Dalia and Neil’s Elegant Bohemian Chic Suffolk Wedding by Benjamin Thomas Wheeler

We are finishing of the week with this super stylish, bohemian filled wedding from the hugely talented Benjamin Thomas Wheeler. On first look, this wedding looks like it from Australia, or anywhere else equally as sunny, but it is actually from Suffolk. The summer sunshine bursts through the photos and adds a beautiful hazy quality to the images and a super relaxed feel to the whole day. Both Dalia and Neil look stunning, Dalia in her amazing Boho inspired gown with it’s removable skirt and Neil in his super dapper suit. The decor, the details, the flowers, it is all outstanding, a totally beautiful wedding day. What a perfect way to end the week.

The couple had always loved the idea of marrying in the woodland among nature and surrounded by as many friends as they could pull together.

Dalia and Neil were married in Suffolk in a woodland inspired celebration. Benjamin, the photographer, tells us more about their day. “Having always loved their festivals Dalia & Neil are quite at home under canvas, so their wedding was always going to incorporate some sort of outdoor theme. With Dalia’s family being Jewish and Neil’s Christian a church or synagogue was out of the question! Secret meadows, home to the Sinfield Trust animal charity, Suffolk, were incredible in helping them to realise their dream. With a 500 year old ancient oak tree standing tall in the small woodland, 6 luxury safari lodges for VIP guests, a honeymoon hobbit box & fabulous fields for marquees, bell tent village, luxury loos and showers its no wonder they chose this amazing site for their big day. Charlotte and Ross, who run the site, were an absolute dream to work with in the lead up to and on the day. Nothing was ever a problem, their laid back attitude and eagerness to accommodate us made for a very special wedding indeed and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

How did you choose your photographer
With Neil being a photographer himself, it was very important that the right person was chosen for this job. Neil found Benjamin Wheeler with delightful, documentary style photos.

The Dress
When it came to the dress there was only one choice – one of the brides best gals and favourite frock designer Cheryl Eltringham’s exquisitely stylish label; ‘Velvet Johnstone’.  The whole thing was an amazing collaborative creative process and Dalia felt so unbelievably elegant on the day. The brief was elegant bohemian chic and something that the bride could later perform a surprise Michael Jackson dance in (the groom is a massive fan)! The result was a gorgeous elizabeth lace backless frock with a removable full length skirt, paneled train & a stunning silk underlay to keep the bride looking and feeling cool.

The Suit
Neil chose a Ted Baker 3 piece suit, which he had tailored to fit & shoes by Barker. His look was inspired by the couple’s favourite TV series “Peaky Blinders” and favourite period, the 1930s.

Theme or colour scheme
Dalia works in set design and Neil is an artist and photographer so the pressure was on to get the décor and colour scheme just right! A washed out pastel tone was chosen to reflect the romantic, fairy tale nature of the day & Dalia used her prop sourcing skills to bring in all sorts of dressing to help bring the site to life – mismatching lampshades, fairground mirrors, replica postboxes and vintage china.

Flowers
The fabulous Jenny Tobin consulted on the floral arrangements and perfectly matched team bride & team groom with stunning dreamy & romantic flowers perfectly suited to the theme. Amazingly talented friends Maxwell Fine & Jekaterina Potasova were responsible for the table centrepieces & buttonholes, whilst the bridesmaids took care of the all important bouquets on the day.

Entertainment
Dalia & Neil are fortunate to be surrounded by a whole load of very talented folk, so it was a no brainer when it came to choosing musicians and DJs to play on the day. With Dalia’s brother & nephew both being very talented musicians & with Dalia growing up with family sing songs at every event it was an important part of the day to share their magic with all our guests. A Sunday evening campfire sing song sealed the weekend with back-to-back renditions of Beatles classics accompanied by Lauren Baker on the triangle!

Food
Dalia & Neil had a bit of a shock when their caterers dropped out at 4pm the day before the wedding!!! (by text message!). Fortunately, the amazing team from bizzibeans led by Todd saved the day and with only 24hrs notice provided the most beautiful BBQ’d feast for all to enjoy. BBQ’d food being the bride and groom’s favourite cuisine and a great way to feed 180 guests in an informal manner.

Special Moments
The bride & groom, wanting a non-religious ceremony chose the amazing Tiu de Haan to hold the space. The ceremony was a truly magical and captivating service. The bride walked down the aisle to ‘real love’ by john lennon, performed live by good friends.The rings were passed around & blessed by all the guests, a tree was planted joining the two families. Al Green ‘lets stay together’ sung by the congregation. Readings were performed by close friends & vows sealed the deal. Tiu was truly inspiring and guided us through our day with ease and professionalism. She impressed the congregation so much with her truly personal service that she has already received bookings from guest who are getting married in 2017!

Supplier Shout Outs

• Brides gown (designer & boutique): Velvet johnstone  www.velvetjohnstone.com
• Jewellery (designer & boutique): Jill Urwin www.jillurwin.com
• Shoes: LK Bennett  www.lkbennett.com
• Florist: DIY on the day with a little help from Jenny Tobin jennytobinflowers.co.uk
• Venue: Secret meadows www.secretmeadows.co.uk
• Caterer: Bizzibeans café  www.bizzibeans.net
• Bridesmaids dresses: Velvet johnstone (as bride) www.velvetjohnstone.com
• Stationery: Adam Collins www.behance.net>designtransmission
• Entertainment (day & evening): Very good friends and family members.
• Transport: Peter smith www.northwestvintagevw.co.uk
• Videographer: Richard Berkshire
• Photographer : Benjamin Thomas Wheeler www.benjaminthomaswheeler.com

For more information on Bejamin’s work go to:

Www.benjaminthomaswheeler.com / [email protected] / 07792054183 / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / I: @benjaminwheeler

Hey, i’m Benjamin. I am a fine art wedding photographer, based in London. Capturing moments and telling stories in a captivating, creative and organic way is what I am about. Blending photo journalism with wedding photography has been popular for a while, but I like to think it can be a young and imaginative approach today. It’s the way the story is translated through photographs, how people remember their celebration, is the most important thing.