Inspiration Boards - SouthBound Bride

Inspiration Board: Radiant Winter

2 June, 2014 by gaby

It’s been a little while since I did an inspiration board with this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year, Radiant Orchid – while this lovely bright lilac-ey purple immediately lends itself to a summer wedding, I wanted to show that it’s just as much at home in the wintery months. In fact, paired with a few other purple tones, grey, white and silver, it’s absolutely perfect for the bride and groom who want to create a winter wonderland with a trendy touch. Add a few pinecones and a smattering of snow (well, we can dream, can’t we?) and you have the makings of a beautiful wedding – a radiant one, in fact!

Colours: Radiant Orchid, plum, lavender, silver, white & grey

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {Steve Gerrard Photography}; invitation suite {Aneta MAK}; place setting {Greta Kenyon/Leaf & Honey}
Row 2: Silver shoes; purple calligraphy escort cards; pinecone place holders
Row 3: Radiant orchid bouquet {Fleur le Cordeur/Catherine Mac}; purple dress & feather bolero; dried roses; winter landscape {Fiona Conrad}.

Inspiration Board: Mint & Rose Gold

26 May, 2014 by gaby

Okay, I know I am going through a bit of a mint and a pinky phase at the moment, but I think mint and rose gold might be my ultimate right now. I mean, they go together perfectly, like salt and caramel, like Louis and Ella, like Pimms and a summer day. It’s also the ideal mix of a cool and a warm shade, of pastels and metallics, and of classical and modern. Come on, tell me you’re not as over the moon in love with it as I am? ;)

Colours: Mint, white, rose gold

Top row (l-r): Green dress {Elizabeth Messina/Ruche}; table setting {White Spark Photography/Little Sooti}; rose gold stripe cake {Karen Buckle Photography/Ideas In Icing}; marquee reception {White Spark Photography/Little Sooti}
Row 2: Green bridesmaid dress {V.A. Photography}; rose gold wedding rings {Katelyn James Photography/Meant To Be Calligraphy}; mint and rose gold shoes
Row 3: Dress in room {Corbin Gurkin/Love & Lord}; cupcakes {White Spark Photography/Little Sooti}; bride {Amanda K Photography}.

Inspiration Board: Last of the Summer Wine

19 May, 2014 by gaby

I hate the end of summer. HATE. IT. Luckily in Durban I mostly get to kid myself that it hasn’t happened yet, but this weekend I’ll be in Joburg and that means finally conceding to the chillier weather and getting my jersey on. Which will be the first time in a year and I object :( ANYWAY, so maybe it’s my nostalgia for all things summer but today’s inspiration for me is somewhere in between the warm and cold weather seasons, a muted autumnal palette that’s perfect for a late summer bride. Dusky pink mixes seamlessly with soft minty green, with a touch of lavender to complete the happy trio. Almost worth giving into autumn for, isn’t it? Oh, and PS? Velvet is SO becoming my new favourite texture! Watch this space…

Colours: Rose, mint & lavender

Top row (l-r): Bride on velvet couch {onelove photography}; bouquet {Simply Bloom Photography}; door
Row 2: Bouquet {Eric Kelley/Easton Events}; champagne with lavender {Gayle Brooker Photography/Easton Events}; lavender macaroons; envelope
Row 3: Bride with bouquet {KT Merry/Dreamy Whites}; centrepiece {Brklyn View Photography/Michelle Edgemont}; cake table {Bryce Covey/Finch & Thistle}; velvet ribbon.

Inspiration Board: Emerald & Blush

12 May, 2014 by gaby

Happy Monday, friends! Did you catch my little blogiversary post over the weekend? Well since our blog birthday got me thinking all things commemorative, I’ve decided to do a running series of inspiration boards inspired by birthstones, starting today. Although I almost canned that idea when I saw that the stone for May was emerald, since last year was ALL about this colour. But actually, it gave me a chance to revisit this gorgeous shade. That’s the thing about us bloggers – it’s not that once a colour has had its trend moment that we no longer like it, just that sometimes it’s a case of overkill. For us, because we see a hundred weddings a week, but not for you – and I personally still think emerald has a lot to offer a modern bride and groom, so it was a good time to look at it with fresh eyes. I started thinking about combinations, and I realised that somehow I’d not done emerald and blush before. Whaaaat? I couldn’t believe it, because the soft, romantic blush pink is PERFECT against the crisp, dark, emerald green. It’s the perfect alternative to blush and grey, or a more sophisticated version of blush and mint. What do you think?

Colours: Blush, emerald, white

Top row (l-r): Bride {Lizelle Lotter}; bouquet {Jemma Keech/Portobello Rose}; bridesmaids bouquets
Row 2: Staircase wreath {Jen Fariello Photography/Easton Events}; centrepiece {Leo Patrone}; bride with perfume {Ryan Ray/Stephanie Miles}; table setting with green glassware {Lauren Kriedeman/Green Goddess flower studio}
Row 3: Ceremony arch {Clary Pfeiffer Photography/Bride’s Vision}; ring {Erin Kate}; tables {Jose Villa}; bride with veil {Rachwal Photography}.

Inspiration Board: Protea Glitz

5 May, 2014 by gaby

Some boards take me a while to put together, but some are so clear in my mind, it’s as if they’ve always existed. In fact, I had to go back and check my archives to be sure I hadn’t done this one before, because the concept of proteas + gold glitter is already such a favourite of mine. It’s like Joey eating Rachel’s beef trifle in Friends – to paraphrase: “What’s not to like? Proteas, good. Gold, good. Sequins, gooood!” It combines my favourite current wedding looks with our perennial South African favourite flower, and is as romantic as it is modern. And unlike beef, custard and jam, some ingredients really do just go together.

Colours: Blush, rose, gold & white

Top row: Bride with polka dot veil {Ali Harper Photography/Ginny Branch}; protea bouquet {Lavender & Twine/Twine Events}; glitter name cards {Rachel Carl on Etsy}
Row 2: Glitter cocktails {Rebecca Hansen Weddings/Style Me Pretty}; gold calligraphy invitation {Margot Madison on Etsy}; plate on sequin background {Justin Marantz/Julie Song}
Row 3: Protea centrepiece {Caroline Tran/Utterly Engaged Magazine/Propel}; confetti cake {Jen Huang/Sweet & Saucy Shop}; sequin wedding dress {Jeremiah and Rachel Photography/BHLDN}

Inspiration Board: Pomegranate & Brass

21 April, 2014 by gaby

Afternoon friends, I hope you’re enjoying a leisurely day off! With Easter being all about spring in the Northern Hemisphere, I can’t help but always be reminded that it’s also officially autumn in South Africa, so I thought it was about time for some pretty cold weather palette inspiration. As you’ve probably noticed by now, unusual metallics are on trend at the moment, including lovely, opulent brass. I thought it would be perfect with a deep pomegranate red, but to keep things multidimensional, I also added in a touch of soft peach. I really like how it all comes together – an updated take on traditional autumn hues.

Colours: Scarlet, peach & brass

Top row (l-r): Pomegranate escort cards {Duet Weddings/Lauren Ross}; brass candlesticks {Lani Elias/Ashley Nicole}; autumn bouquet {Kari Crowe Photography/Kate Foley Designs}; red bridesmaid dresses {Ruddock Photography/Bill Levkoff}
Row 2: Invitations {Lani Elias/Ashley Nicole}; pomegranate cocktails {Vela Images/On My Hand}; pomegranate cake {DianaMcGregor Photography/Timeless Love Events}; pomegranates {Debbie Lourens}
Row 3: Peach wedding dress {Sareh Nouri}; table setting {Catherine Marciniak/Style Perfect Weddings and Events}; roses in brass candleholder {Aralani Photography}

Inspiration Board: Pretty Preppy

14 April, 2014 by gaby

And we’re back – I couldn’t let Monday go by without some inspiration board loveliness, could I? :) Today’s combo has been my new little colour crush for a few weeks now, because seriously, how amazing do grey and navy look together? It’s so chic. I especially love the mix of a dark slate grey with a softer, bluer grey, and then sophisticated navy (plus, of course, lots of crisp white). If you like a country club chic look, this is absolutely perfect, and of course you can also inject a few softer colours like peach or coral if you like. But I actually like it just like this – it’s like a sophisticated, on-trend take on the navy and white stripes that I have been loving over the last couple of years. What do you think?

Colours: Slate grey, dove grey, navy & white

Top row (l-r): Invitation suite {Beaux Arts Photographie}; bride {Sonya Khegay}; bridesmaids {Brett Heidebrecht}
Row 2: Grey suit {Loren Routhier}; bridesmaids {Perez Photography/The French Connection}; place setting {Lizelle Lotter}; cake {Brooke Allison Photography}
Row 3: Bride & groom {The McCartneys Photography}; bouquet {Kali Leenstra/Katy Grifiths/Flora Nova Design}; cocktails {Lizelle Lotter}.

Inspiration Board: Milk & Honey

7 April, 2014 by gaby

Good morning darlin’s – how was your weekend? Mine was super chilled, mostly working away behind the scenes and catching up on some zzzzs! On the technical side, you may notice (I hope!) that SBB is sooopa fast today, which is down to some upgrades I have been making to ensure the site is at its very best for you all. And while it’s always a hassle to migrate to a new server, it’s a tribute to the fact that there are now so many of you visiting SBB on a daily basis that the previous one couldn’t cope. I am so grateful for you all! And so excited for what I have planned for this year – it feels like everything is moving organically in the best of directions. ANYWAY, enough of that, it’s time for our weekly inspiration. Today I thought I would take the concept of milk and honey for a wedding, updating the bee motif that we were seeing a bit of a couple of years ago, and bringing it to a really warm, rustic wedding concept that would be absolutely PERFECT for a brunch wedding in the countryside. Can’t you just imagine it? Rays of morning sun peeking out from behind the clouds as you promise your love to each other, followed by a breakfast of pancakes and butter and honey at long open air tables, with milk white daisies forming your bouquet. Morning weddings have never been so pretty.

Colours: Off-white, honey yellow, taupe and gingerbread

Top row (l-r): Milk & honeycomb {Sunday Suppers}; outdoor table {Aaron Delesie/Beth Helmstetter Events}; honey favours {This Love of Yours Photography/Engaged & Inspired}; wedding dress {Jane Allen Photography/Scout & Charm}
Row 2: Bridesmaids; daisy bouquet {Jemma Keech}; bee stationery {Brooke Boling/Lauren Ledbetter}
Row 3: Honey cake {Love Me Do Photography}; honey dipper favours {Brancoprata}; milk vases; bride with flower crown {Elizabeth Messina}

Inspiration Board: Teal & Oatmeal

31 March, 2014 by gaby

Hang on lovelies, does anyone even know how it got to be the last day of March? Eek. As usual, time is running away from me – after spending the whole of last week buried in tax and accounts, I have spent the weekend catching up with email (a couple of hundred down, several hundred to go…) and getting ready to share some more seriously lovely weddings with you all this week. But first, it’s Monday, and you know what that means! Yep – it means another inspiration board. And I have to say, I am absolutely loving the colour combination on this one. A soft teal – almost a greyed jade – and beautiful neutral oatmealy taupe. And guys, it works sooo well, right? I love the slightly boho vibe to this board – it would work for a country wedding, a farm wedding, and definitely for a beach wedding. Beautiful.

Colours: Teal, oatmeal, white and emerald

Top row (l-r): Boho bride {Adrian Michael}; flowing dress {Jose Villa/Kelly Oshiro Design}; door {Tec Petaja}
Row 2: Stationery suite {Rylee Hitchner/Sarah Robins Powell}; centrepiece {Esther Sun Photography/At Your Door Events}; bridesmaid dress {Elizabeth Messina/Ruche}; door seating plan {Clary Pfeiffer/Eventity Inc.}
Row 3: Flowers in urn; boutonnieres {The Nichols/The Nouveau Romantics}; bouquet {Tanja Lippert Photography/Blooms by Martha Andrews}; wedding dress {Jessica Lorren Organic Photography}

Inspiration Board: Mercury Rising

24 March, 2014 by gaby

Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love bright colours as part of a wedding design, but don’t be afraid to use moody neutrals too. Today’s inspiration board is a mix of soft whites, dark greens, greys and blacks, and a shimmery touch of silvery mercury glass. It’s very classic (as all white weddings are) but it has that extra element of interest and shine. Taking an unusual metallic element like mercury or gold leaf, or copper or rose gold, or even steel is a great way to add a special touch to your wedding design without being too obvious and themey, and it’s a slightly more up-to-date twist on all the sequins and glitter and sparkle that have been trending over the last season. And we always love an up-to-date twist, right? ;)

Colours: Silver, grey, black, green, white

Top row (l-r): Wedding dress; mercury glass table setting {Heather Kincaid Photographer/Gianna and Company}; silver wedding cake; aisle
Row 2: Stamped invitations {Jolie Jolie Design}; table setting; shoes
Row 3: Centrepiece {Brooke Schultz}; bride {Rylee Hitchner/Joy Thigpen}; wedding car with wreath {A Bryan Photo}; mercury glass with chalkboard.