Inspiration Board: Airs & Graces

What would a month dedicated to spring pastels be without some spring pastels colour board inspiration? I never get tired of multicolour pastels, personally, because they always just look so darn PRETTY lined up together, and so fresh (which of course, is what makes them perfect for spring). The main selection to work with is of course blush, peach, powder blue, mint, lilac & lemon, but sometimes it’s fun to use just some of them and I think three is the magic number. Today I’ve mixed up peach, mint and lilac with a touch of darker purple and a background of bright white, and the combination is modern, airy and oh so sweet.

Colours: Lilac, peach, mint, purple & white

Top row (l-r): Bridesmaids {Mikkel Paige Photography/Roey Mizrahi Events/Donna Morgan}; Peggy Porschen cake; mint shoes {Veronique Photography}
Row 2: Mint bowtie {April LOOK}; lilac watercolour invitation {Minted}; pastel paints
Row 3: Pastel macarons {Melody Gibbs/White Room Events}; mint lemonade; bride with pastel bouquet {Eric Kelley/Easton Events/Southern Blooms by Pat’s Floral Designs}

 

Inspiration Board: Copper, Orchid & Navy

It’s hard to believe this year is already winding down (where did you gooooo, 2014?) and that it’s almost time for a new Colour of the Year to steal the Pantone crown. I’ll be sorry to see this year’s favourite, Radiant Orchid go – although of course, it won’t go at all, just take a step back in the colour inspiration stakes. But I really liked how this pinky purple played so well with others – it really made for some unusual and gorgeous combinations. Today I’m mixing a soft orchid with one of my absolute fave metallics, copper, with a bit of grey and slate and a hint of navy thrown in. I think the combination is amazing! I especially love how the copper gleams next to the other shades, and how the navy adds that extra little bit of depth. Somebody choose this for their wedding, pretty please? ;)

Colours: Lilac, light grey, slate grey, copper & navy

Top row (l-r): Centrepiece in copper vase {Catherine Mac Photography/Fleur Le Cordeur}; rock sugar with rings {MLKL Photography}; bouquet {Aaron Delesie/Nisie’s Enchanted Florist}; navy bridesmaid dresses {Miki and Sonja Photography/XOXO BRIDE}
Row 2: Table number {Catherine Mac Photography/Fleur Le Cordeur/Seven Swans}; copper dish; copper & grey thank you cards {cocorrina}
Row 3: Bride in grey dress {Petronella Photography/Ashley Gerrity Photography/Aribella Events}; navy wedding shoes {Erik Maziarz for Carla Ten Eyck}; centrepiece {A Bryan Photo/Gathering Floral + Event Design/Kristin Newman Designs}

 

Real Wedding at Tanglewood {Emma & Bruce}

You can say what you will about the stress and strain of planning a wedding, but the truth is that for many brides, it’s such a happy time where they’re not just planning a marriage, but getting the opportunity to do something creative and make something beautiful from scratch. So it’s no wonder that so many fall in love with the wedding industry and go on to get involved professionally. Today’s bride (and her mum) came down with wedding fever that lasted long after the vows. What to do? Well, start a planning business, of course! I think this is so lovely, and wish them every success – you can find them online now at Whispers of May. That is, after you’ve spent some happy minutes looking through Veronique Photography‘s gorgeous captures of the big day, in soft pastels that make my heart sing. And the bride’s SHOES? Oh Badgley, I die.Read More

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 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

Inspiration Board: Lovelier Than Lilacs

It’s Monday, and Mondays mean one thing here on SBB, and that’s inspiration boards. Yay! So to kick off the week, I have a reader’s request that I’ve been looking forward to getting to. Georgie sent me a request before Christmas for her Johannesburg wedding – she said that with so many themed weddings around, she and her fiance wanted to bring their focus back to what was traditional, classic and elegant. Their venue in Parktown has a gorgeous view of the city, so they’d like that to be central, and will include lots of ambient light in the form of candles and fairy lights. Their palette is clean white with dove grey, lilac and celadon (a green very much like Pantone’s current Greyed Jade). Georgie had just one more request, and that was to include orchids, since they will remind them of India and Singapore – two places that are meaningful to the couple. So that was the brief, and that’s what we’ve got. No themes, no motifs, no gimmicks – just classical elements and a gorgeous set of colours. As with all weddings where white forms a big part of the canvas, texture is important, so I’ve included lots of it – feathery tulle in the bride’s dress, crisp linens on the tables, even a little touch of velvet ribbon, which I really like (especially since this is an autumn wedding). The orchids are there – nice, simple and soft, but I think roses on the table are a classically romantic statement so I’d probably stick to orchids in bouquets and in other special places like on the cake. Chandeliers and a twinkle light curtain add a festive touch, and I’d bring in the colour accents in soft ways – bridesmaid’s dresses, shoes and (my best) invitations with a subtle touch of celadon on the edges. Add a pretty hairpiece, updos for the bridal party, a touch of calligraphy and signature cocktails for while guests enjoy that magnificent view. Et voila. A return to elegance. Hope you like your board, Georgie!

Colours: White, lilac, dove grey & celadon

Top row (l-r): Orchid {Anouschka Rokebrand}; bride {Beth Helmstetter/Samuel Lippke Studios}; pale lilac shoes {SH Weddings/Hanle Productions}; calligraphy table number {Jose Villa}; chandelier {Tea Olive Photography}
Row 2: Invitations with celadon edging {Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence}; elegant updo {Easton Events/Patricia Lyons Photography}; orchid and rose bouquet; lilac velvet ribbon; cake with white orchids {Jenna Walker Photographers/Creative Weddings}
Row 3: Bride and groom with fairy light curtain {Cory Ryan Photography/CLINK }; lilac cocktail with ribbon tags {Samm Blake}; diamond ring {KT Merry}; table setting {Kate Preftakes Photography}; lilac bridesmaid dresses {Samm Blake}.

 

Real Wedding at Bon Cap {Lenise & Lourens}

When photographer Anel Smit sent me today’s wedding  I couldn’t help but be struck by the verve and energy of the couple – and by bride Lenise’s big smile! I loved that they had so much fun with their couples session, and couldn’t wait to see the rest of the wedding. As it turned out, it was a fusion between the bride and groom’s different styles, and a warm family centred celebration in the true sense of the word, and I’m sure it’ll brighten up your afternoon the way it did mine! Big congratulations to Lenise and Lourens, and thank you to Anel for her lovely pics!Read More