Lavender Fields Wedding Inspiration

Friends, this is a good day. I not only get to share this BEAUTIFUL styled shoot, the last of the series in our Fine Art Weddings month, which will absolutely send you into fits of swoonage with its painterly prettiness and impressionist charm, but I also get to introduce you to an exciting new friend. A few weeks back, I discovered the very lovely Mary-Ann Wiggill of Mary-Ann Art, who offers something really special and exciting when it comes to weddings: live art. Working from the sidelines while your magical day is going on, Mary-Ann creates acrylic paintings that recreate a scene from the wedding. Can you imagine a keepsake more lovely than that? (Not to mention that your guests will get such a kick from seeing it happening!) Today’s shoot has Mary-Ann in her element, capturing the romance of a couple in a field of lavender (we seriously could be in France right now) and includes even more gorgeous fine art-inspired details, like a hand painted cake, a floral gown, an artist’s palette a bouquet alternative (genius!) and the loveliest stationery by our talented friends at Blooming Wonderful, and of course dreamy images by Natasha Taljard. Which just goes to show: every wedding is a work of art, but some can be a masterpiece!

Read More

Navy & Lavender Grande Provence Wedding by Fiona Clair

Get those pinning fingers ready, because today’s wedding is a fabulous fusion of glamorous and organic, which perfectly suits its Grande Provence setting. After all, this gorgeous estate is as naturally beautiful as it is exclusive. Jessica and David harnessed that natural beauty as the backdrop to their big day, and brought in just the right amount of decor to complement it, including touches of herbs like rosemary at each place setting and lavender (LOVE Jessica’s lavender bouquet) and combined that with glam touches like navy blue sequin bridesmaid dresses (dying over these, seriously!), gold chargers and marquee letter lights from our friends at Lights Love. The result is a perfectly chic backdrop to the culmination of a beautiful romance. And the bonus? Our fave Fiona Clair was there to capture it, as only she can!

Read More

Inspiration Board: Lavender, Peach & Emerald

Goodness but I love this colour combo! Seriously, isn’t it beautiful and fresh? The deep cool of emerald green (adding a touch of formality), softly feminine purple and lavender, and sweet peach, along with cool white. Purple-loving brides take note, because this would be absolutely gorgeous for a range of weddings. As always, I love colours brought out through natural elements, so include lots of emerald foliage in your decor – you could even have green garlands only on your tables. Dress your girls in flowing lavender gowns, and serve peachy bellinis with lavender decorations. Then just add a few more whimsical touches – a floral arch or chandelier for your ceremony, illustrated stationery, a lacy cake. Perfect!

Colours: Lavender, purple, peach, white & emerald green

Top row (l-r): Bride {Brett Heidebrecht}; bouquet {Justen Clay Photography}; peach lace cake {Michael & Anna Costa/Joy de Vivre Wedding Design & Coordination/Sweet & Saucy Shop}
Row 2: Bridesmaids {Reverie Supply/For Her and For Him}; tablescape {Rylee Hitchner/Cloth of Gold/Ginny Au/Amy Osaba}; peach cocktails {Simply Bloom Photography, LLC/La Fleur Weddings}
Row 3: Foliage arch {Mint Photography/Pink Parasol Designs and Coordinating/Bristol Lane Florals}; posey bouquet {E. Ribant photography}; menu {Joy Michelle Photography/Anchor Point Press}; bride in juliet cap veil

 

20 Ways to Incorporate Lavender Into Your Wedding

With summer fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about summer blooms, and one of my absolute favourites is lavender. This pretty, fragrant (and yay, relatively inexpensive) bloom is a regular feature in wedding design, and it never fails to hit the pretty buttons for me! So today I thought I would round up 20 gorgeous lavender wedding ideas – pick your favourites and adapt or reproduce to add some lavender loveliness to your own big day.Read More

Inspiration Board: Chic Antique

Happy Monday lovelies! Before I dive into today’s board, I just wanted to wish the lovely Louise of b.loved a HUGE congrats on her new site and brand – be sure to head over and check it out!
You know, it’s not so long since the vintage trend swept wedding world, but since then things have come a long way as brides and grooms try to find new ways to introduce antique elements and still keep their decor personal and unique. One way to do this is through colour – the first wave of vintage often fell back on neutral palettes, but I think today’s pastel combo has a lovely Victorian feel. I also love how the navy blue sort of anchors the softer colours, and introduces a more grown up aspect. Add a completely swoony old world invitation suite and a chic, one-of-a-kind print wedding dress, and you have the perfect ingredients for a chic antique wedding day!

Colours: Navy, lavender, blush, lemon & baby blue

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {Millie Holloman}; bridesmaids {Jose Villa Photography/MAP Events}; cake {Nikole Ramsay Photography/Victoria Keith Cakes}
Row 2: Place setting with lavender {Sugokuii Weddings Capri/Simply Bloom Photography}; boutonnieres {Erich McVey Photography/Kelly Kaufman}; groom
Row 3: Print wedding gown; invitation suite {Elisa Bricker/Mimi Nicole Events/Brown Linen}; ceremony area {Leo Patrone/Honey of a Thousand Flowers}; lavender champagne {Jen Fariello/Easton Events}

 

Inspiration Board: Last of the Summer Wine

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: Mint & Lilac

There’s just something about purple palettes that I love, don’t you think? They really are just so pretty. And today’s is no exception. Lilac, lavender and mint make a great combination on their own, but when you add a bit of grey and a touch of silver sparkle, as well as a little dash of vintage, it’s just made for a wedding day. The cheese cake you may recognise from our roundup last week – I absolutely adore this one – but I also love the jumble of hanging bird cages, the mix and match bridesmaids, and the bride’s hair and gorgeous grey dress. I can just imagine how this would look in real life. The other great thing about this palette is that it’s so versatile – I could imagine this for spring, summer… and with a few tiny tweaks, autumn and winter too. What do you think?

Colour: Mint, lavender, lilac, grey & silver

Top row (l-r): Bridesmaid bouquet {Elisa B Photography/Amore Events by Cody/Sugar Magnolias}; lavender boutonniere {KT Merry/Sara Jean Events}; cheese wedding cake {Aaron Delesie/Laura Gresham Events/}; lace dress {Oh, How Charming/Braedon Photography}; bicycle
Row 2: Bride in grey dress {Joielala Photographie}; cocktail {Tim Halberg}; silver glitter shoes {Paperwhites Photography}; flowers in vase; hanging birdcages
Row 3: Bride & bridesmaids {Pam Cooley Photography}; place setting {Elisa B.}; lavender letterpress {Satsuma Press}; macaroons.

 

Real Wedding at La Petite Dauphine {Natalie & Alex}

It’s such a pleasure to me to be able to share the stories of so many brides and grooms here on SBB. But it’s even more of a pleasure when I get to share the love story of someone I know, and that’s what I get to do today! Natalie is a fellow Minervianer (which for the non-Stellenbosch crowd means we were in the same res at uni). She’s the loveliest person, and very beautiful, and I always knew some dashing man would sweep her off her feet. It turned out to be one of those stories where Nats fell in love with her best friend (love those, right?!) – I finally got a chance to spend some time with the couple here in London recently and they are ADORABLE. What I love most about their wedding day is that you can see the sheer joy radiating from both of their faces, and in fact this is the first thing Cheryl McEwan, their fab photographer, said to me afterwards, that the love on their big day was so tangible. This is what it’s all about, people! Well, that and a lovely in lavender intimate French-style reception at La Petite Dauphine and a bride in a romantic Suzanne Neville dress… but mostly the love. ;) Don’t miss Nats’ goosebumpworthy description of how they met and got together!Read More

Real Wedding at Netherwood {Joanna & Marco}

Who’s ready for some wedding gorgeousness? Now now, don’t all yell at once. There’s plenty of lovely to go around. Today’s real wedding comes from the lens of KZN photographer Alexis Diack and, like so much of her portfolio, it is chock-full of elegance and romance. Looking at it, I feel a little like I’m thumbing through the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings: the elegant purple and white colour scheme, Joanna’s fairytale dress, an Italian country touch to the decor and a curtain of twinkle lights looking down on the couple as they take their first dance. It’s all so very PRETTY. And I love how it shows that, even on a rainy day (and maybe especially on a rainy day!) you can still get the most amazing, lush, atmospheric pictures. My favourite is the one of Joanna and Marco alone in the church after the ceremony, with bunches of country blooms along the aisle and looking like there’s nobody else in the world beside them. Sigh. Aint love grand?Read More

Colour Story: Spring Pastels

Hello lovelies, how has your Monday been so far? A couple of months ago, to highlight our new Summer Rain invitation line in collaboration with The Invitation Gallery, I put together some colour boards. It was such a popular post, that I thought I would do it again today for another colour combo that had you all pinning and repinning when it appeared in our Spring Pastels inspiration board a few months back: aqua, lavender and pink. Here’s the original board…

Full credits here.

I personally think the combination is perfect for someone who wants something girly but sophisticated – it makes me think of Laduree and rose gardens and pretty crockery, and the three colours balance each other out beautifully. So here we go… be inspired!

Read More