Archerfield House bridal photoshoot featured image - credit Bates and Bates Photography

Stunning styled bridal photoshoot at Archerfield House with breathtaking blooms

Victoria of Secret Garden Events Florist and Aline of B Bonnie Flowers are both talented florists in their own right.

But the two women have combined forces to establish new sister company VnA Florals, to allow them to be more creative, productive and increase their capacity for larger events.

So with a new venture to get excited about what better way to show exactly what you can do together than with a stunning bridal photoshoot at the magnificent Archerfield House in East Lothian.

“Who wouldn’t be inspired by the façade of Archerfield House?” they tell us.

“It is truly stunning and was our inspiration.

“We decorated with an abundance of foliage and blooms, creating a magical entrance taking any couple’s imagination to the next level.”

And they certainly did!

With an entrance display like this what more could you wish for?

Victoria and Aline recruited the talented Bates and Bates Photography for the shoot.

They invited industry professionals Sophia Grace Couture bridal boutique, Emma Combe Hair, That Rosie Glow make-up, Charlotte Cadzow and Rustic Cake by Annie to achieve the looks they were after.



Naydene of Sophia Grace Couture says, “When our new season gowns started to arrive during lockdown we just could not wait to showcase these to brides.

“Therefore, when VnA Florals invited us to be part of a photoshoot we jumped at the chance.

“We chose gowns from three collections which are exclusive to Sophia Grace Couture in Scotland; Zavana Bridal, Zavana Couture and White April, along with showstopping dresses from Calla Blanche and Paloma Blanca.”

The gowns were styled with accessories from the boutique’s in-house collection, including handmade hair pieces from the Arianna collection and the beautiful Badgley Mischka wedding shoes.


For the models’ hair Emma wanted to achieve a glamorous yet elegant vibe with a romantic twist, “enhancing the headpieces and of course, the gorgeous floral creations.”

She says, “I did this using techniques such as a simple ‘posh ponytail’ to show off the natural shine of Hayley’s hair and to bring out the berry lip colour.

“The gorgeous effortless curls on Rosalind gave a softness to the neckline of the gowns.”


Make-up artist Rosie created four distinctive make-up looks, providing brides with endless inspiration.

Rosie echoed the beautiful shimmer and glow of the dress using neutral toned eyeshadow with a satin and sparkle effect in the centre of the eyes.

She used cream-based blush in a peach colour and a golden, creamy highlighter to give a glowing finish and used Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk for a nude lip.

Bates and Bates Photography - Archerfield Shoot
Calla Blanche Neda gown (POA), Sophia Grace Couture

Then for this look she created a twist on a classic bridal look with beautiful, flawless pale skin and a pop of colour on the lips.

“I love focussing on skin, adding in pearly highlights and soft matte contouring to give brides a look which not only looks amazing in person but also in photos,” she says.

“I chose a deep berry MAC lipstick to complement the model’s beautiful auburn hair and give a lovely pop of colour against her English Rose complexion.”

For this look (above) Rosie wanted to create a glamorous look or an evening look for a bride who wanted a different night-time vibe.

“With the feminine shape of the dress and simple, polished ponytail I felt we could take the make-up up a little more dramatic so I went for a sultry, winged smokey eye in warm earth tones,” she says.

“I also added some feline shaped eyelashes to add a little extra depth and drama.”


For this evening look Rosie chose warm copper pigments for a metallic finish. She added a sleek winged black liquid eyeliner coupled with flawless skin and bronzer for a light sun-kissed look.

“Eyebrows are also a huge trend for 2021 and I love the model’s natural brows so we used some powder and MAC brow gel to brush them up into a fluffy and fuller brow,” she adds.


Bates and Bates Photography - Archerfield Shoot

Keeping with the laidback glamour look of the shoot cake maker Rustic Cake by Annie added just a hint of glamour while keeping the overall look “wild and romantic.”

An assortment of blooms provided by VnA Florals included different textures and a mix of colours, were wound round the cake to give a sort of hedgerow wild and whimsical look.



To find out more about VnA Florals head to their website here

For more floral inspiration head to our Be Inspired pages here