Special Feature — Behind the Scenes:Our Plas Newydd Autumn Wedding Photoshoot

Photo by @arielinblue featuring model @sophiemichellegoodgall

As Autumn ushers in we look back over a wonderfully busy month of festivals, workshops, and (best of all) collaboration. We’re so excited to share something very special with you — a behind-the-scenes look at our recent Plas Newydd wedding photoshoot.

It was one of those days that perfectly sums up what we do — equal parts excitement, chaos, and determination. The kind of day where everyone’s soaked through by lunchtime but still smiling.

The shoot nearly didn’t happen at all. After rearranging the date once because we couldn’t find models, our confirmed couple had to pull out the day before due to illness — cue a flurry of whatsapp messages, phone calls, and crossed fingers. Somehow, with a bit of luck and a lot of teamwork, we found two brilliant stand-ins less than 24 hours before the shoot.

Our models were incredible — balancing in heels on slippery leaves yet somehow managing to look serene through it all. Poor Amy from The Little Dress Company spent most of the morning on her knees, rearranging skirts on top of bin bags to keep them dry. Meanwhile, our flowers — our faithful show-stoppers — loved it! They gleamed with raindrops, their colours deeper and richer in the cold damp air.

Looking back at the photos now, you’d never know how close we came to being completely rained off — we’d barely packed up and reached cover before the heavens opened.

Photo by @arielinblue Flowers by @firthflockflowers & @limagardenswales

With a mix of creativity, collaboration, and a touch of last-minute improvisation we ended up with a very successful photoshoot. We’ve met so many wonderful people through shoots like these — including Alessandra Ariel in Blue, our brilliant photographer, who we first worked with earlier this summer on another styled wedding shoot called Enchanted Eden.

And that’s really where it all began — on another photoshoot back in 2024, at the wonderful Nantclwyd y Dre in Ruthin where we are based. We’d approached them to ask about doing a shoot, and they were just as keen — eager to promote the space as a wedding venue. All we needed was… well, everything else!

We found a sustainable wedding dress company in Deeside called The Little Dress Company who sell preloved and ex-display dresses — their sustainable ethos aligned with ours. From there, everything fell into place. Through their network, we pulled together a brilliant team of photographers, content creators, makeup artists, hair stylists, and even models. It all ran smoothly, and by the end of the day we were already saying, “We have to do that again.”

Photo by @arielinblue of Amy @littledressco & Vicky (Perfection by Victoria @perfectionbyvictoriabrides) with Model Kara (@okay.kara.travels)

So when one of the team at Nantclwyd mentioned that Plas Newydd were also interested in doing a wedding photoshoot, we didn’t hesitate. YES, absolutely. This venue is incredible — steeped in history, surrounded by woodland, gardens, and even a stone circle and stream. It’s a magical place, full of stories, and we knew we wanted to do it justice.

We decided early on that we wanted to represent the Ladies of Llangollen in some way — their story of creativity, courage, and living authentically felt like the perfect inspiration. A queer wedding photoshoot seemed the right way to celebrate them.

Pam & Jeanette by @arielinblue

We already knew we wanted to work with Alessandra Ariel in Blue — someone known for working with queer couples and for her dreamlike storytelling— and we invited back as many of our Nantclwyd team as possible. Some couldn’t make it, so we brought in new faces for makeup and content creation, but the energy was the same: collaborative, positive, and creative.

When it came to models, we wanted to feature a real couple — people whose connection and story would shine through in the photos. We put out a call for a local lesbian couple and received some lovely responses, but one message really stood out. Pam and Jeanette told us about their fifteen years together, their regular visits to Plas Newydd, and how the place had held a special place in Pam’s heart since childhood. She’d always looked up to the Ladies as role models, knowing she was different, and finding comfort in their story.

Pam & Jeanette in front of Plas Newydd, Llangollen By @arielinblue

We were so moved by their message — even though, with very short hair and not wanting to wear dresses, they didn’t fit the visual direction we’d planned. Our original concept was all flowing dresses, flower crowns, and ethereal woodland brides — a look that would also showcase the talents of our incredible team. But we didn’t want to lose Pam and Jeanette from the project, so we decided to feature them too!

We needed another couple to balance the shoot, leading me to contact R & K, a couple whose wedding I had flowered the previous year. They said yes! We set the final date for 3rd October — with everyone on board and autumn colours on our side. We brought in props from Morris & Me Interiors and jewellery from Shop Baroque, both local businesses whose pieces added so much to the final look.

Photo by @arielinblue of @okay.kara.travels with blankets/furniture from @morris.and.me and jewellery from @theshopbaroque

Meanwhile, Jenny from Lima Gardens Wales and I were busy harvesting from our flower fields and building autumnal arrangements — full of dried textures, dahlias, crab apples, and rich, warm  tones. My Pinterest board was overflowing with ideas, including a woodland dinner table covered in flowers

Table in the Woods by @arielinblue

Then — disaster. The day before the shoot, R fell ill and couldn’t travel. Our team group chat came to the rescue — Ariel in Blue, our ever-positive photographer, immediately started contacting people she knew and Jenny suggested a local content creator named Kara, who, along with Sophie, stepped in at the last minute. We adjusted the brief and photographed them separately, as we didn’t want to have them pose as a couple — it didn’t feel appropriate or respectful. It didn’t really matter, we had Pam and Jeanette representing the queer love story, and they had enough love for everybody. Kara and Sophie were able to give us the look we’d dreamed of, and the photos are so dreamy.

Sophie By @arielinblue

The day itself was wild, wonderful, and very Welsh — cold, wet, and blustery thanks to Hurricane Amy. We started at the crack of dawn, setting up flowers and getting ready in the cosy cabin Plas Newydd had provided, complete with underfloor heating and a much-needed tea station. Spirits were high despite the weather — helped by generous slices of cake and the bubbly personalities of Lyndsey LSP Hair and Vicky Perfection by Victoria, who handled all the hair and makeup and kept the conversation flowing. They put everyone at ease straight away — I can imagine how perfect they must be on someone’s wedding day.

We somehow managed to navigate a very tight schedule, packing up inside just after 11am as the house opened to the public. Outside, the weather was already turning, so we armed our models with a mix of borrowed umbrellas and cosy blankets from Morris & Me. The woodland table looked spectacular, the bouquets were bursting with life, and just before the heavens opened, we captured some of the most beautiful shots of the day — not to mention the stunning behind-the-scenes content from Abbie at @visualise_content_photography. You can see the reels she’s created over on our Instagram.

Pam and Jeanette’s photos, taken earlier, were full of tenderness and quiet joy — the kind of love you can feel through the image. It was especially touching when Pam told us afterward how much the day had meant to them, and that they hoped to use the same team when they do get married.

Photo by @arielinblue of @sophiemichellegoodgall

Sophie and Kara were absolute stars — calm, graceful, and so easy to work with. The dresses and jewellery were made for them, and their photos are beautiful: glamorous, romantic, and dreamlike. It might not have been the exact shoot we’d planned, but it became something even more meaningful.

We didn’t get the drone footage or all the shots we’d hoped for, but none of that mattered. What we did capture was real — a collaboration between local creatives, full of heart, resilience, and shared passion.

We’re so proud of what we achieved, and so grateful to everyone who played a part in making it happen. If the Ladies of Llangollen could see us now, I hope they’d be proud too — or at least entertained by all the chaos we overcame to create something so beautiful.

Photo by @arielinblue - The Team

Thank you to everyone involved in making this shoot happen:Firth Flock Flowers (Ellen & Jo) | Ariel in Blue (Alessandra)| Lima Gardens Wales (Jenny)| The Little Dress Company (Amy) | Shop Baroque | Morris & Me Interiors | Plas Newydd (Paul & Lisette)| Visualise Content Photography (Abbie)) | LSP Hair (Lyndsey)  | Perfection by Victoria (Vicky) | Pam & Jeanette (Models) | Sophie & Kara (Models)