Posts tagged ‘orange’

May 29

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Real Wedding at Shepstone Gardens {Luisa & Simon}

What is it about proteas, you guys? Is it something innately South African in me, that falls in love with them every time I see them and even more so when I see and smell one up close, hold it in both hands, marvel at its size, sturdiness, delicacy? Maybe, but then the whole world is currently falling madly in love with our national flower. When I started in weddings, there were already lots of SA brides using them, and I used to get comments about how unique the bouquets I featured were, but now I see them in weddings from all over. I like to think that maybe, just maybe, myself and my fellow SA bloggers and photographers and brides may have a little something to do with spreading the word about this gorgeous flower, in all her many guises. You’re welcome, The World. Anyway, what’s got me musing on all this is today’s lovely wedding, which has pincushion proteas at its very heart. I love these spiky blooms – especially when paired with the kind of no nonsense prettiness of shiny tin vases, fynbos, and the rich green of a spring morning in the bushveld as they were in Luisa and Simon’s wedding. The look contrasts perfectly with the easy elegance of their Shepstone Gardens venue, reflecting the ‘opposites attract’ nature of our bride and groom’s relationship. Andrea Carlyle was there to take these gorgeous pictures. Read more

Jan 28

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Inspiration Board: Meet Me in Buenos Aires

Good morning, lovelies! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I’m back from Abu Dhabi, feeling chilled out and even a little tanned, and ready for the week ahead. I’m still catching up from my jetsetting, and getting used to being four hours back again. But that aside, travel is just my best thing, and appropriately, today’s inspiration board is all about travel! Today we have another reader request, from German reader Esther. Now how’s this for an international tale of love – Esther and her Swiss fiance met in Buenos Aires (how ironic, when their home countries are so close together!) and they’ve decided to get married in Cape Town, which I obviously think is the best idea ever. Esther loves a bit of old fashioned elegance, and she wants to bring both Brazil and Africa into their design. She adores succulents (and succulent green) and would like to accent this with orange from pincushion proteas as a tribute to South Africa. Love this! I’d work with a neutral white backdrop, with bridesmaids in soft green and bold bouquets (but otherwise keeping the orange fairly soft). I’d also incorporate the elegant vintage with a travel theme, including maps, a globe ‘guest book’ and postcard escort cards. There are some really lovely Argentine traditions Esther can include – first off, the cake pull (where ribbons are baked into the cake, one with a ring attached, and all the single women pull them out in order to find out who will be married next), cocktails (although I’ve borrowed the pictured peach caipirinhas from neighbouring Brazil), a tango first dance and carnival carioca (where, late at night, guests don hats and props and have their own little carnival on the dancefloor – a perfect double use for your photobooth props!). It adds up to a sophisticated personal tribute to the couple’s history, rather than a theme party. Hope you like your board, Esther, and welcome to our beautiful country!

Colours: White, soft green, orange

Top row (l-r): Bride with carnival mask {Marisa Holmes/Wedding Italy}; globe {Rebecca Arthurs Photography}; pincushion and succulent bouquet {Q Weddings/Statue of Design}; green bridesmaid dress {Elizabeth Messina}; couple with map {Courtney Brooke}
Row 2: Table setting {Allyson Magda Photography/Glow Event Design}; postcard escort cards {KT Merry}; cake pulls {Nancy Ray/Kickstand Events/Weddings Etc. }; vintage passport invitation {Azzura Photography}; pincushion proteas {KT Merry/David Fittin/Parrish Designs}; individual cakes with succulents {Christa Elyce Photography/Ellanesque Weddings/Sugary + Chic Boutique}
Row 3: Tango {source unknown}; stationery with map; peach caipirinha {Simon Bevan}; groomsmen with orange ties {Esther Louise Photography}.

Nov 29

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Wedding at Cascade Country Manor {Emma & Steve}

Recently I’ve been featuring a number of fabulous alternative or more intimate venues, and today I have another. Cascade Manor is situated in lovely Paarl, and as well as having 900 olive trees on the property, features a beautiful waterfall – what a setting! Today’s bride and groom came from Tanzania for their big day, and together with planner Barry Geyer, created a look that was sumptuous and elegant, but still had bright pops of colour to keep up the visual interest. Moira West took the absolutely gorgeous photos, and didn’t Emma and Steve rock every one of them? With him in his slick suit and she in her romantic dress and hot pink shoes, it was difficult to narrow them down. But narrow I did, and here they are for your viewing pleasure! Read more

Nov 13

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Real Wedding at Providence {Nicola & Colin}

I’ve had such a brilliant reaction to the inspiration board I posted last week, with rich shades of red, orange, yellow and copper, that I know you’re going to love today’s classic autumn wedding. In fact, autumn seems to be a bit of a thing here this week, but it’s such a beautiful season – I have only to look out of my office window at the tapestry of leaves all over our garden to be inspired. So I was delighted a while back when my lovely friend Nicola told me she was booking an autumn wedding and really embracing the season and the palette; I knew it would be gorgeous. Nix is another of my varsity girlies – she was my partner in crime back in the day (we even shared a 21st – it rocked, if I say so myself) and I’ve seen her grow from a farm girl from Estcourt into a switched-on sophisticate (albeit a fun and down-to-earth one), and this was one wedding I was devastated to miss. Especially since Nix married the loveliest man, and I wanted to be among the first to wish them the happiest of lives together. But instead, I get to do that here, and to relive their special day through Nix’s words, and KZN photographer David Rees’ pictures. I am so loving the colours in this wedding, especially since they work perfectly with the natural backdrop of the season. Who needs a summer wedding, right? I for one think Nix and Col are onto something. Read more

Nov 9

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Inspiration Board: Winter Rustic

Hello friends! Time for a brand new inspiration board, and this time we’re veering from the traditional summer wedding to a rich winter look. In the last couple of years I’ve been delighted to see a few more winter weddings popping up on photographers’ blogs, as even though we don’t have the same picturesque winters as, say, New England, a winter wedding in South Africa can still be really lovely and welcoming. That’s exactly what reader, Claire, has in mind for her June celebration at Toadbury Hall, where she and her fiance are planning a forest ceremony followed by a marquee reception, in a bedouin tent filled with fairy lights and heaters. They’re looking for a rustic style in red, orange, yellow, bronze and gold, and want to enhance their natural surroundings rather than distract from them. I’m a big fan of this idea, so with the palette settled I went on the hunt for easy ideas that incorporated materials that would naturally be found in the forest surroundings. Pine cones are certainly one, and they have a multitude of possible uses, from escort cards to place holders, or just sprayed gold and placed on a plate or even in vases on the table – so pretty. I’ve even seen adorable pine cone bouquets – a fun alternative to flowers! Wood is another texture to use of course, and cut wooden circles can be used everywhere from under plates to table numbers or cake stands. Or what about stones? I loved these metallic painted ones, and the surfaces would reflect candlelight beautifully. Flowers should be rich, but I’d probably focus more on candles and natural materials on tables to make the whole place as warm and intimate as possible – a real winter oasis. And don’t you just love the fairy light bottles? So pretty. Bridesmaids could be in a mismatched array of your colours, but they could also have a neutral like a mushroom colour, with bright flowers popping against them – for a really quirky winter touch, why not give them fun stockings? Another aspect of a winter wedding that is super fun is the menu – make the most of it with warming soups, a hot chocolate bar, maybe mulled wine or cider stations, toffee apples, etc. And finally, how much do you love these invites? The wording as well as the design. Just perfect. Hope you like your board, Claire!

Colours: Red, orange, yellow, bronze, gold

Top row (l-r): Invitation {P: Stone Crandall Photography}; bouquet {}; pinecones in vase {P: SB Childs Photography; C: A Touch of Elegance}; bottles with fairy lights; rustic cake {P: Rebecca Hollis Photography; D: Romancing the Stone}
Row 2: Toffee apples; table number {P: Gideon Photography; D: Forevermore Events}; pine cone place cards; hot chocolate {P: Camilla Photography; D: Branches Floral}
Row 3: Bridesmaids {P: Michelle Turner; C: Maine Seasons Events}; bark votives; candles in mason jars {P: Chelle Paperie}; painted stones.

Oct 23

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Real Wedding at Beloftebos {Mareli & Grant}

I’ve tried to write this intro a bunch of times, to describe an amazing couple who embody the joy and wisdom of ‘seize the day’ and whose ceremony was so heartwarming that their photographer, Charlene Schreuder, admitted it brought a tear to her eye. But the truth is, Charlene’s incredible pictures tell the story better than I can – and they moved me to happy tears too. This is one wedding you should read every word of, and soak in. It teaches something. Because it’s pretty, but it’s also the reason weddings were invented: a celebration of the strength and wonder of love. Read more

Sep 6

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Inspiration Board: Rustic Tangerine

Hello lovelies – did you enjoy our DIY post today? (Don’t worry though, I’m not leaving you short on weddings this week – I have a stunner for you tomorrow!) Today there’s just enough time for one last little bit of inspiration. This one’s a reader request from the lovely Dee, who is getting married in summer in Zimbabwe. She’s planning the most gorgeous rustic combo of orange and burlap and was looking for suggestions for simple but elegant table decor. I think Dee’s made a lovely choice of colour, and just because orange makes a statement doesn’t mean she needs to sacrifice on elegance – if anything, tangerine is this year’s hottest shade, and one that instantly creates warmth. I’d suggest that Dee focus on just using orange in her florals, so that it pops against the burlap and other decorations, and beautiful flowers always keep things classy. Start with lush bouquets for bride and bridesmaids, and on the tables make use of Consol mason jars – simple, easy, effective. Dee could also add in some found vintage objects, and other rustic textures like chicken wire or wood to add interest. A great place to add detail here is in the place settings – I love the menu printed on to a napkin and the silverware tied with twine, and basic kraft paper luggage tags make a very effective name tag and escort card. Or Dee could make these cute little hearts from hessian and add one to each place setting. A ‘naked’ cake, interesting (church) seating at an outdoor ceremony and a curtain of fairy lights round out the decor. For bridesmaids, I’d stick to neutrals, and consider long grey dresses which not only will make the orange bouquets pop, but will also add to the general air of rustic elegance. Hope you like your board, Dee!

Colours: Tangerine, green and neutrals

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {F: Blossom Sweet; S: Forevermore Events; P: Gideon Phototography}; table flowers in mason jars with burlap runner {F: A Modern Touch; P: The Studio Nouveau}; escort card luggage tags {S: Hey Gorgeous Events; P: Tonya Peterson Photography}; scale {S: The Stylish Soiree; P: Meg Perotti}; bride and groom {P: Half Orange Photography}
Row 2: Un-iced cake {C: Sedona Cake Couture; P: Sedona Bride}; tangerine boutonnieres {F: Kate Foley Designs; P: EE Photography}; invitation with burlap tie {Invitations by Alecia}; church seating {P: Jose Villa}; place setting {P: J. Cogliandro Photography; D: Atheneum Creative}
Row 3: Table decor {F: Roost Flowers; P: Andi Grant Photography}; fairy lights {Mastin Studio via Apple Brides}; burlap heart {P: Tanja Lippert Photography}; wire bell jars {P: McGowan Images}; bridesmaid {F: The Bride’s Cafe; P: Amelia Johnson Photography}.

Aug 13

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Inspiration Board: Neon Brights

It’s a bumper day here on SouthBound Bride, folks! I’ve had loads of requests for inspiration boards from my lovely readers, so to balance these with the ones I’ve dreamed up on my own, you may see a few bonus boards popping up in the next few weeks. Starting with two today, and as well as these, you’ll get to meet our brand new Real Life Bride! Winner winner, chicken dinner.

Right. Today’s board is one I never in a million years would have thought I’d be doing. Neon. You know when neon was last cool? About 1991. In 1991, I had just started high school, and my dear mom hadn’t yet taught me that those of us cursed with curly hair could sort it out with a hairdryer (straighteners wouldn’t even be invented for another half a decade – God, I’m old); so on a good day, I looked a bit like Baby in Dirty Dancing and on a bad day, like Sideshow Bob. Which is appropriate, because I was also doing the Bartman, dressing in little minis we referred to as ‘Roxette dresses’, listening to Technotronic and perving over Richard Snell. Who was a cricketer. Happily, I can tell you I haven’t done any of those things since 1992 (sorry, Richard, wherever you are). And yet, here I am, reviving neon. Well, okay, I am not the one who’s revived it. Blame Fashion, because neon is definitely back. And I’ve surprised myself by liking some of the neon inspiration that’s been popping up in Wedding World recently, so I thought I would challenge myself to see if I could imagine it into a wedding. Result? I’m a convert. I think the key (as always) is a bit of moderation – neons look amazing when they stand out against a very white white, and bold mod graphic elements like black and white stripes or gold. It takes them from 80s throwback to Kate Spadey chic, and actually makes for a very stylish palette. The other thing I liked was the use of all the four acids – green, orange, pink and yellow – somehow bringing all four of them into the mix works better for me than just one or two. Put your bridesmaids in bold stripes with bright shoes and nail polish, invest in great stationery and unexpected, colourful flowers, use some bold graphic elements on your tables and then… leave everything else clean, bright and white. Perfect for a fun, city-chic wedding, and ideal with a short 1960s-style dress.
So, what do you think? Would you ever consider neon for your wedding?

Colours: Neon orange, yellow, green & pink and white

Top row (l-r): Place setting {S: A Styled Fete; P: Carly Jones; Printables: Anders Ruff}; macaroons {S: A Styled Fete; P: Carly Jones}; neon letterpress invitation {Ladyfingers Letterpress}; popcorn bags {S: A Styled Fete; P: Carly Jones; Printables: Anders Ruff}
Row 2: Black & white bridesmaid dress with neon nails; neon shoes; Mr & Mrs sign {S: LVL Weddings & Events; P: A Girl and A Camera}
Row 3: Bride and groom {P: KT Merry Photography}; gold pantone chip; gold balloons {S: Somewhere Splendid; P: Canary Grey Photography}; funfetti cake {found via b.loved}; neon bouquet {S: Pretty Little Details; P: Sarah Postma Photography}

May 15

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Real Wedding at Dieu Donné {Zoe & Grant}

Good morning! If you guys loved the autumn inspiration on the blog yesterday (and you did), you are going to die when you see what I have for you today. Zoe and Grant have been massively patient with me – I have been waiting to share this wedding at Dieu Donné for months, but I knew it was the one I wanted to kick off the new SouthBound Bride. It’s so unusual, with its autumn theme (a season South African brides are only just starting to discover, I think) and the details are so thoughtful, quirky and personal. Like pretty leaves instead of confetti, or the paper birds and cats hanging in the trees along the aisle. In fact, don’t get me started on that aisle – I LOVE IT. And I especially love how it became a feature with the addition of fairy lights in the evening. So clever. In fact, the whole thing’s clever and beautiful and atmospheric, and the amazing Jules Morgan has captured it perfectly through her lens. Zoe and Grant – thank you SO much, and I hope it was worth the wait! Read more

May 19

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Real Wedding at Morgansvlei {Louise & Andre}

Some days as a blogger, it feels like you’re talking to an empty auditorium. You see the page view stats, but you can’t help wondering, who’s actually reading? Is this really helping anyone? Then there are the good days. The days you get an email from a bride telling you just how much you have helped, that you really have inspired or advised them as they planned their big day. Those emails make my day. Every time. And today’s post started with one of them. Back then, the lovely Louise (who was planning her wedding) got in touch to tell me how the hen party I organised had inspired her own, and we started chatting. Turns out Louise has excellent taste, and from what she told me I knew her wedding at Morgansvlei was going to be gorgeous. Fast forward a few months, and I found out just how gorgeous! I immediately demanded Louise allow me to feature her Big Day. I mean, we are talking a classy, intimate soiree with clean lines, pops of incredible colour (the florals might be my favourite EVER), stunning stationery (don’t get me started on wedding branding, but this is what it’s all about) and all captured by one of my favourite photographers, Christine Meintjes. It’s heaven. Read more