Organic Scottish Highland Elopement shoot in the gardens of a stately home

Constance Spry, a pioneer in floristry, was the first to arrange florals in what is now known as British garden style. She was responsible for the florals at Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding and coronation, and went on to write a small library of books on floral arranging and cookery. Her way of infusing floral design with foraged materials in natural, intuitive ways to this day has an indisputable influence on modern, organic floral design. This stunning editorial conceptualised by MOSS FLORAL DESIGN who also created all the incredible floral arrangements tells the fictional story of one couples Scottish Highland Elopement. Captured by TAYLOR & PORTER it was styled by HNSTLY CO.

Her summer home was ARD DARAICH, a beautiful stately house painted in a muted rose tone, located in the Scottish Highlands. In our story, the bride travelled here with her fiancé to exchange their vows as they always dreamt of – in nature. The house is rich with history, one can feel the influence its previous owners have had in every corner. Before they went to sleep, she crawled up by the fireplace in the sitting room.

The garden of Ard Daraich was the reason why the couple had picked the location. The bride envisioned her elopement day set in a place where they could roam the open plains of the rugged Highlands but she could take shelter in and explore a secret garden like Mary in the novel. Ard Daraigh’s gardens, planted over almost a century, sprawl wildly from the emerald green thicket surrounding the lower lawns all the way to the wooden bench on the peak of the hill from where one has the most wonderful view over Loch Linnhe to Ben Nevis, this garden was the kind of magical place the bride had only ever imagined before. Every corner of it seemingly keeping a different secret. With every turn you take, you find yourself in a new little world of deep green mosses heavy with dew, lush, sprawling plants that you recognise only from botanical gardens or books and sunlight peaking through the autumn foliage of a dozens of different varieties of maple trees and rhododendrons.

Having arrived late in the night, on the morning of their elopement, she wakes up early to explore the gardens, picking flowers and foliage. Her hands touching the leaves around her, she pauses in the spots where the trees open a little to let sun rays catch in her hair. The air is crisp, but the wind just a gentle breeze at this time of the day. In an hour she will wake up her fiancé to get ready and have breakfast together and then head out to that majestic spot in the highland plains for their elopement ceremony. But for now, she stays right here, feeling most alive in this tranquil garden, her belly filling with butterflies of anticipation.