Mismatched Neutral Bridesmaid Dresses

Mismatched Neutral Bridesmaid Dresses

Source: via Belle the Magazine

Mismatched bridesmaid dresses: aren’t they fabulous? This trend just grows and grows, and I especially love the look of mismatched neutral bridesmaid dresses, because you can often incorporate some of the other pretty bridesmaid dress trends into it too, like prints or sequins. For example, if you’re mismatching within the mushroom to nude pink neutrals range, you could include, one pattern in neutral colours, one lace overlay dress, and then a pop of glitter against a neutral skirt perhaps? The secret of successful mismatched bridesmaids is texture – think ruffles, soft chiffon and contrasting fabrics. Model Molly Sims pretty much perfected this look for her wedding, but I found lots of less famous brides who pulled it off beautifully too. And I had to include the image on the left below – I wonder if any has been pinned quite as much as this one? I always thought it was from a catalogue, but in fact it was an early adopter of the mismatched neutrals look, a bride who made it look easy breezy and drop dead gorgeous. Just one last note to mention here – most of the weddings below have used white or pale flowers and probably have an overall white or neutral colour scheme. Which is great. But don’t forget that this look works beautifully for bolder wedding colour choices too, and bright blooms really pop against a plain background, so don’t write it off as too vanilla if you’re a statement bride! *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Bohemian Bridal Hairstyle Inspiration

Carolina Goodwin Photography/Styles By Vero on SouthBound Bride

*UPDATED FOR 2020* The boho bridal look is one of the most romantic – perfect for free spirited souls and rustic nature-loving gals alike. And when it comes to bohemian bridal hairstyles, you really have your pick. Pretty, soft updos, long flowing beachy waves, half up half down styles with interesting twists and plaits, and beautiful braids and ponytails. All fit the boho bridal hairstyle brief, so it’s really down to what fits your personal style, hair length, and texture. Plus, there’s always the option of adding in pretty floral crowns or bohemian bridal accessories like hair vines and crowns, for extra impact. Here are some of my favourite styles.

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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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: Sunny Afternoon

Hey friends! It’s been a little while since I did an inspiration board request, but today we have a gorgeous yellow board for reader Cheri. She’s planning a barn wedding (LOVE barn weddings!) at a rosemary farm, with the ceremony in a flower maze – how pretty is that? They’d like a relaxed, old farmhouse feel, with a palette of yellow, grey and white reflected in the flower combination of succulents, billy balls and baby’s breath. They’re also planning to use old jam jars and wine bottles, which I think is a great idea. I absolutely love yellow as a wedding colour, because it’s so happy and sunny and bright – it immediately sets the tone for smiles all day long. Succulents and billy balls make an awesome combination – isn’t this bouquet lovely, and that cake! – and I like the idea of recycled glass throughout. I’m especially a fan of painted wine bottles used as vases – they work beautifully here, don’t they? I’d add succulents in small wooden crates to the table decor as well. Although Cheri plans to use baby’s breath (which is lovely), I’m also a big fan of little daisies for this wedding theme – look how pretty the bridesmaid bouquet is below. And I also like the idea of a very, very subtle yellow gingham motif, perhaps for preserve favour tops and on the groom’s pocket handkerchief. Finally, you can really make the ceremony area pop with ribbon aisles, like the one above – they really add that carnival feeling. Hope you like your board, Cheri!

Colours: Yellow, white and grey

Top row (l-r): Ceremony area {Love Me Do Photography}; cake with billy balls; bouquet with succulents and billy balls {This Modern Romance/Honey and Poppies}
Row 2: Wool wrapped table number {Daffodil Waves}; invitation; rings with billy balls {Cameron Ingalls}; gingham jar top; gingham groom’s pocket {Johnny Miller}
Row 3: Billy balls on chair {This Modern Romance/Honey and Poppies}; daisy bouquet {This Modern Romance/Honey and Poppies}; grey and white wine bottles {white rabbit studios}; mason jars with striped straws {Callie V Photography}; bride and groom {Ryan Ray/Lavender Joy Weddings}

 

Sunrise V&A Waterfront Engagement Shoot

It’s always a happy day when you can welcome back an old friend. It hasn’t been that long since we sent off our second 2013 Real Life Bride, Liana, to marry her Prince Charming, Chris, and soon we’ll get to share her wedding day (stay tuned for her awesome hen do as well). But today, we’re having a peek at the gorgeous engagement session shot for the couple by Cape Town’s own dna photographers. A fantastic (iconically Cape) setting, light you could eat with a spoon… who could ask for anything more?Read More

Real Wedding at Sante Hotel {Talya & Paul}

It’s amazing how a good photographer can not only capture the details and action of a wedding, but give it a story, turn it into a cohesive whole. Take, for example, Gavin Casey – awesome Cape Town photographer and the man responsible for Talya and Paul’s gorgeous pictures today. His images are always bathed in heavenly light, like the whole wedding took place at so-called golden hour, or in a blissful scene from a Hollywood movie. And today, Gavin’s style is the perfect complement to the elegantly woodsy style of the wedding, which is both delicate and rustic, with textures like moss, timber, bark and bloom. And have I mentioned how much I love Jewish weddings? The reveal of the bride, the Chuppah ceremony (made even more special here because the groom made the Chuppah himself) and all that joyous dancing. It all wraps up into a celebration that’s part earth-bound, part heaven-sent, totally lovely.Read More

New Ways with Proteas {Bouquets}

Hello lovelies! As you’ll remember from last week, I am currently taking a fresh look at some of SBB’s most popular trend roundups, and this I know is going to be hands down my favourite. Seriously, putting this post together I have a goofy smile on my face, like I’ve ODed on sugar. Except that this is a protea rush. Totally a real thing. After all, why else would so many South African brides choose to use our national flower in their wedding bouquets? Because they’re AWESOME, that’s why. And it’s not even just a South African thing anymore – proteas have taken the wedding world by storm. I have mixed feelings about this, because sometimes when I see gorgeous proteas at an American wedding, for example, I feel like I’m seeing one of my friends in the photos from someone else’s party. But I am trying to be cool, because after all, there is plenty of protea-inspired love and goodness to go around. Plus, even though I hate to admit it, some of those overseas floral designers are applying their fresh eyes and coming up with some astonishingly gorgeous arrangements. Especially when it comes to bouquets. Rustic textures, bright pops of colour, interesting shapes and structures… there’s a lot of ooh factor  going on here. I’ve been collecting it on the SBB ♥ Proteas Pinterest board for a while, and today I thought it was high time for a roundup. Here are 25 striking protea-filled bouquets. Get ready for that rush.Read More

Real Wedding at The Farmhouse Hotel {Leigh & Andrew}

Sometimes weddings are like London buses – I went for ages without a lovely beach wedding to share, and now I have two in a row! Well, no complaints from me, as I absolutely adore a toes-in-the-sand, head-in-the-clouds, chilled out beach do and today’s wedding is one of the most chilled I have ever come across. And you guys, an ombre wedding dress. Seriously, I LOVE. Leigh and Andrew are the picture of Cape Town surfey gorgeousness, and their love story had so much to do with Langebaan that they couldn’t help but decide to get married in this special seaside town. They chose a super fun palette of turquoise with a pop of colour-of-the-moment neon, which not only worked with their wedding style but reflected their complementary personalities. My dear friend Monica Dart was there as the photographer, to capture all the life and movement and colour, as only she can. What a lovely wedding.Read More

Key Colours for Bridesmaid Dresses

Source: onelove photography via Inspired By This

Afternoon, friends! Since January, we’ve been looking at all the key trends for bridesmaid dresses in 2013 – who knew there could be so many? We’ve looked at prints (floral, stripes), styles (Gatsby, skirts) and textures (lace, sequins). Now we’re turning to colours themselves – after all, this is the classic look that many brides will always choose. Next week we’ll look at neutrals (in themselves a trend) but today we’re turning attention to five key colours that have been making a big impression in wedding parties across the world: emerald (Pantone’s colour of the year), mint, coral, peach and navy. For each, I’ve highlighted a few shop finds – somee a steal and others a bit more of a splurge. I love them all!Read More

Inspiration Board: Blossom & Berry

Happy Monday, folks – here’s to a super-productive week! Today we have a pretty, rustic red and white board, that would be just perfect for an autumn wedding. There’s a little touch of French bistro, and textures of wood, kraft, burlap and berry. So pretty! Red and white is a combo that I often see in real weddings, but it’s often used either in a more modern way or as a stark accent against a classic white wedding. But here it’s a gorgeous alternative to the pretty pastels or muted neutrals that you usually see for a rustic wedding. Lovely, isn’t it? Don’t be afraid to play with your ideas on colour a bit when planning your wedding – just because you have chosen a specific style doesn’t mean that you have to use the same palette as many others before you. Often just this little twist can make a look really fresh and interesting. My favourite touches here are the mannequin escort cards, the tin dessert menu, the gorgeous burlap runner with table number and the bridesmaids’ mismatched shoes. Which do you like best?

Colours: Red, white, green and mocha

Top row (l-r): Bride in blossoms {Tec Petaja/Joy Thigpen}; berry desserts {Danielle Capito}; wooden gate {Tec Petaja/Joy Thigpen}; table with burlap runner {Nikki Meyer Photography/Kraak}; bicycles
Row 2: Bridesmaids with red shoes {Emily Johnston Anderson}; mannequin escort cards {m three studio}; strawberry cocktail; outdoor ceremony {Caroline Tran Photographer/Kelly Oshiro Design}

Row 3: Table with red flower arrangement {Flowerwild/Jose Villa}; groom in braces {Zara Zoo Photography}; farm inspiration suite; bouquet with strawberry {Nikki Meyer Photography/Kraak}; book ring shot.