Inspiration Board: Copper & Cobalt

If I had as many boy crushes as I do colour crushes, I’d be falling in love every other day of the week. And here I go having my head turned again, this time by a gorgeous combination of copper/rose gold and blue. It’s amazing. And it totally works using every shade from a blue indigo to a dusk or smokey blue, to bright royal shades to sophisticated navy, so you can vary according to your favourite combination. I suspect that blue is going to be THE colour for 2014, and with metallics not going anywhere, bronze, copper and rose gold are a lovely update on glitzy gold or shimmering silver. What do you think?

Colours: Cobalt blue, copper & white

Top row (l-r): Shoes {Jennifer Laura Design/Val & Sarah}; cake {Fiona Kelly/Always Andri Wedding Design}; copper crockery; bridesmaids {Corbin Gurkin Photography/Loluma}
Row 2: Groomsmen in blue suits {Corbin Gurkin Photography/Loluma}; diamond ring; invitation suite {Kristen Weaver Photography/An Affair To Remember/9th Letter Press}
Row 3: Blue dress; cobalt vases; bridesmaid with corsage {Mr Haack/Jesi Haack}; hydrangea centrepiece {Docuvitae/Kourtney James Perry}

Inspiration Board: Grayed Jade, Lemon Zest & African Violet

Hello lovelies! How has your weekend been? Mine was awesome, but stressful – only two weeks left to get everything done before I take my month off. The good news is that I have lined up a TON of gorgeousness for you on the blog while I’m gone – all fresh new posts, real weddings, trend roundups, inspiration boards etc. The bad news is that I feel like I haven’t slept since June. Ah, the things I do for my readers! ;) Anyway, it’s been hard to work with the sun out, and that same summery feeling is what I wanted to bring to today’s inspiration board. I’m still so in love with Pantone’s Spring 2013 colour palettes, and a combination I’ve been wanting to do since I first saw them is this one: grayed jade, lemon zest and African violet. I love how the three colours complement one another and are so fresh and pretty together. Greyed jade and soft purple together are so calming, but the pop of bright yellow really livens them up. Perfect for a summer wedding!

Colours: Pantone grayed jade, lemon zest & African violet

Top row (l-r): Dress {Elizabeth Messina}; cocktail {Best Photography/Jennifer Aquilia Events & Floral Design}; yellow macaroons; place setting {Elisa B Photography}
Row 2: Ring with button chocolates; grayed jade shoes; letterpress invitation; blue dress
Row 3: Hanging chandeliers {Elizabeth Messina}; lemon escort cards {Jose Villa}; mint suit; violet bouquet.

 

Inspiration Board: Birds of a Feather

Good morning, lovelies! You know, as much as I love a country wedding, and most of those I feature take advantage of the ample gorgeousness of our South African countryside, I do have a special love for city/urban weddings. Honestly, I wish more couples opted for them. But then, I do love me a bit of glam. So I am more than a little in love with today’s inspiration, for a loft-style city wedding with a matte pewter/dark grey and gold glitter palette. I’ve also introduced a bit of a feather motif – a lovely trend that’s been doing the rounds, including my absolute fave, gold-dipped feathers. So pretty! The feather motif is reflected in one of the bridesmaid dresses, the cake decorations and a gorgeous bracelet for the bride. It’s an equal measure of chic and whimsy – perfect for a rooftop soiree. Just add champagne!

Colours: Slate/pewter, gold and white

Top row (l-r): String lights {Belathee Photography/Downey Street Events}; ring shot with typography blocks {Our Labor of Love by Heidi}; gold glitter shoes {BHLDN}; bridesmaids {Justin Lee Photography/Beau & Arrow Events}; mirror sign {Jana Williams/Details Details}
Row 2: Gold dipped feathers {Frock Files}; feather bracelet; glitter linens {Brooke Mayo Photography/come + together events}; gold and grey wedding invitation {Pirrip Press}Row 3: Bride in grey dressAlea Lovely Photo/Victorian Gardens}; champagne with glitter glass rims {Sweet Tea Photography by Lisa Marie/Amber Karson Events}; gold feather boutonniere {Michelle Ng}; feather cake {Lael Cakes/Our Labor of Love/Samm Blake}; mirror.

 

Inspiration Board: Urban Alice

Hello lovelies! I am rushing around backstage, getting the last bits ready for our Editorial Wedding workshop… tomorrow! Eek! Anyway, I had just enough time to put together an inspiration board – and this was such a cool reader request! Kayla wrote to tell me about her summer wedding at The Cheney Place, which is an absolutely stunning venue with face brick walls and an elegantly urban loft sort of vibe. She and her fiance want candles and string lights everywhere, a wedding that is casual, romantic and fun. They also want a bit of an Alice in Wonderland theme going on. I have to say, I absolutely LOVED this whole idea (using a palette of navy, cerulean blue and white, although you could add in a rose or blush shade for extra colour). Candles and hanging lights (love the bulbs!) are so magical, and work beautifully against brick. Keep bridesmaids chic in navy and flowers soft, but with a bit of an unexpected edge like the spiky accents to the bouquet below. Alice is a great theme, but can be completely overdone – you can keep the motif fun and classy with stationery details (love these character card place settings with the original artwork so much!), a few clocks and keys and then some slightly mad touches, like the hanging teacup installation or the teacup glasses (how cute are these?). You just need enough mad hatter to give your guests the idea that this is a fun, slightly avant-garde celebration, and then let them take it from there! Have a great wedding Kayla – can’t wait to see it and hope you like your board!

Colours: Navy, cerulean, white

Top row (l-r): Urban candlelight setting; Alice in Wonderland place card {Carmen and Ingo}; navy bridesmaid dress {Kristin Vining/Weddings in the Bahamas}; blue ruffle cake {Adrienne Page/Tara Guérard Soirée/Val Cakes}
Row 2: Key escort cards; table setting {Carmen and Ingo}; drinks {Liga Photography}; clocks {Braedon Photography/Tricia Fountaine}
Row 3: Table with lights {Krista Mason/Chic Celebrations}; bride with clock {Alyssa Marie Photography}; bouquet {Krista Mason/Chic Celebrations}; Alice in Wonderland place card {Carmen and Ingo}; teacup glasses; hanging teacups.

 

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Inspiration Board: Homegrown

Time for our second inspiration board of the week, and it’s another in your new favourite colour combo of pink and green. Who can blame you ladies for loving it though – it’s the perfect combination of pretty and calming. For this board, bride-to-be Lana asked for inspiration for her game farm wedding – she wanted it country, romantic, vintage and South African. This is such a classic look, and I’ve tried to add some chic homegrown touches to the basic country vintage palette. For example, pretty tin cups with a sophisticated silhouette, a hand-drawn invitation, Skinny La Minx fabric napkins, and of course proteas. For the vintage touch, I love these crocheted cap sleeves and lace chair covers, soft pink bridesmaids dresses and roses. Add in some mismatched containers with pink and green flowers and succulents on the tables to add a country green touch, and you have the prettiest of South African weddings! Hope you like your board Lana – and thanks for your patience!

Colours: Soft pink, green, cream and ivory

Top row (l-r): Lace capped sleeves {Kate MacPherson/Flowers Manuela}; succulent{Bright Girl Photography/Nostalgia Events}; floral centrepiece {Gavin Casey}; tin mugs with silhouette; protea bouquet {Bright Girl Photography}
Row 2: Invitation {The Sometimes Zoo}; protea {Kari Herer}; Skinny La Minx napkin; bride and bridesmaids {Catherine Mac}
Row 3: Jeep with protea decoration {Cari Photography/Franschhoek Flowers}; three proteas; lace chair backs {Stephanie Fay Photography/Victoria Canada Weddings and Events}; game farm couple {Jacki Bruniquel}.

 

Inspiration Board: Gucci Green

Good morning friends! I felt like doing something a bit different today – a stylish city wedding inspired by the latest catwalk trends. I adore the idea of a rooftop wedding (not enough couples trying this in SA to my mind – just think of the views from the Grand Daddy in Cape Town, for example, or the bar at the Hyde Park Hotel in Johannesburg, and check out two of my favourite Cape Town weddings with city views here and here). This time I’ve looked to Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection and created a bold palette of emerald green, gold and black (with a touch of geometrical art deco) that would really blow your guests away in the style stakes. It’s so striking. And OMG check out this bride wearing a green Gucci dress – one of the most elegant alternatives to the traditional white dress I have seen. Perfect for swanning around a terrace with your new husband, greeting your guests and drinking Emerald Isle cocktails, no?

Colours: Emerald green, black, gold

 

Top row (l-r): Rooftop table with gold sequin runner {S: Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations/P: Scott Lawrence}; Art Deco cake {D: Lael Cakes; P:Jen Huang Photography}; chevron manicure; green Gucci wedding dress {P: Q Weddings}
Row 2: Emerald Isle martini; gold chevron tray; emerald and diamond Art Deco ring; green and gold place setting {S: Sweet Emilia Jane; P: Captured by Aimee}
Row 3: Gucci spring/summer 2012; Gucci shoes; green flowers; gold bottles.

 

Inspiration Board: Candyfloss & Lemonade

Ah, summer. There’s nothing like it. And for the most part, this British summer has been nothing like it. Which is why I’m off to Greece on Friday, woohoo! But in the meantime, I’m dreaming of a lighthearted beach wedding in shades of candy pink and warm yellow, with candyfloss and pinwheels and bunting and ribbon and stripy straws, and everything that makes a day at the beach carefree and wonderful transported into a wedding. You could even have a cake made to look like a sandcastle, and why not? Compliment your decor with soft flowers including cute Billy balls, and dress your bridesmaids in adorable alternating pink and yellow dresses. Oh, and don’t forget the popsicles/lollies! I love the idea of making alcoholic versions of these and serving them to your guests instead of cocktails. How cute would that be?

Colours: Pink and yellow

Top row (l-r): Candyfloss; flip flops (Natalie Spencer); bride door sign (Kristen Weaver Photography); pink and yellow bouquet (Honey & Poppies); heart sweets (Creative Push)
Row 2: Summer love sign (Sarah Layne Photography); sunglasses; beachy dessert table (Party Dreamz/Frog Prince Paperie); pink and yellow bunting (Stephanie Cristalli); lollies
Row 3: Bride with bridesmaids (Kai Heeringa); ribbon garland (Party Dreamz/Frog Prince Paperie); ribbon wands (Cameron + Kelly/Sedona Bride); lemonade with stripy straws.

Inspiration Board: Aqua & Rose

Happy Monday, lovelies! I have so much goodness coming your way this week, it’s going to be like awesome real wedding palooza. But first, I have a very special inspiration board. This one was created especially for one of our readers, who wrote to me for some help a couple of weeks ago. She wanted a pretty, romantic look for her wedding at a beachside venue, and she wanted lots of white and aqua for her bridesmaids, but she wasn’t sure if she should introduce any other colours. Although aqua and white on their own are lovely, I always think the addition of another colour adds more dimension and gives you more options when you’re sorting out your details. There’s so much that goes with aqua – coral, lemon yellow, pretty taupe neutrals, for example – but the couple’s favourite was a mixture of aqua with rosy pink tones, inspired by the gorgeous image top left. So here’s the rest of what I came up with – light, clean and very romantic!

The key to a look like this is to base everything on a white on white palette, so that you don’t overuse the bright pink and aqua shades – you can also bring in a bit of grey or silver to help. Chantel wondered if a grey or silver damask may work for the tablecloths, and it would, but I think only if it was very subtle (as lovely as damask is, it can really dominate when used in black and white, for example). I’d suggest runners or square overlays as an alternative, and for this palette you could use pretty Cath Kidston-style prints like the pattern seen below from photographer Christine Meintjes’ gorgeous aqua and pink wedding. To bring in the aqua on the tables, I love the idea of using milk glass (or, if not actual milk glass, then glass containers spraypainted white and differing shades of aqua as in the original picture). So pretty! I also added in some beachy touches with shells and starfish, or you could get hold of some pretty white urchin shells or similar, just for a little bit of beach appeal (starfish may make a lovely motif for a romantic beachside wedding). Another place to bring aqua in is in the bride’s shoes (love these ones!) – another pretty little pop of colour alongside the bridesmaids’ dresses, without going overboard. Keep everything soft, especially the flowers (thinking peonies, roses, carnations –  maybe with a few anemones for extra visual interest). I also think the ombre trend I spoke about last week works beautifully here – in invitations that have a beachy, washed out look, in pretty cake slices, and in pink flowers that graduate from deep pink to pale pink. For a final, beachy fun touch, have an ice cream bar where guests can create their own cones or sundaes at cocktail hour (or late at night). Or why not try the absolute latest trend and have classy jelly shots instead?

Colours: Aqua, pink, white, grey

Top row (l-r): Milk glass containers with flowers; Vera Wang wedding dress (Jose Villa); shell with napkins; bride & groom (Nakai Photography)
Row 2: Valentino aqua shoes; starfish place setting (Mike Adrian Photography); table decor (Julie Lim); milk glass vases (Shay Cochrane); pink ombre cake; beach hair style (First Comes Love Photo)
Row 3: Wedding party; aqua ombre invitation; pink flowers; ice cream cones

Inspiration Board: Sparkle & Blush

Happy Monday folks! Hope you had a great weekend. I had a great one catching up with friends, although I wish the fabulous spring weather we saw last month would come back! I could do with some more sunshine. Anyway, on with today’s inspiration board, which I have to say, has me feeling all girly and giddy. A bit of glitter will do that for you. As you already know, metallics are big this year and they’re often paired with a gorgeous soft pink. I’ve added just a touch of pistachio to the mix, and I think it looks delicious – an updated version of the sharper candy pink and bright green that was popular a couple of years back. This would work beautifully in just about any venue, and you could adapt it depending on the season. Just perfect!

Colours: Pastel pink and green, gold

Top row (l-r): Bride and groom (Jose Villa); teacups (AveryHouse); glittery dresses (Edyta Szyszlo); cake with crown topper
Row 2: Bride with gold bracelet (Our Labor of Love); glitzy table setting; escort cards (AveryHouse); bride with sparkly shoes (Kellie Kano); pink lemonade (Alice Hu Photography)
Row 3: Cherry blossoms; macaroons; glitter; hearts (Joielala Photographie)