The details that make a Middleton Lodge wedding: behind the scenes with Bronze Floral
Everyone knows what a wedding looks like from the inside, but few people get to see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating a couple’s vision. As a guest, everything is already beautifully curated by the time you arrive. And as part of the wedding party, you’re usually far too busy getting ready to stop and notice that the room around you looked completely different just a few hours earlier.
I was lucky enough to see exactly that at Elis & Graeme’s wedding at Middleton Lodge, where I joined Bronze Floral behind the scenes to photograph the transformation. From the bridal bouquets to the ceremony flowers and a marquee overflowing with fruit and florals, this was a wedding where the details really did deserve a closer look.
I arrived as the transformation began, with ladders, wires and a team of four, including Bronwyn, the founder of Bronze Floral, and her husband Phil. Against the clean white backdrop of Middleton Lodge’s marquee, the team worked to create sturdy installations that somehow still felt soft, gentle and as though they had naturally grown into the space.
Smaller bud vases began appearing along the centre of the long tables, delicate and unassuming. Slowly, the blank canvas started to become something much more magical.
With the marquee beginning to take shape, it was time for the flowers to make their way upstairs. The bridal suite sat at the top of the grand spiral staircase in the ceremony room, where Bronwyn delivered the bridal bouquet to the bride.
Phil followed behind with the bridesmaids’ flowers- six bouquets with three variations, and little differences chosen for the individual bridesmaids. A small detail, but one that made the whole collection feel much more personal.
Our next stop was back at the van, where the final touches were being made to the flowers for the ceremony aisle. They were hand-finished right there in the car park.. not quite the glamorous setting you might imagine, but part of the behind-the-scenes reality of making a wedding come together!
The team split between the two spaces, with half moving the finished aisle arrangements into the ceremony room just as the wedding party began making their final preparations. Amongst my photographs are a few soft, blurred glimpses of bridesmaids and groomsmen passing through the space- an accidental part of the story that I actually love.
Meanwhile, back in the marquee, the final details were coming together. Fruit was carefully placed amongst the flowers, candles and table settings before the personalised stationery was added. The embroidered napkins and tablecloths were particularly special, and I believe the embroidery was even done by the groom himself.
Bronze Floral, founded by Bronwyn Chandler in 2020, is a Harrogate-based floral studio combining garden-inspired flowers with contemporary, playful design. Moving away from the traditional rules of floristry, Bronwyn creates arrangements that feel relaxed, natural and intentional, while keeping sustainability at the heart of her work. She uses reusable and eco-friendly techniques wherever possible, continually exploring new ways to create beautiful florals with less waste.
Special thank you to Elis & Graeme, and to wedding photographer Charlotte Nelson for letting me sneak behind the scenes!