confetti cannons! Just look how fucking cool that looks!

And that was just the start. The dance floor was pumping from the word go. Pretty much everything from the children’s play tent made its way inside and onto the dancefloor. Nans and grandads were hula-hooping and shaking ribbon sticks, someone was doing the worm. And @girlsthatmix blew everyones faces off with their sax and bongo duet to some 90’s bangers late into the night.

It was such a freaking AWESOME day, with an amazing group of people. This was my kinda day, my kinda couple, and definitely my kinda wedding. If you’re looking for a Giraffe Shed wedding photographer and think I might be your guy, get in touch today and let’s chat.

Suppliers:
Venue – @thegiraffeshed 
Dress – @timelesselegancebridal / @madilanebridal 
Florist – @emmacoxbrocante 
Styling – @abbieleigh_eventsandstyling 
Entertainment – @girlsthatmix / @girl_on_sax 
Videographer – @electricreelfilms
Grazing Tables – @themediterraneangrazingcompany