Inspiration Board: Green Light

Good morning friends! How was your weekend? Needless to say, mine was Olympic obsessed, but I won’t bore you with more of that! Anyway, today’s board is another reader request, which I actually received a little while back from Lizelle. She didn’t tell me much about her wedding, just that she’s chosen a palette of sage, ivory and pewter, so that was where I started with the colour palette. I’ve landed up going for a kind of romantic country style, that would suit a variety of South African venues (and which always makes for my favourite boards). It’s equal parts whimsical, dreamy and elegant, with the more serious pewter playing off the bashful green, and that lovely romantic ivory making up the trio. Layers of tulle in the wedding dress play off ribbons in the breeze, pale green drinks, and soft flowers, while bridesmaids wear formal pewter dresses, and the table is adorned with pewter or silver vases and mercury glass. Give groomsmen a range of slightly varied boutonnieres (a nice twist on the individual bridesmaids bouquet trend) and invest in a set of beautiful stationery that can be used throughout. This is a look that is classic and effortlessly chic. Hope you like it, Lizelle!

Colours: Sage, ivory and pewter

Top row (l-r): Bottles {C: Mindy Weiss; P: Elizabeth Messina}; wedding dress and bouquet {C: Beth Helmstetter Events; P: Jasmine Star Photography}; shoes {C: Honey Darling Events; P: Melissa Schollaert Photography}; ceremony area {P: Annabella Charles}; centrepiece and menu {C: Beth Helmstetter Events; P: Jasmine Star Photography}; seating sign {P: Nadine Photography}
Row 2: Bridesmaids with bouquets {C: Beth Helmstetter Events; P: Jasmine Star Photography}; green and pewter table setting {S: Tying The Knot Wedding Day Coordination; P: Greer G Photography}; boutonnieres {F: Flowerwild; P: Jose Villa}; sapling favours {P: Alison Conklin}; rose hair piece {C: Sarah Carsten Events; P: Rebekah J Murray}
Row 3: Bride and groom {P: Photographs by Anjuli}; wedding cake with olive leaf decoration {S: Beth Helmstetter Events; C: Susiecakes; P: Steve Steinhardt}; stationery set {Ruby & Willow}; rowing boat {Elizabeth Messina}

 

Inspiration Board: Elegant Pewter

Hello lovelies! I’m back from my holiday, feeling refreshed and tanned and enjoying a last little day off for the bank holiday today. Greece was spectacular, and apart from having tonsilitis for a few days, I had the best time. And the food! Oh my word. I’ve eaten enough fresh fish, feta and calamari to feed a small Greek army. Not to mention the spectacular sunsets… Sigh. Back to reality. Of course, when reality is getting to make pretty inspiration boards for Cap Classique brides, then reality aint so bad! As you know, I just love when readers get in touch to ask for their very own inspiration boards, and today’s was created especially for Elana, who has chosen pewter and white as her colours. Elana is getting married at Dieu Donne, a stunning Franschhoek venue that is all light and glass and views and facebrick, and she wanted to create a look that was classic and elegant. Think all white flowers (with touches of fynbos), long silvery bridesmaids’ dresses, mirrors and chandeliers, with macaroons as favours. I don’t know what Elana’s planning for her dress, but I love the idea of including a brooch detail either on the dress or shoes, and picking this up with the cake later on – a subtle way of pulling everything together. But the idea that really made me excited was including suspended blossoms either above the tables or as a backdrop in a key part of the space like the dancefloor or dessert table. This is a hot trend at the moment, and it’s just the kind of quirky, memorable detail that can set the decor apart. The overall effect is beautiful and timeless. Hope you like your board, Elana!

If you’d like to request your own inspiration board, email me at capclassique {@} yahoo {dot} co {dot} uk.

Colours: Pewter & white

Top row (l-r): Rose and fynbos bouquet; bride & groom (Bowersock Photography); Badgley Mischka shoes (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); champagne flutes (Natalie Spencer); fynbos confetti (Nikki Meyer)
Row 2: Chandelier detail at Dieu Donne (Roxy Laker); suspended blooms; ornate mirror table plan (Shoot Lifestyle); grey and white macaroons (Taylor Jackson Photography)
Row 3: View at Dieu Donne (Lizelle Lotter); hanging flowers; centrepiece (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); bridesmaids in pewter dresses (Shoot Lifestyle); cake with brooch and ribbon detail.

Inspiration Board: Pewter & Rose

Today’s board is another reader request – my favourite kind! Natasha emailed looking for help with her chosen palette of pewter with a rose or dusty pink. She’d had trouble finding an inspiration board using these colours that embodied the romantic elegance she was looking for from her wine farm wedding, with a touch of formality. I have to say, I LOVE these colours! Pink and grey are very hot right now, but there are many different shades of both colours to work with and pewter is absolutely gorgeous. I think the colours on their own embody the romantic (pink) combined with the more formal and elegant (pewter), which will really help to create the atmosphere Natasha wants.

There are some key foundations to the look I’ve built up here. One is the use of lots of white (since too much pewter could be a little dark), with soft, floaty textures and classic white stationery. A second is the use of calligraphy, which again adds that romantic but formal touch and ties everything else together beautifully. Use it on everything from fun fortune tellers (these make super cute orders of service or place settings) to a table of pretty escort cards to understated place settings (don’t you just love the pink ribbon?). Of course, bringing in the metallics is equally important, which I’ve done here on the wedding dress (I die for this Vera Wang, but a sparkly belt or even brooch detail on a dress would also work beautifully), in the pewter vase and in the bridesmaids’ dresses. Of course, you could just as easily go for soft pink dresses or even a combination of pink and dove grey, but I loved these formal, full-length pewter gowns. Combine with pink bouquets to get both colours across. And speaking of flowers, I adore the single oversized bloom trend and think it would be perfect for this wedding! It adds that little something quirky and different. However, if Natasha chooses to go more traditional, then roses, peonies and anemones are all possibilities, combined with other soft pink and white blooms.

Natasha also asked about favours, as she’s considering white fans for the ladies but is a bit stumped for the boys. One thing to bear in mind is that men tend to forget to take their favours home with them, so in my experience giving them something they can use on the night is ideal. I’ve suggested cigars to play into the elegant theme, but if you don’t want them all disappearing for a little while at some point, then scratchcards, alcohol minis or something edible also work well. Otherwise you could consider bottle openers (in line with the winelands setting), playing cards, or even mini hip flasks.

Hope you like your board, Natasha! And don’t forget, if you would like your own inspiration board, just drop me an email!

Colours: Dusky pink, white and pewter

Top row (l-r): Invitation; Vera Wang Dorothy dress via The Knotty Bride; cigar favour (Joanne Markland); getaway car (Jose Villa)
Row 2: Pewter jug; bridesmaids’ dresses (Kristin Vining); ribbon place setting (Nastassja Harvey); fortune teller; rose shoes
Row 3: Outdoor vineyard ceremony (Jose Villa); calligraphy escort cards; large single bloom bouquet (Imago Vita Photography); fan favour (Brett Buchanan); pink and pewter cushions (Jeremy Harwell).