Looking at wedding pictures from all over the planet, it’s clear that there are some super snazzy grooms out there. It seems like the general tendency has shifted from the bride as centrepoint and “queen bossy” to a more inclusive approach when it comes to the groom and what he wears. The room for bridezilla pushing her man to the background and giving him only the bare necessities has become quite small. I like that.
The man of the day is very much a central part of all the happenings at a wedding and should be dressed for the role. Whether it be a more casual, retro, alternative affair or a traditional, formal and sleek one, his attire should be carefully selected.
Hello lovely friends – hope you all had a fabulous weekend. London was COLD, so I spent it wrapped up warm inside! Last Thursday I indulged myself in all things Sparkle & Blush, but today I’m moving on to a whole new pink and glitter inspiration board obsession. This one was created especially for reader Marielen, who is planning a spring wedding in Canada. She’s a fan of everything ballerina, and wanted something classic, modern and romantic, as well as warm and inviting, in pinks and golds. Well, pink and gold is one of my absolute favourite combos, and Marielen could just go for basic ballerina blush, pairing it with gold glitter (which is itself a lovely combo), but I really love the addition of a hot pink (this is also a great colour combo if you’re going to use graphic black and white as a base). It just adds that extra bit of warmth and brings the look bang up to date. Adding a bit of ballerina style is no problem – there are many gorgeous ballet-inspired dresses around at the moment, and I do love a bride in ballet slippers. Make sure bride (and maids) are in chic buns, and accessories with lots of tulle and ruffles and ribbon – both in the bridal party and at the reception. I love the use of roses here – they really are a classic – and especially the sweet escort cards and also a little rose bud at each place setting. Another lovely touch is the glittery ribbon for the bouquet. And speaking of ribbon, an idea I really love (that is a subtle but very pretty reference to the ballet stage) is to have a ribbon curtain for the aisle – how gorgeous does it look? It’s something you could do inside (against a blank wall) or out as pictured here, and will really make an impact! If possible, you can also re-use the curtain (now ungathered) behind the main table at the reception. I must say, I really love this look – hope you do too, Marielen!
Colours: Blush pink, candy pink, hot pink, gold glitter
Good morning, friends! Did you enjoy our Sparkle & Blush fest yesterday? Today we’re back to real life inspiration courtesy of one of our real life brides, the lovely Candice. You’ll remember Candice was our Marie Antoinette bride, and so far we’ve followed her through her whole planning process right up to her Versailles-themed rehearsal dinner (loved that!). Today we’re getting a peek at another pre-wedding event, the bridal shower, and one of the most adorable themes I’ve yet seen! Candice is a huge fan of Downton Abbey (aren’t we all?) – in fact, in her first email to me she joked that she avoided the sun in an attempt to acquire skin as pale as Lady Mary’s – so it was the perfect theme for her bridesmaids to pick, and much fun (I feel I should be saying ‘japes’ here) ensued! There are so many lovely ideas here – and I love that the gifts were so personal and creative. All images are from Louis John van Rooyen of {Moment}ography.Read More
Afternoon, lovelies! It’s time for Part 2 of today’s Sparkle & Blush fest. Hopefully you won’t be tired of seeing this shoot already, but I couldn’t resist doing a full post of all my favourite images (some that you won’t have seen before). That said, I’ll shut up and let you enjoy them! ;)Read More
Back when I moved into my current home and set up my office, I painted one wall in chalkboard and wrote a list in one corner. It was called milestones, and it was a list of ten things I wanted for my blog. On that list, was turning one of my inspiration boards into a styled shoot (what they used to call ‘inspiration to reality’ on Style Me Pretty). It seems like such a long time ago now, but I can still remember the first tentative posts on what was then Cap Classique, the first attempts at inspiration boards. Today (having been featured in magazines and on Wedding Chicks already) that milestone comes full circle, and I want to celebrate that, but more importantly I wanted to share what I learned about wedding design along the way. So before I share the full Sparkle & Blush post this afternoon, I thought I would take you through the whole journey, and hopefully inspire you along the way. :) (Remember, a styled shoot isn’t there to suggest you replicate it exactly the way we designed it. Rather, it’s big on ideas – just pinch one or two that fit your theme and budget.)
It started with an inspiration board…
Goodness, but time is rushing by! It seems like just yesterday that the Pantone Spring 2013 colour report came out, and I’ve had so much fun working with the colours this year, including colour of the year, Emerald. But with the days finally starting to get longer on this side of the world comes the Fall report, and as before, the colours are bolder and brighter and perfect for a statement look. This time around they all really remind me of Morocco, and what I’m really looking forward to doing is pairing them with soft neutrals as well as each other, as they are here. So how might you go about using them? As usual, I’ve put together a selection of mini-boards to give you some ideas! Which is your fave?
Time for some more loveliness! We do love a good couple shoot here on SBB, but this one is extra special because not only is it a tribute to the lovely Olga-Mare and Niel, but a showcase for the absolutely beautiful dress that Olga-Mare created. She was inspired by the 1920s, and Daisy Buchanan herself would no doubt have loved to float around in this gorgeous (award-winning!) creation. Olga-Mare’s dear friend Lizemari Moller of Lily Photography spent an afternoon with them at De Waal Park in Cape Town, making the most of some heavenly light.Read More
Good morning, SouthBound Brides, and a special welcome to all the new readers with Valentine’s Day proposals! You know, as you all start planning, some of you will find that you have a clear vision – a palette you’ve always loved, a style that’s distinctly your own, a venue that dictates where you go with your decor. But for others, it’s harder. You like some of this, some of that. I get the feeling that the bride who requested today’s pretty board falls into this category (and if you do too, worry not – it’s completely normal!) In her mail, Shylet asked for a board for her summer Zimbabwean wedding. She wanted it to be chic and contemporary, but she also wanted it to be vintage. She wanted extravagant centrepieces and a cake, but she also wanted DIY. It could be a bit of a mishmash, but I think I know what Shylet is after. See, what many brides now think of as vintage – lacey, girly, prettiness – doesn’t have to be old fashioned at all. And items can be DIY without looking crafty. It all starts with a great palette, and Shylet definitely has that covered – with purple, yellow and grey as her colours (I opted for a pretty violet that goes so nicely with a fresh lemon zest yellow!). In putting the board together, I immediately thought of this SBB wedding – notice how the tables have dramatic tall arrangements (made of baby’s breath, which saves a ton) as well as lower arrangements for colour. It’s a very effective look. The bride also chose an amazing cake, which was a replica of the stunning Peggy Porschen creation below. Team this with soft bouquets and frosted lemons on platters for a really elegant look. I’d limit DIYs to things like this pretty wall of table plan frames, or maybe to interesting favours (Martha Stewart’s Good Things are the perfect place to look for this sort of idea) – that way you can feel that you’ve made your personal mark without changing the overall sophistication of the look. Hope you like your board Shylet!
Happy Friday, friends! I’m writing to you from my sick bed, all struck down in the pribe of libe (as they’d say in Friends), so you’ll forgive me if today’s post is a little late! But I wanted to share with all of you (especially those with your newly minted Valentine proposals) how Pinterest can be a great little tool to use in your wedding planning, and give you a little tour of the SBB Pinterest page. Let’s go!
The truth is, you’ve probably already heard of Pinterest. You may have been using it already, to pin food or interiors – hell, you may even have been pinning wedding stuff long before the proposal. In just a couple of years, Pinterest has become part of our daily web lives, and the good news is that it really comes into its own when it comes to weddings. So you’ll definitely want to use it to its full capacity.Read More
Hello friends! To continue our Valentine’s Day content, I have such a cute little boudoir session to share with you. While you’ll be seeing lots of red and white and heart-themed couple shoots and weddings all over the blogosphere today, I thought that it might be fun to share something that might inspire you to give as a Valentine’s gift – either to your fiance or, better yet, to yourself. Most of us ladies feel so self-conscious in pics (I know I do!) and feel we’re never thin enough or toned enough or tanned enough or whatever enough to indulge in a photo session that’s all about us. And what’s more, that celebrates our sensuality. That’s where I think booking one of these sessions is a real gift to yourself, and all the ladies I know who have done it have told me how it gave them such a confidence boost to go for it. A good boudoir should be about celebrating YOU, with all your ‘flaws’ (after all, it’s our imperfections that make us beautiful). And while some choose to go revealing in a boudoir, I really love sessions that only hint at what’s underneath and keep things classy rather than FHM. That’s why I loved this session from Expressions Photography, which plays on a range of vintage looks from the ’40s and ’70s to make model-for-the-day Danni look (and no doubt feel) absolutely gorgeous! I have to mention Lisa Hair and Make-up, who did such an awesome job on hair and makeup – I especially love Danni’s pinup girl look! Head over to Expressions’ blog if you’d like to see more of the shoot (or book your own).Read More
