Personal | Polly Alexandre Photography

Inspiration Shoot

October 16, 2014

Clara re-interpreted the tropical theme of the year with an elegant but fun approach for this pre-wedding bridal party shoot. Fake flamingoes and a featherly wedding gown were mixed with fun pineapples. Antique family silverware, bright pink peonies, fresh limes and African animal prints created the perfect set for our colourful studio shoot, designed to inspire brides with the idea of enjoying an extravagant afternoon with their bridesmaids before the big day.

Credits: Styling: Chic Weddings in Italy; Bride and Maid of Honour: Romana & Ivelina; Flower girl: Georgia; Make up: Lucy Oldham; Hair: Deborah Lola Cake: Little Boutique Bakery; Bridal Dress with Feathers: The State of Grace; Bridesmaids Gowns and Accessories: Wish Want Wear; Stationary: Dododesign & Co

La Marina – Ibiza

June 16, 2014

The start of Autumn…

September 29, 2013

Things have been super busy here of late so not much has been happening here on the blog; rest assured though, it’s all going on behind the scenes! Shoots in Ibiza, Shoots in London, more amazing weddings…. and this week the birth of a new website with lots of unseen work on. I am pretty excited about sharing this. It’s been the hardest task ever choosing which selection of weddings to include, if I could include them all I would. Each wedding I photograph is just as beautiful as the next, each is magical and precious and it’s a new experience each time around.

Accompanying the new website is my awesome new logo and branding, with the logo concept by the most talented English calligrapher, brought to life into a brand by an amazing designer. You can see the logo at the top of this blog now and more on that coming up in the next week.

Laura and Seb’s Babington House wedding is featured in the current issue of You & Your Wedding (you can see more from the Babington House wedding online here on Style Me Pretty), Kate & Alex’s Cotswolds Winter wedding is the current issue of Conde Nast’s Brides Magazine, Wedding Sparrow featured Katy & James’ sweet London Pre Wedding Shoot, and Mel & Rabin’s Sri Lanka wedding appeared on Style Me Pretty.

Closer to home I’ve had lots of guests to Ibiza this summer and we have had some awesome times playing & relaxing in the sunshine…. I’ve been getting into superfoods and green smoothies in a big way, working with an amazing coach, doing lots of pilates, perfecting my dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free blueberry pancake recipe (see my Pinterest recipe board for inspiration!) and I am loving designing the interiors at Casa Lolo. Talking of extra curricular activities, I will be launching a new blog in the next few months, to share all of these things and more with you. I know I have lots of past clients that still pop onto here and follow my blog, and I’d love you to join me on my next exciting journey. It’s my goal to inspire you to create beauty in your own life.

Authentic Success

June 19, 2013

‘Authentic success is having enough time to pursue personal pursuits that bring you pleasure, time enough to make the loving gestures for your family, time enough to care for the home, tend your garden, nurture your soul. Authentic success is knowing that if today were your last day on Earth, you could leave without regret.

It’s discovering and calling forth your gifts and offering them to the world……It’s making a difference in others lives, and believing that if you can do that for just one person each day, through a smile, a shared laugh, a caress, a kind word, or a helping hand, blessed are you.

Authentic success is not just money in the bank but a contented heart and peace of mind. It’s earning what you feel you deserve for the work you do and knowing you are worth it.

Authentic success is feeling good about who you are, appreciating where you’ve been, celebrating your achievements, and honouring the distance you’ve already come.

Authentic success is where being is as important as doing. It’s the steady pursuit of a dream.

Authentic success is not about accumulating but about letting go, because all you have is all you truly need.

Authentic success is living each day with a heart overflowing.

^^^

The past year has been a year of great changes in my life, a year of letting go and moving on. What makes success and what I am striving for has been at the forefront of my mind. I came across this piece written by Sarah Breathnach, and for me, it just put my thoughts into words in a way so apt I just had to share…..

And accompanying it is a painted photograph, which was actually our very first wedding gift…… from the lovely Marcie & her husband whom we met the morning after our wedding when out to brunch in Joshua Tree. As we drew up our convertible (um, not converted due to the excessive amount of shopping filling the boot…..)….we saw a cool camper van in the car park….and went over to admire it…. when we met Marcie and her husband, the most lovely and inspiring couple, who actually got married in a bookshop in their 60’s, and who were started out on their own incredible adventure.

We all did photos, and they gave us our first wedding gift, this beautiful picture of the Healer River. What could be more heartfelt & spontaneous that being given a beautiful photograph at the start of your honeymoon by two lovely strangers……

My Formentera Holiday – Cala Saona

June 13, 2013

Formentera is a tiny island, one of the Spanish Balearic islands, just 9 miles long and barely a mile wide, that can only be reached by boat from Ibiza. It’s like a younger, sleepier, more rural version of Ibiza, although really it has it’s own character entirely. We escaped to Formentera for a few days sleep and sunshine. There’s not a lot to do there, but that’s exactly why we went…. time to slow down, restore the energies and press pause on life.

I loved:

1. Cala Saona. A wild and deep beach, surrounded by wild grasses and trees, and red clay cliffs. Waves crashed into onto the beach, transporting me away to another world as I lay in the sun.

2. Cala Saona Hotel. The only place to stay, set at the back of the beach. Less than £50 a night, it was great value, clean, comfortable, the best sea views & had a lovely pool area and great service.

3. Driving round on a moped with the wind through my hair & my arms wrapped tightly around my husband

4. Shopping in San Francesc, the island’s capital. I especially loved the beautifully curated Balafia shop with a stylish mix of fashion & interiors. I picked up this pretty dress in the softest cotton and the most perfect mint green colour from French label Germaine des Pres (which even rolls up into a teeny tiny bag: perfect for travelling!) & this pretty cotton covered notebook. Also worth a visit is Mandala, a clothes shop that stocks Havianas and great summer dresses. I picked up a lovely long white dress by Bobi, a LA based label that’s new to me, and another white dress by Italian label Ra-re. You can never have too many white dresses for summer! Being the end of the season they were also in the sale too. Bonus!

5. Sleeping. Pretty much the whole time, when I wasn’t eating.

6. An amazing sunset – the kind that only a cloudy sky can bring…dramatic reds, oranges, blue-purples…

7. Feeling part of nature

8. Spending time chatting with my husband, our legs dangling over the port whilst we waited for the Balearia captain to finish hia siesta and drive the boat back to Ibiza.

If this tempts you, you can see more images of Formentera on my blog here and here.

Oh, I love summer…..and it’s about to start all over again…. this time tomorrow I will be sunning myself whilst wondering round a French Chateau (all in the name of work of course…)…mmmmm, can’t wait…!