Organic Woodland Elopement Wedding Ideas

Today we are featuring a creative and breathtaking French photoshoot arranged to highlight the wonderful season of Autumn. It was shot deep in the woods and has a romantic, mystical and haunting aesthetic – sure to give you plenty of shiny new ideas for your big day.

The creative team have utilised an eclectic mix of classic and modern details – think elegant lace décor, vintage pieces (like a beautiful old sewing machine), bright orange pumpkins, wooden furniture and hints of gold. The bride and groom both looked fantastic and I absolutely love the groom’s funky wooden bowtie. The ‘guestbook corner’ is a rustic treat, as is the delectable dessert table, complete with a magnificent naked wedding cake topped with fresh fruit and melted caramel.

Thank you so much, Marie Marry Me, Mira al Pajarito and your team, for sharing this stunner of a shoot with us.

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER |

It was after a coffee with Gaëlle, from Carnet de Noces, that we decided to plan this shoot. She wanted to do something special for this season, to show to couples some of the possibilities of an autumn wedding. We said YES, of course! I love fall. It’s my favourite season!

We wanted to plan an intimate wedding, focusing on all the little details. The first thing to do was to find the perfect place. Martin, the videographer, asked for an outdoor ceremony to play with natural light. It could be so beautiful! The woods were the perfect place to celebrate this elopement, surrounded by autumn colours. Gaëlle showed us her childhood land, in a little French town, Roufiggnac-de-Sigoules. Her family has a country house there, surrounded by vineyards. The views were just awesome!

We recruited the team, starting with the photographer. Will (Mira al Pajarito) has worked with us on some other occasions and when he knew about this project, he was so happy to join the team! Gaëlle left us to choose the models and after a long search, we finally found the perfect couple: Clarisse and Anthony.

The shooting day was a little stressful because of the rain and the timings. The models get lost and we were seriously concerned about the natural light to shoot in the woods… But Emilie and Amélie helped us to speed things up, preparing the models in a very short time. Anthony got dressed in a costume chosen by Fabienne from Fashion Day and a bowtie from Oncle Pape. And Clarisse was gorgeous in a delicate dress with a stunning long lace tail designed by Marie Wells. The flowers gave the final touch to her look: a floral crown to highlight her golden curls and an autumn bouquet. Jacqueline designed in the same palette a boutonnière for him. The precious rings by Auzémery captured our attention. With Gaëlle, Axel, Will & Marti, we were finishing the decoration of the different spaces in the woods when the models arrived. The results were astounding!

We used an old sewing machine placed upon a tree for the ‘guestbook corner’. This place was dressed with some books and a vintage camera with a flamingo strap from Parenthèse. El Retaller’s handmade album was one of the main objects: she has stamped flowers with an iridescent white ink on the covers. Kirsty, the artist behind Paper Tree Media, designed a crafty invitation for this elopement. This space was framed with a wheelbarrow full of butternuts, pumpkins… There was no other option. We wanted something very simple for the ceremony. With Gaëlle and Axel, we installed a lace curtain in an arched branch of a tree. Chandeliers and candlesticks placed on both sides create this magical space where the lovers could exchange their vows.

Not so far from this, a rustic teak table was dressed with old lace linen and tableware by Cañigueral. This sister company helped Gaëlle to stylize this shoot with delicate Italian dishes decorated with marvelous details. The golden cutlery enhanced the scene, simply decorated with some apples and pinecones.

What about this Candy Bar? Isn’t it too cute? Gaëlle prepared all these little jars as a wedding favour for the guests. With Axel’s help, they placed all the cupcakes, tiny carrot cakes, macaroons and all kind of sweets made by Navy. The star, no doubt about it, was the naked cake, with natural fruits and a topper of melting caramel. We confess: half of the food disappeared during the shoot. It was delicious! Floral crowns in autumn colours and dream-catchers made by Catherine were decorating this space. She also made some kokedama (hanging plants) for the photo-booth placed upon a tree. When night fell, we lit candles and placed them on both sides of the woods. Anthony and Clarisse started to dance while it began to rain. It was magical…

We want to thank all the team, especially Gaëlle, who led this lovely shoot. She found the inspiration in a quote by Guy de Maupassant, a French author. It talks about fall’s beauty, covered in gold, red, orange… A colourful palette in the last leaves that remained alive, “like tears of a sun that drops down in the deepest woods”.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Film & Photo | Marie Marry Me & Mira al Pajarito

Wedding Planner | Carnet de Noces

Flowers | Les Fées Verdure – Créations fleuries

Bouquet, Flower crown, Boutonnière | L’Arrosoir – boutique de fleurs mobile

Makeup Artist | Amelie Estheticienne à Domicile

Hairstyle | Emilie SOS coiffure

Candy Bar | Navy’s Cakery

Guestbook | El Retaller

Stationery | Paper Tree Media

Models | Anthony Pomes and Clarisse Marguaritte

Wedding Dress | Marie Wells

Decoration | Cañigueral Mesas con Esencia

Bowtie | Oncle Pape

Wedding Rings | Bijoutier Auzémery Périgueux

Have the woods ever looked so beautiful, readers? I think not! Thank you again to these clever creatives for sharing their images with us. I hope you and your families have an amazing holiday season. Merry Christmas! Abby xx