Ethical Pink & Apricot Spring Cotswolds Wedding Inspiration

Step into the dreamiest Spring Cotswolds wedding inspiration. Yes, that’s right, we’re headed to Hamswell House where a team of incredible suppliers came together to create a mindful and ethical set of ethereal images. Brought to us by Mei Lou Photography and Kept Weddings, every single image shines with vitality.

I just adore the pink and apricot blooms that fill the heavenly tablescape. There were stylish outfits, delicate accessories, embroidered veils and flawless bridal beauty, to name just a few. Soak up every little detail in the gallery below. Swoon.

Spring Cotswolds Wedding Inspiration

Let us transport you to the rolling hills and the dramatic skies of the South West. We gathered the most exquisite vendors to create an idyllic wedding photoshoot styled around two words: elegant and ethical. The outfits and decor were carefully chosen to create a contemporary and refined vibe. Every detail was designed to be respectful to the beautiful environment.

The style of the day, a crossover between my French roots and a fresh cottage core vibe to create an ethereal ecological dream. But the true stars of the show were Luisa and Nene, their genuine love for each other unfolding so naturally through the images.

On a typical British Spring day the iconic Hamswell House hosted both showers and sunshine whilst we captured our models and creations in every corner of the venue. Nestled in the Costwold hills the manor and its grounds are steeped with history.

We had to pinch each other throughout the day as we created our art in this dreamy location, we were truly living in a fairytale. From shooting in the Orangerie to the Neptune fountain, not forgetting the Pergola and the Romeo and Juliet balcony. We had a full day following the light and exploring the architecture.

I’m Mei Lou, a French professional photographer. For 4 years I have focused on motherhood and families turning ordinary moments into fine art photographs. From maternity to newborn and births I am grateful every day for my client’s trust. My photography is political when showing real bodies and normalising breastfeeding. Being a feminist also means working with the female body to show how strong and intricately beautiful we are. But I’m now ready to make my big entrance in the wedding industry. Being a romantic at heart you can find me sobbing behind my camera and rooting for the couple throughout their special day.

This styled photoshoot is such a marvellous achievement, a celebration of love in harmony with our planet – a day of highlighting exceptionally talented vendors from my industry and sharing our entrepreneurship venture – collaborating with other creatives in one the most beautiful places on earth.

I’m so proud of my first ever styled wedding shoot, we have exceeded my expectations. I cannot wait to make my debut in this wonderful industry!

Laura was a real Swiss knife for our photoshoot. From styling to stationery and sourcing vendors and furniture, she demonstrated her refined taste and organisation skills in the best possible way.

Taking inspiration from the venue and the concept of the shoot, a soft colour palette was chosen to blend in with the flowers entwining the Hamswell House pergola. Gentle pinks and apricots filled the tablescape with every detail aimed to be ethical using naturally found materials. The tablecloth and napkins were made out of linen, the ribbon made out of silk, the cutlery was stoneware, the candle holders were made from sandstone and the candles are made from 100% natural wax and 100% cotton wick.

To keep the wedding stationery eco-friendly, recycled cards were used for the menu with food sourced from local organic and free-range producers to promote the need to support local farmers and suppliers. The design was also kept minimalist to represent a more simple way of life and the couple’s names were selected to be symbolic to the theme with Arwen to mean ‘beautiful’ and Atlas to represent ‘earth’’.

The tablescape created in the Orangerie came straight from a movie, as Laura lit the candles we were all transported to a fairytale.

Nice Bunch is an ethical floral studio with a wild, playful aesthetic. Founders Sula and Oliver collaborate with clients to create dreamy installations, abundant displays and fluttering bouquets using exceptional locally-grown produce, predominantly from their Somerset flower farm. The Nice Bunch team aim to respect and preserve the natural habitat, putting sustainability at the heart of all decisions. Their flowers are grown without the use of nature-depleting chemicals and pesticides. A no-dig policy protects the soil’s structure and mycorrhizal funghi. They source from a wider network of chemical-free and organic growers and will never fly in flowers from abroad.

They reuse and recycle compost waste and avoid single-use items such as plastics and floral foam while all packaging is either reusable or compostable. Nice Bunch’s emissions are offset through involvement in local tree-planting initiatives, an area of the farm is designated to support wildlife and a new pond has been established to offer further support to local biodiversity.

Their floral design elegantly encapsulated the emotion of a wedding day, inspired by that bursting-full-of-love feeling. Using summer flowers sourced from their Somerset farm and other local growers. The colour palette of warm pinks, apricots, and soft oranges created a dreamy ambience that sings in harmony with the Bath Stone surroundings of Hamswell House and its enchanting light. The arrangements featured a delightful mix of sweet peas, cosmos, nasturtiums, lavatera, mallope, geums, orlaya, clarkia linaria, violas, garden roses, phlox, chantilly snapdragons, and foxgloves, each chosen to bring a touch of natural beauty and charm. Nice Bunch’s bespoke stoneware bowls, crafted in collaboration with Bath-based ceramicist Foredays, provided interesting shape and texture to the abundant tablescape, while Candleflair candles, set in chunks of sandstone, mirrored the floral palette.

This photoshoot beautifully showcased how ethical sourcing and artistic partnerships can create stunning floral designs that elevate any occasion.

Holly is a true chef artist, her cake designs are straight from another world.

I created the cake for this shoot with our beautiful country surroundings in mind.

The whimsical, romantic and climbing floral display I chose to adorn the cake, echoed and celebrated the quintessential country garden. Florals were locally grown and ethically sourced by the fabulous Nice Bunch. The beautiful rose garden stencil, overlays a gold leaf base tier. Adding diversity, texture and of course, that all-important element of glam to the design.

We pride ourselves here at Cake Design by Holly Miller for using the highest possible quality ingredients and always have sustainability at the forefront of our minds. Our eggs are from free-range chickens that live happily on our local farm. We use South West butter and cream and our chocolate is sustainably and ethically sourced with full traceability. Our dowels are also fully recyclable.

The stunning table stand we used for the cake under the pergola was purchased secondhand by our wedding planner.

Leoni has been an inspiring figure in this country to me. Defending relentlessly her core environmental values through her art. She is drawn to telling stories through visual art that promote regenerative culture, including community-centric practices, sustainable materials and reciprocal exchanges in our relationships. Her moving images are full of poetry and kindness.

This styled TFP shoot was a beautiful collaboration, with a team aligned on producing an elegant, intimate and ethical shoot, from the fibres of the dress to the blossoms of the bouquet.

This wedding styled shoot helped me build my portfolio in a supportive space in such a wonderful setting of Hamswell House, showcasing the beauty of events with ethical values at its core.

Luisa and Nene are the ultimate power couple and are amazing professional musicians. I first met them when they booked me for their maternity photographs. Luisa was absolutely glowing, in full bloom. Nene by her side, her biggest fan. I was mesmerised by their energy and deep love for each other. Their wedding happened a few years ago in Colombia. A beach wedding meant sand and sadly their rings got lost in it!

Fortunately, they found them just in time for the ceremony but it was not the lovely and peaceful moment they had in mind. For them, this photoshoot was a renewal of their vows with a touch of additional glam, in a gorgeous venue. And sharing the experience with their little one Abiel, the cutest baby boy.

Luna Bride is an ethical bridal brand specialising in pure, organic wedding dresses for the modern bride. Our vision of curating an environment-friendly style with dreamy gowns brought Keely to us.

I participated because I love Mei Lou’s natural style of photography.

We chose 4 pieces from their stunning collection, all made in Britain using cruelty-free organic vegan fabrics. The dresses perfectly fitted the brief of an elegant yet simple wedding. Ethereal and allowing our bride to move freely – to love freely.

The 4 chosen outfits fitted Luisa like a glove, she was absolutely radiant! Throughout the day we changed from a traditional gown to more contemporary ones: Posie, Bardot, Selene and La Luna. Allowing us to play with the beautiful textures of organic silk and English lace.

Alexandra founder of Mayrena Paris, has imagined and designed timeless and singular ornaments. Inspired by her equestrian passion, Bauhaus architecture abd the Art Deco movement she has developed collections of objects that are reversible and highly contemporary.

The pieces blended in perfectly like sculptures on our models elevating the overall style with a subtle elegant French touch. All Mayrena creations are made in France and are RJC-certified jewellery which means they are responsibly manufactured with guaranteed transparency and traceability. We chose silver gilt for the bride and silver for the groom. Mayrena was a sublime French touch, completing the outfits perfectly.

Alex, founder of The Cotswold Tailor gave fitted suggestions straight away for summer wedding suits.

In this shoot we paired a neutral beige suit with the soft pastel tones of the liberty print tie. This combination works in harmony with the stone backdrops as well as syncing the green foliage in the buttonhole with the grass. More commonly associated with destination weddings, the beige suit is having a bit of a revival with weddings in the UK. It’s suited more to summer weddings and works perfectly with the increasing popularity of couples seeking more natural softer/seasonal looks. Of course, the lighter colour suit pairs better with a lighter shoe, in this case, a tan loafer. Again reinforcing that spring/summer look. Cut-wise the suit is a tailored cut without being too skinny or contemporary. The idea is this look won’t date too quickly.

The Cotswold Tailor is an award-winning, ‘one-stop shop’ for all of the groomswear needs. They offer everything from intricate bespoke suits to their own label luxury wedding hire.

A veil changes everything, it was the final touch that completed our look.

Rebecca Anne Designs crafts luxurious and rebellious veils for elegant brides. After 10 years in designing sumptuous veils, Rebecca has revolutionised the role of this essential bridal accessory.

Wearing a veil is more than tradition; it will become a family heirloom passed on from one generation to the next. A bespoke veil will be treasured differently and therefore more sustainable. We had the chance to create with iconic veils from Rebecca Anne Designs collection: the Two Tier Pleat, the Verse Veil, the Short Edge Script and the ⁠Floral Veil.

The brief was a simple yet colourful and elegant bridal makeup and Maria created a real chef d’oeuvre on Luisa’s skin. She was absolutely radiant and glamorous. Maria imagined 2 hairstyles: an elegant low bun with subtle waves and romantic hair down in soft curls. The look was mastered using colours that compliment the venue and the flowers creating a natural and exquisite look.

Maria Lucas is proud to use cruelty-free and vegan products to create her dazzling makeup.

Timea is a great wedding photographer and she brought such great energy to the day with her help and assistance. It was great to have her opinion and collaborate together.

I genuinely believe in connection over competition and working alongside other photographers is how we grow.

From the bottom of my heart thank you for taking the time to immerse yourself in our styled shoot. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and looking at the photographs and video and that it transported you to the South West of England.

There is something profoundly moving about working with a passionate team on a project entwined with such romance and beauty. We are lucky to be part of such a rich and special industry!!!