It’s no secret that I’m a fervent Jane Austen fan. So when Julie Paisley released the mood boards for her retreats in the English countryside inspired by the Regency author’s novels, I had to be there! I’ll recap the full retreat in a separate post, but today, I’m focusing on an Emma inspired editorial that we photographed on one of the first days of the retreat.

Emma is one of my favorite of Jane Austen’s novels. Jane herself described the heroine as a flawed character that no one but her would like. However, I think many of us can relate to Emma’s clueless nature at times, and there’s nothing better than a friends-to-lovers arc. One of my favorite lines, “if I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more” comes from Mr. Knightley, my favorite of all the Austen leading men.

Everything about this editorial was feminine and romantic, and I loved the rose floral installation as a nod to Emma’s garden. It was unusually sunny in the Cotswolds on this day which made lighting a bit of a challenge, but that’s the fun of an editorial retreat like this! There’s no client or pressure to do things perfectly, and it’s our time to experiment and create just for ourselves.

Enjoy a few favorites from this Emma inspired editorial!