Choose the freedom to be different

Introducing the most colourful same sex wedding inspiration at The Giraffe Shed. This is a public service announcement. You don’t have to have the cookie-cut styling, Ed Sheeran first dance and white rose bouquet if you don’t want to. You can choose the freedom to be different, to be alternative. And for some couples ‘alternative’ means dark and broody. But for others, it’s an explosion of colour and fun, imbued with an infectious ‘fuck you’ attitude. And this shoot at The Giraffe Shed was the epitome of colour, fun and fuck you.

The Giraffe Shed is a super-cool blank canvas wedding venue, meaning all Hannah and Esme’s batshit crazy talent was free to run riot against the most epic of backdrops. So when I arrived at Giraffe Shed, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But I knew to expect greatness. 
The team’s inspiration for the shoot was to show couples that weddings didn’t have to be ‘normal’. And holy shit did they nail the brief?! With a truly awesome lesbian couple, astonishingly cool styling by Luna and the Lane, insane florals, and more shades of pink than I even knew existed, the whole day was just immense. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to style a beautiful, fun, colourful, wedding, this shoot is packed with ideas.

Giraffe Shed – an alternative blank canvas wedding venue

When you decide to have an alternative wedding, you’re giving yourselves a blank canvas to have the day you want. And a blank canvas wedding needs a blank canvas wedding venue, right? And of all the blank canvas wedding venues in the UK, there’s none cooler or more photogenic than Giraffe Shed. 

Giraffe Shed in Wales is a barn wedding venue with a difference. It has all the relaxed, chilled-out vibes of a barn. But with an edgy industrial aesthetic that makes everything look ten-times cooler. I love the concrete floor and the cavernous ceiling, the exposed brickwork and black wooden beams. The huge black barn was a great backdrop for the confetti too. So yeah it’s cool. But wait, there’s more.

Because Giraffe Shed is owned and operated by the amazing Hannah, who’s an insanely talented wedding photographer in her own right. So she knows exactly what photographs well. And her insider’s insight has taken the place to a whole new level. The pink feature wall looks awesome in any photo, the pink neon lights are an inspired new addition. And the huge windows flood the place in natural light all year round. 

You can turn Giraffe Shed into the wedding venue of your dreams. But whatever you make of it, come rain or shine, this venue is superb. Hannah has basically created a wedding photographer’s dream venue.

Lesbian pride styling at Giraffe Shed – is pink the new white?

The traditional big white wedding has had its time in the sun, and colour is finally elbowing its way into weddings. Now don’t get me wrong, white is lovely. It’s sophisticated, elegant, and traditional. But it’s not fun, is it?! 

You know what is fun? Pink! And these guys took pink and made it their own, proving it doesn’t have to be all bubblegum and barbie niceness. Pink is now officially cool. And for lesbian couples wanting to incorporate all the colours of the pride flag into their styling, this shoot was a masterclass.

The florals were incredible, with orchids, roses, hydrangeas and dahlias in all shades of pink, purple and peach. The five-tiered pink wedding cake with a middle tier of perspex and pompoms was probably the most original and spectacular cake I’ve ever seen. And the bohemian Californian-style stationery from Sundown Paper was spot-on perfect for the fun, modern, alternative aesthetic. 

For me, the installation of a pink chair on the wall, hanging disco balls and a floral cloud epitomised the styling. Totally bonkers, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and yet weirdly beautiful. The whole vibe of the day just frickin’ worked. 

Styling inspiration for alternative gay brides

Cara and Jade were my kinda couple. So much fun to work with, absolutely up for anything, and totally into each other. You know those couples you meet who you can tell are just made for each other? That was them. And as a bonus they looked fucking incredible.

Cara’s flowing lace bubblegum-pink dress from Claire Mischevani was a knockout, and paired so well with the playful bow veil. And it so perfectly contrasted and complemented the glitter detailing and nude tulle of Jade’s dress, Nova from E&W Couture. But most of all, I loved how the lace in both the dresses embraced and celebrated Jade and Cara’s body art in the coolest way possible. The tattoos were completely harmonious with the outfits and gave them a bridal look that was completely unique to them.
But as strikingly different as the dresses were, the makeup by Rebel Rock and the jewellery by Babes and Bad Examples tied the two outfits together perfectly. Cara’s silver necklace mirrored the glitter detailing on Jade’s dress, whilst Jade’s hot pink eyeshadow tied her look in with Cara’s. They may seem like subtle details, but little details like this can completely transform your styling and tie your two bridal looks together seamlessly.

My favourite thing about being an alternative wedding photographer

The beauty of an alternative wedding is that it can be anything you want it to be. It can be fun, bonkers, colourful and completely, unapologetically yours. 

And this is my favourite thing about being an alternative wedding photographer. Because every alternative wedding is so personal, and filled with all the shared passions and idiosyncrasies that make each relationship so unique and special. Every wedding should be a true celebration of love in whatever weird, wonderful, beautiful form it might come in. And I love that I get to celebrate your love alongside you, and be the one to tell the story of your amazing day.

If you love my work and think we’d be a good fit, let’s get to know each other. Get in touch today and let’s chat.