Opulent & Glamorous Golden Hour Autumn Wedding Inspiration in Cornwall

A softly glamorous shoot inspired by Marie Antoinette, 1920s flappers, and the magic of a Cornish autumn afternoon

The details you need to know:

An autumn-inspired styled shoot set in the drawing room of Tredudwell Manor in Cornwall, photographed by Lyra and Moth. The shoot features a handmade fringe bridal gown designed and constructed by Flora Fletcher, handcrafted jewellery by Alison Fletcher, and makeup by Georgina at With Georgina MUA.

This was a family affair in the most joyful sense. Flora Fletcher, our owner Valerie’s niece, designed and handmade the fringe gown from scratch. Alison Fletcher, Flora’s mother and Valerie’s sister in law, handcrafted the pearl headdress to complement it. The drawing room at golden hour did the rest.

There is a particular magic to Tredudwell in autumn. And so our plan changed, as so many lovely things do, into something else entirely.

The original idea for this fun inspirational shoot was cherry blossom and spring reverie. But when the light began to fall differently at the end of the day, when the temperatures dropped just slightly and the golden hour started pouring through the restored windows of the Tredudwell Manor drawing room, we changed our minds completely.

And so, instead of spring, we wanted to capture that cosy, golden, almost Marie Antoinette feeling. The luxury of taking a moment, stepping away from the world, sitting with a glass of fizz and enjoying a delicious piece of cake.

Both Lyra and Moth and our team here at Tredudwell are great admirers of Sofia Coppola’s work, and Marie Antoinette in particular. We wanted to give couples a glimpse of how fun and softly glamorous that kind of beauty can feel.

The shoot was photographed by Lyra and Moth, whose work we find endlessly inspiring and romantic – we hope you enjoy!

The most romantic backdrop

For couples planning a manor house wedding in Cornwall, the drawing room at Tredudwell Manor really is something special.

It is a scene from a film – a step back in time to somewhere luxurious and private. We use it as a romantic breather for our couples during their wedding day, a chance to slip away, and it photographs like a dream.

The most gorgeous gown

The gown worn in this shoot was designed, made, and constructed entirely by hand by Flora Fletcher, Tredudwell Manor owner’s niece and an upcoming bridal designer based in London.

Flora studied fashion and design, and her work is defined by a light-hearted approach to bridal dressing. Her pieces are romantic and joyful without being frivolous.

For this shoot, she created a spaghetti strap silk dupion gown built around the idea of movement. The tulip silhouette forms a simple foundation for cascading vegan leather fringe, each strand individually hand-stitched onto the dress.

Flora explains it beautifully:

“For this tulip fringe dress, I knew I wanted to work with fringing. I was really drawn to the way designers like Alaïa and Roberto Cavalli use fringe to create movement, rather than it just being a decorative detail. I wanted to create a dramatic cascading fringe that would twist and move around the body as the wearer walked. It was quite a labour-intensive piece, as each strand of leather was individually stitched onto the dress, but I loved the idea that all of that work would come together to create something that felt really fluid and full of movement.”

We always love having Flora at Tredudwell. She brings so much joy to everyone she works with. Flora has a strong connection to Tredudwell that goes well beyond this shoot. She spent many of her childhood holidays here, and this is actually the second time she has collaborated with us — she posed as one of our models for the garden temples shoot back in 2018.

The most perfect jewellery

The jewellery in this shoot was handcrafted by Alison Fletcher, Flora’s mother and Valerie’s sister in law, who works as a self-employed artisan jewellery maker currently based in Suffolk.

Alison’s work is influenced primarily by the natural world, particularly the ocean, and she has an enduring passion for pearls in all their forms, from tiny seed pearls to Japanese Akoya pearls to enormous natural fireball baroque pearls. Each piece she makes is consciously crafted to capture the most subtle details of nature, using ethically sourced gemstones, seed beads, and recycled precious metals.

For this shoot, she created a pearl and seed bead headdress inspired by the style of a 1920s flapper cap, with graduated tassels worked using a netting technique. It required, as Alison would be the first to say, a great deal of patience. She counted every thread and pearl, drawing on her skills as a crocheter to help bring it to life.

The headdress was made specifically to complement Flora’s fringe gown, and the two together are something quite special.

A true family affair

Everything we do at Tredudwell is run as a family and this shoot was no exception, bringing together the whole vision to life in a space that has been part of this family for generations.

As Flora shared: “There’s something really special about being able to do a shoot like this with family. Collaborating with my mum to design jewellery to complement the dresses, and working with my aunt Valerie on the production and execution of the day, was so exciting. Seeing all of our visions come together in one shoot was really cool and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

For us, these creative days are about more than just beautiful images. They are a chance to gather the people we love, to make something together, and to share precious time in a place that means so much to all of us.

The most perfect look

The makeup for the shoot was created by Georgina at With Georgina MUA, whose approach is always to build a look around the full picture: the clothing, the jewellery, the photographer’s style, the venue, the flowers, and the colour palette.

Georgina explains her thinking for this shoot:

“For our shoot at Tredudwell Manor, Flora Fletcher’s handmade dresses served as the initial inspiration. For me, her work felt like a modern take on historical designs. In particular, two references immediately sprang to mind: Marie Antoinette and 1920s flappers. Despite being separated by over 200 years, an emphasis on blush links these two references together. However, rather than using a typical rouge I opted for a lilac-leaning blush that tied in beautifully with the delicate bouquet by Blowth. Our model Hannah has bright blue eyes, which I sought to enhance with brown smoky shadow, brown lashes and a pop of shimmer. To keep everything soft, I kept the skin minimal and finished the look with a glossy, neutral lip.”

The result feels entirely coherent with the glamorous mood of the shoot: soft and timeless.

The most delicate bouquet

The delicate bouquet that appears throughout the shoot was created by Blowth, whose florals complement the shoot’s palette beautifully. 

A Delicious Cocktail to Toast the Moment

The champagne you see in these images is not just decoration. Here at Tredudwell, we offer drinks and cocktails for couples who want to create cocktail moments throughout the celebration. 

Why not start the celebrations with a cocktail waiting for your day guest after the ceremony?

• Aperol Spritz
• Hugo Spritz
• Mojito

As the afternoon becomes evening. Step outside, and enjoy a cocktail together after dining.

• Espresso Martini
• Cornish Bramble
• Tequila Sunrise

When evening guests arrive welcome them with a cocktail and start the evening celebrations.

• Margarita
• Pornstar Martini
• Rum Punch

Gather your favourite people for a final toast before the party begins.

• Tequila Rose
• Baby Guinness
• Tequila

Or create a signature cocktail inspired by your story, your favourite flavours or the places you’ve shared together.

Prices from £6 per guest – get in touch to find out more or download our cocktail menu.

Feel inspired for your autumn wedding?

If this shoot has given you ideas for your own autumn wedding in Cornwall, you might love these real weddings from our blog:

A Green and Gold Cornwall Wedding in Autumn

A Colourful Autumn Wedding in Cornwall

Thinking about a manor house wedding in Cornwall and want to see the drawing room for yourself? We’d love to show you around.

Love,

All at Tredudwell

Suppliers

Photography: Lyra and Moth

Bridal gown: Flora Fletcher

Jewellery: Alison Fletcher – Alison’s pieces were made for this shoot specifically – bespoke commissions via info@tredudwell.co.uk

Makeup: Georgina at With Georgina MUA

Flowers: Blowth

FAQ on our autumn weddings shoot & cocktail menu