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Posts tagged ‘green’

May 28

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Inspiration Board: Peach Blossom

So, it’s Sunday as I write this, and I’m somewhere over the Karoo (probably) looking out from my aeroplane window and taking advantage of the Mango onboard Wifi. That’s a first for me – I have to say, internet has been my bugbear out here in SA (don’t even ask me how much I have spent on data), so it’s kind of cool to be experiencing an internet connection-related innovation before I leave SA. But apart from that, I’m feeling very sad today, as I have had to wave goodbye to my mom and dad (and our two delicious doggies) in Durban, on my way back to London via Cape Town. Never an easy thing to do, but worse when I’ve had such a long time out here rather than it just being the usual quick holiday. Still, what’s bound to be a big dose of homesickness that I’ve brought on myself was totally worth it. So Mom, if you’re reading this (and bless you, I know you do), thanks for a wonderful stay, and love you and my Dad and the little dudes lots xxx

OKAY, enough of the ugly-cry-inducing stuff. It’s time for prettiness! Today we’re working with a peach palette, and I have to say that I am absolutely LOVING this colour at the moment. It’s a slightly safer version of coral (which was one of last year’s breakout colours for me), but more unusual than pink and still works with most of the same colours. Bright oranges are everywhere (is peach even orange? pink? I don’t know) but not everyone can pull them off – this is the perfect way to make your wedding look contemporary and classic at the same time. One of my favourite combos is soft pastel peach with a flat foresty green – which I also think is perfect for this time of year without being too self consciously ‘autumn’. I also love the inclusion of lush blooms, handmade details and black wrought iron (inspired by the gorgeous shoot bottom left), as well as the pretty handfasting ribbons. What do you think? And don’t forget, I take requests for custom inspiration boards – find the link at the end of this post.

Colours: Peach, green, black, cream and gold

Top row (l-r): Peach centrepiece with medicine bottles {White Room Events/Pobke Photography}; peach bridesmaids dresses {White Room Events/Pobke Photography}; embroidery; hanging lanterns {Rebecca Reategui}
Row 2: Handfasting ribbons {Shannon Leahy Events/Larissa Cleveland}; blossoms; wrought iron ceremony chairs {Bliss Event Productions/John & Joseph Photography Inc.}
Row 3: Ballet wedding shoot {Ashley Baber Weddings/Aaron Watson Photography}; menu and place setting {Rebecca Reategui}; Vivienne Westwood shoes; peach centrepiece with suitcase {White Room Events/Pobke Photography}.

Dec 7

6 Comments

Real Wedding at Firlane House {Leanie & Pieter}

Hello lovelies! How’s your week going so far? I must admit, I am finding work hard at the moment with the short days on this side of the equator, and so much to do before Christmas! But it’s lovely to be in the festive season (even if I will be another year older at the end of it, gah). Anyway, if you have the December stresses (or even if you’re riding high on a wave of festive cheer), here’s something pretty to make your afternoon just before you rush off from work to finish off that Christmas shopping. Pieter and Leanie were married at what is fast becoming a favourite venue for me, the classy and intimate Firlane House. They used Leanie’s favourite flower, the arum lily, as a motif, and incorporated lots of pretty but subtle touches. It’s class all the way, and Bernard Bravenboer has captured these gorgeous pics to share with you. I especially like how Bernard manages to capture the spirit of the later evening – I always think this is a real challenge for a photographer, but the pictures from the dance floor and cake cutting are some of my favourites. Ah, just give me some twinkly lights, a chocolate cake and a pumping dancefloor, and I’m a happy woman. ;) Read more

Dec 5

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Inspiration Board: Pastel Protea

Happy Monday my friends! Sorry last week was a little quiet – I’m afraid it was just one of those weeks. Anyway, today I have a board that I am SO in love with. And even better, I got to create it for a friend. The lovely Louise came into my dear friend Sven’s life a little while back and he was immediately smitten, so we were all thrilled when they announced their engagement. They’ll be getting married in Natal next year, and are planning a brunch wedding (so fun!). When Louise described what she was after, I immediately knew what she was looking for, since it’s a look that I’d had in the back of my mind for ages, and I think it came together beautifully. It uses soft pink and green, proteas, brown paper (how much do I love the table plan?), chalkboard and watercolour, and I’ve added in a few pretty paper details as well. Isn’t it lovely? Oh, and look out for brunch ideas coming your way this Wednesday if you’re also planning a morning wedding!

Colours: Soft pink, green and neutrals

Top row (l-r): Bride with single bloom protea bouquet (Jose Villa); brown paper escort cards (Katie Stoops); pastel table arrangement (White Room Events/Pobke Photography); chalkboard pancake menu (Green Wedding Shoes/Lauryl Lane/My Bride Story/Birds of a Feather); wish jar (White Room Events/Pobke Photography)
Row 2: Tablescape (White Room Events/Jennifer Sando); watercolour wedding invitation suite (oh my deer); bride and groom with pancakes (Green Wedding Shoes/Lauryl Lane/My Bride Story/Birds of a Feather); papel picado decorations (Erica Velasco)
Row 3: Brown paper menu/favour bag (Nancy Liu Chin via Snippet & Ink); protea bouquet (White Room Events/Jennifer Sando); brown paper table list; doily details (source unknown); bride with bridesmaids (Jose Villa)

Nov 14

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Inspiration Board: Dandelion Days

Good morning friends! Hope you had a fab weekend! Mine was good – I had the privilege of spending yesterday with a group of fantastic wedding industry people assisting on a shoot for my friend Louise of (aka @bijouxbride). Lots of hard work, but it was so fun, and I can’t wait to see the pictures. I know there are a lot of people who don’t like inspiration shoots, but for me, they’re a great way to pull together an idea (like a mood board, but on a bigger scale) and I know they’re where I get a lot of the ideas I use in my boards. Plus, they’re great for table settings, which I know brides struggle with sometimes. What do you think? Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

Anyway, on to today’s board. While it’s gone very cold and grey in London town, I know everyone in South Africa is on the other side of the spring/autumn equation, so I thought I would bring you a lovely spring palette to enjoy. A lot of brides shy away from yellow because it’s such a strong colour, but if canary yellow is too bold and mustard is too yellow, consider a soft pastel lemon. Combined with pale green and grey, it’s fresh and flattering, and it brought to mind for me the pretty gardeny side of the Kate Moss nuptials – a traditional church, lots of little flowergirls in white, wildflowers. Add in yellow shoes and a polka dot dress, plus of course a little hair braid (because we do love braids, don’t we!). And if you like the lovely invitations pictured here by my clever friends at Brancoprata, you can download the template for free right here. Perfect, non?

Colours: Pale yellow, green and soft grey

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom (Jose Villa); yellow shoes (Christine Meintjes); polka dot dress; frosted lemons (A. Hana Design); lemonade
Row 2: Dessert table (Amy Atlas); invitation (Brancoprata); macaroon ring shot (Kim Mendoza Photography); vintage car (Photogen Inc.)
Row 3: Dandelion; bridesmaid (Katelyn James); braided updo; flower girls; pretty church from Kate Moss Wedding (Mario Testino/Vogue)

Nov 7

2 Comments

Inspiration Board: Love in a Forest

So much excitement today! But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean I would leave you hanging with an inspiration board for this week, and today’s is my favourite kind – a reader request! Maruzaan and her fiance are planning their Cape wedding at the moment, and found their forest venue (Forest 44) through the blog. They’ve decided on a dark purple and lime colour scheme, with a subtle forest theme to match their venue, and I was only happy to oblige with a few ideas. In fact, I found so many lovely forest ideas that it was hard to limit myself! This can really be an issue with some themes, but fortunately when you’re working with your natural surroundings, it’s a bit easier to keep it classy. One that I didn’t include here but totally loved was printing invitations on wood – it looks gorgeous, and gives your guests a subtle hint of what they can expect. But I also loved the use of this tree motif, because trees have so many wonderful connotations, and it can work as a great brand bringing all your stationery together.

This colour scheme is potentially problematic since it can be quite strong, but I think it looks amazing with the forest theme! I think either colour would be too strong as tablecloths or even runners (napkins are great though), but they make amazing accents, especially combined with lots of romantic, crisp white. I loved the use of trees on tables (or, indeed, saplings as favours), bark vases, fragrant pinecones and even a forest-themed dessert table. Purple flowers are so rich and beautiful, and then of course there have to be green wedding shoes! I love this board more every time I look at it – hope you do too Maruzaan!

Remember, if you would like your own custom inspiration board, email me at capclassique {@} yahoo {dot} co {dot} uk

Colours: Plum, lime, white and brown

Top row (l-r): Bride (Duet Weddings/Jose Villa); moss ring pillow; forest themed dessert table (Martha Stewart); dark purple bridesmaid dress; table setting (Nikki Meyer)
Row 2: Flower; stationery with tree motif (Lara’s Designs); lime shoes; nest cake topper (Duet Weddings/Jose Villa); twig escort cards
Row 3: Blankets with tree sapling favours (A Stunning Affair/Events by Heather Ham/Meg Perotti); place setting with pine cone; wood vase (Beth Helmsetter/Jose Villa); bride and groom

Nov 3

9 Comments

Real Wedding at Rickety Bridge {Louise & Clive}

Hello lovelies! Looking out of my office window (into my GARDEN! How cool is that?) all I can see is a beautiful mess of autumn leaves all over the lawn, but today’s wedding just smacks of freshness and sunshine and the summer sun. I haven’t had many breakfast weddings on Cap Classique yet (although it’s actually a trend I’m looking at right now for a friend), but if I had to dream one up, I couldn’t make it more perfect than this one. Louise and Clive planned their big day at Rickety Bridge all the way from Australia in just five months, which is quite an achievement in my book! They kept it simple, but all the elements of Extreme Pretty are there: bright white linens in a white marquee, fresh lemons and lavender, pretty country flowers, a ruffly dress (adore this one, by the way). It makes me want to stand up and burst into a rousing rendition of Morning has Broken. (I won’t, lucky for you.) Instead, I’ll let you sit back and enjoy the loveliness, courtesy of one of my favourite photographers, Ms Monica Dart. Read more

Sep 12

8 Comments

Inspiration Board: Just Peachy

Happy new week, friends! Hope you had a lovely weekend. I spent it catching up with friends and indulging in a little side of rugby – what did you get up to? I wish weekends could last forever, but here we are, back at Monday, *sigh*. On the upside, Monday means pretty inspiration boards, and today’s is exactly that. I love peaches as a motif for a wedding – not only are they symbolic in Chinese culture of marriage and longevity, but in Renaissance art a peach with a leaf attached represented truthfulness and speaking from the heart. Plus, they’re totally pretty and a little bit rustic. Soft peachy pink goes beautifully with a warm coral orange and green, and pair that with brown neutrals like wood, craft paper and even copper, and you have the perfect combination. I just LOVE the idea of these peach pouches at each place setting – a totally sweet and affordable favour – but you could also treat your guests to homemade peach jam in pretty glass jars. For escort cards, try this sweet rustic option of little labels tied to birdcages – the cages can also be used to house gift envelopes from your guests.

{Pssst! Like this? Check out our Rustic Peach & Apricot board as well.}

Colours: Peach pink, coral, white & green

Top row (l-r): Peach pocket; outdoor ceremony area (Jesi Haack);peach jam favours; flowers in copper pot (Simply Bloom Photography)
Row 2: Tie; kraft/brown paper menu and wooden utensils (Austin Gros);folk art wedding invitation; peach shoes (Troy Grover Photography); bouquet with lace accent (Simply Bloom Photography)
Row 3: Bride & groom (Austin Gros);fruit cooler in mason jar; bridesmaids; birdcage escort cards (Jen Huang).

Aug 11

6 Comments

Inspiration Board {1 Theme 3 Ways}: Vintage Safari

This week we’re featuring three safari-themed inspiration boards to show how a single theme can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Which one is your favourite?

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Thursday, hooray! Almost the end of the week. You’ll have noticed by now that the blog schedule’s been shaken up a bit what with 3 inspiration boards due to appear this week and then the unexpected quiet day on Tuesday. But whatever, let’s just go with it. So today I have the next in our inspiration board series, and the latest trend roundup due this afternoon. And tomorrow is going to be jam packed, so be sure to keep checking back!

I’m really excited about today’s board, because it’s a reader request as well as the second variation on the safari theme I’m featuring this week. Simone contacted me to help with ideas for her game farm wedding. She didn’t want the ‘typical’ safari decor, with animal prints and Big Five table decorations, but preferred vintage decor and softer colours. (It should go without saying that this is a style reference to Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa, rather than suggesting any kind of glorification of colonialism, obviously.) You’ll remember a few weeks back we touched on this as part of the Blog Around the World post, and Alicia put together that look so perfectly that I couldn’t help using a few of her images again (click here and follow round all the blogs to get all the pictures) but I combined them with a palette of sage green and soft coral which I hope Simone will love. It’s inevitable that there are going to be lots of brown neutrals in a bushveld environment, and these colours lighten and modernise things up a little and complement them perfectly. The real key to this look is in the interplay between wild natural surroundings and classic fine dining elements, so for table settings you’ll want patterned crockery, crystal glasses, silverware (I love the idea of using old silver to contain flowers) and pressed linen. The really fun part is in including lots of found vintage objects – gramophones, compasses, storm lanterns, binoculars, and of course old suitcases (which you can use as props in a number of ways). Scout around your friends and family’s homes to begin with – you may find some gems! I’d have the bridesmaids in floaty, slightly vintage green dresses, and the bride in a gorgeous vintagey gown (birdcage veil is a must!). Fill your table with lush white blooms and pops of coral, and a few succulents. And don’t forget the cocktails! This is the perfect place to serve a classic (and delicious) G&T.

Colours: Sage, coral, white, beige and bronze

Top row (l-r): Bouquet; bride with giraffes (Fancy Fin Photography); bride with binoculars (Fancy Fin Photography); safari tent
Row 2: Out of Africa book cover; cocktail; compass escort cards; table setting (Jose Villa); hurricane lamp with jewellery (Fancy Fin Photography)
Row 3: Bridesmaid dress (Nadine Photography); gramophone (Justin & Mary); flowers (Jose Villa); boma reception; vintage suitcases.

 

Aug 8

5 Comments

Inspiration Board {1 Theme 3 Ways}: Chic Safari

Happy Monday folks! We have one of my favourite features on Cap Classique this week – 1 Theme 3 Ways, where I bring you three inspiration boards around a particular theme or motif, all with very different looks. Safari style isn’t something we always associate with the Cape, since there are such spectacular bush venues around the rest of the country, but I’ve had many requests recently for safari style (more about venues later this week). In fact, one of this week’s boards was designed specifically for a reader who is considering vintage safari as her theme. But today I thought I would start with a more modern palette – one that is bang on trend in fact: green, grey, black and white. I know lots of you want to avoid the very obvious animal motifs, but I think a touch of zebra works perfectly here – just be sparing and use it wisely. I love the combination of pale green and grey bridesmaid dresses and a delicate white and green bouquet with a touch of brunia, and then bolder graphic touches like the zebra stationery and the black and white striped rosette. And this being 2011, we can’t not have a bit of sparkle – how gorgeous is this bride’s bolero? This look is ideal for a couple who want an elegant modern wedding that still has a touch of the bushveld about it, or who want to reflect elements of a game lodge setting without going overboard, and it’s very easy to achieve. I love it – what do you think?

Colours: Green, grey, black and white

Top row (l-r): Bride with sparkly bolero (onelove photography); green and grey bridesmaids’ dresses (13:13 Photography); hanging lanterns (Cari Photography); lamp with rosette (Cari Photography)
Row 2: Zebras; bouquet with roses and brunia; I Married Adventure (onelove photography); rings with stamp (Laura Ashbrook Photography)
Row 3: Bride & groom (Zara Zoo); zebra stationery suite (Paper Moss/Laura Ashbrook Photography); outdoor reception (Shanna Jones).

Jul 19

10 Comments

Real Backyard Wedding {Alida & Etienne}

So the other day there I am watching Glee, and that Mercedes chick is singing – really singing, not just wailing at the end of the song – and it’s Aretha and she’s nailing it and I’m thinking what must that be like? You know, to just open your mouth and God comes out. Because when I open my mouth to sing, it’s more like dog comes out. But that’s what makes talents special. Not everyone has them. And watching someone do that one thing that only they can do, and love, is just magic. I’m getting to the point here. Today’s bride is one of those magic, talented people. I have no idea if she can sing, but what she can definitely do, is flowers. I’ve been dying over the weddings she’s worked on through her company, Flowers in the Foyer, for a long time now, so you can imagine how insanely excited I was when Mandie from Joe Photography told me about her wedding. And as soon as I saw Joe’s stunning photos, I was obsessed. Read more

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