Sunday 12 August 2012

Wet and Wild or the story behind the photoshoot



Forget weddings, Jubilees and Olympic Opening Ceremonies this wash out of a summer posed a major threat to the success of the Autumn Most Curious Wedding Fairs shoot! We had big plans for it to be in the Norfolk Woods, where much of the flat landscape looks like the set of Spike Jones’s Where the Wild Things Are and we were all set to go with the theme, woodland maidens being chased by hirsuite men in felt animal heads, a big production was the plan with that ‘golden hour’ of mid-summer 7pm sun glowing behind the models. But alas the day was upon us and stylists, photographer, make up artist, stationer and florist alike had sad faces at the windows strewn with drizzle, which eventually turned into full blown rain, which eventually turned into hail.



Time for plan B! Well, first our favourite photographer Joanna Millington, nipped to the offie to see if a little glass of vino would help, but then it was time for Plan B. Luckily our makeup artist Nova of Milk and Honey, had put on an amazing night market event the month before, at a beautifully crumbling down and disused 18th century building close by, where years of layers of wallpaper was in just the right state of shabby and had plenty of nooks and crannies to make it interesting on the eye. If a battered, period house had been the Plan A you know that we would have spent years looking for this exact setting, so adjusting our mindset from Max and his Wild Things to something more akin to Wedding Creatures in the Attic, we realised how lucky we were to have it and were ready once more! 



Founder of the Most Curious Wedding Fair, Becky Hoh-Hale, had spotted the fantastic animal heads the year before at a design show and had been determined to use them in a shoot the minute she saw them. They are by Sussex-based artist Barbara Keal, who hand makes the masterpieces from felt.

‘They just capture the ethos of A Most Curious perfectly, we want to showcase suppliers that are artisans, dedicated creators of beautiful, inspiring things that could make a wedding that bit more special and representative of couples who are passionate about the aesthetic of their big day,’ describes Hoh-Hale. ‘Curiousness being something that makes people want to look further, find out more and draws people to it and these heads also have that right mixture of quirky, vivid expression and, let’s face it, kinda eye catching oddness that inspires Most Curious and its followers. Most Curious will always love and represent vintage but vintage is now not enough, people are looking for more and the Most Curious Fairs do not want to limit themselves. They are just about what is cool, now and next, for weddings - an amalgamation of pieces that people who love design, love trend hunting, love fashion would want at their weddings – that’s what we bring you.’ 



So the heads were the starting point. Then came the desire to put the groom under the spotlight. But what do are target audience of men think look cool? Day of the dead face paints and ‘folk-core’ outfits of course – think a Biffy Clyro video meets a Mumford and Sons wardrobe. And of course the animal heads. We visited men’s fashion boutique Seven Wolves who provided us with soft linen shirts and heavy wool trousers and with a little help from Ruby Tuesday Vintage we complimented this with threadbare waistcoats and tailcoats to give this farmer’s son chic it a little more groom ability. 



In keeping with the beastly theme we went with a beautiful feathered gown from Casa de Jus, stocked exclusively by Luella’s Boudoir and some more pared back dresses from Lily and Louie’s new collection, which feature overlayed lace. These would let the crazier, bigger, textured hair styling we were going for shine, which was executed wonderfully by Lisa Marie Cooper of The Hairdresser



The fifth dress was actually a vintage piece found at Frock Me which Hoh-Hale wore for her own wedding! The bespoke rope and lace belt was made by Vintage Knit Knacks. A sixth gown was put together simply in sheer fabric by stylists on the shoot Most Curious team member and set designer Gemma Goodwin and Textile graduate and visual merchandiser Amie Farr. Farr also put together the accessories on the day, making a head piece from vintage jewellery and bejewelled fur collar inspired by ‘elf-ware’ sported in Lord of the Rings and all fashion conscious Narnians. 



The brief had already been set for London and Suffolk based florist Clare Robinson of Love Blooms to create ‘woodsy’ themed pieces who put together an amazing twig heart bouquet, centre pieces, a flower curtain (yes curtain! Breaking Dawn wedding scene anyone!?) and even moss, so in this new location we improvised - with a moss cake surround and laying it across the floor underfoot of the models. If we couldn’t get into the woods, we’d bring the woods to us! 



The cake itself, as well as the topper, was by Most Curious’s favourite stationer I Like Pens who also put together cute paper pom poms and signage for the day. 



The day was a challenge because the feeling that we should have been in the woods and more importantly, all the things we made and sourced should have been in the woods was hard to shake off. But through sheer determination, dedication to the brief of creating images that would inspire fashion forward and oddity admiring brides and grooms we managed to pull together something we were all proud of and successfully the tone for the wedding fairs. Bring on October!


All photography: Joanna Millington







Saturday 11 August 2012

The Autumn Fairs are GO!



Our promo images are by Joanna Millington but full shoot details coming up very soon



Well, we've been sitting on these promo pics for a while but now, we're ready for ya! The Most Curious Wedding Fairs are back for the Autumn. Please see the full media pack here but read on for the basics. For the first time ever, we're going public with the prices, that's how confident we are about what we do and that it's a good deal. Spaces still available so read on or just apply now!


A MOST CURIOUS WEDDING FAIR


FOR THE NOT SO BLUSHING BRIDE


50+ EXPRESSIVE, FUN AND VINTAGE-ADMIRING EXHIBITORS FOR THE FASHION FORWARD, TREND HUNTING COUPLE


ENTERTAINMENT ALL DAY
TEA, CAKE AND CANDY FLOSS



LONDON
SAT 6TH OCTOBER
YORK HALL, BETHNAL GREEN, E2 9PJ



NORWICH
SUN 21ST OCTOBER
ST ANDREWS HALL, NR3 1AU


EXTRA MINI DATE – VISIT OUR VINTAGE SECTION AT THE NORFOLK BRIDES FAIR

7TH OCT, DRAYTON OLD LODGE NORWICH NR8 6AN




About the Fairs


A Most Curious is the exhibition company for cool hunting, style savvy individuals, couples and families. With our finger firmly and obsessively on the pulse, we put together events that showcase the most fashion forward, trend-aware and design-led products alongside the premise of a fun day out with unique entertainment, refreshments and activities.


A Most Curious Wedding Fairs operate under the simple premise of ‘cool stuff’ for your wedding. As long as it’s expressive, fun, stylish, pleasing to the eye and has talented, creative and friendly people behind it then we want to showcase it our wedding fair and unite you with couples of the same nature! Our London Fair is situated a hop skip and a skinny jean away from the capital’s coolest districts, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Dalston, Stoke Newington, Brick Lane (we could go on!) at Bethnal Green’s York Hall and attracted 1200 people to the Spring edition.


The Norwich Fair is in a smaller city but sees a fantastic turn out, 800 people through the doors, due to the art school graduates who stay to settle down and get hitched as well as those who travel from the affluent north Norfolk regions, known as Chelsea by the sea. We can quote visitors who say ‘Norwich is crying out for this type of thing’ so exhibitors at the fairs can expect to reap the benefits of culture starved style savvy Norfolkians looking for chic and beautiful things for their nuptials! It was also in the top 3 for Best Fair category at the 2012 Vintage Norwich Awards.


Our previous wedding shows have seen cabaret girls with fireworks coming out of their boobies, oyster boys, ballet dancing models, hula hooping gymnasts and always ensure over 50 stands with vintage and couture dresses, accessories, stationery, florists, bridesmaid dresses, suits, crockery, cakes, shoes, lingerie, millinery, paper bouquet and button hole workshops, live music and make up demos. So who knows what we can come up with next....


We are also dedicated to supporting new emerging talent and this year will have a special section for 2011 and 2012 graduates who are hoping to bring something fresh to the wedding industry entitled Bridal NEXT! For more details on these aspects of the fair please click here or look out for a Bridal NEXT! dedicated post



Basic Stand Info and Prices

2m length x 1.5 metres depth

London: £110

Norwich: £70




4m length x 1.5m depth

London: £195

Norwich: £120



We still have spaces left as we are doing it by application process, so click here to make sure your on the choice list. The deadline to apply is the 20th August. Best of luck!