20 Long Sleeve Wedding Dresses

long sleeve wedding dresses from Etsy

Bohemian Wedding Dress by Angellure Bridal

*UPDATED FOR 2021* I swear, every time I spend a few minutes (okay, a couple of hours, but who can help it?) browsing on Etsy, I swear the wedding dresses get more gorgeous. I think it’s extremely cool that brides these days not only have the option of dresses from established designers, but up-and-coming indies from around the world. Which really opens up your choices when it comes to style. Recently, I’ve been absolutely LOVING wedding dresses with sleeves (especially lace ones), so I just had to round up my fave long sleeve wedding dresses from Etsy. And wow, but they are all kinds of winter wonderful and autumn awesome!

*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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Inspiration Board: Autumn Grace

Hello lovelies! We have one last inspiration board to share for our autumn month, utilising some of the colours in the Pantone’s Fall 2015 palette. Truth #1: I wasn’t totally crazy about these colours when I first saw them, but as I’ve been working with them, I’ve found so many pretty possibilities – today’s is definitely my favourite. Truth #2: I swore I’d never do another Marsala inspiration board and I couldn’t help but include it here (although I still maintain this is more scarlet than Marsala, but whatevs). I’m not even sorry, because the deep blue and red paired with a soft touch of sage and a little glimmer of gold look absolutely amazing, and are beyond perfect for a sophisticated autumn wedding. Don’t you agree?

Colours: Pantone Reflecting Pond, Pantone Marsala, Pantone Desert Sage & Gold

Top row (l-r): Table setting {Kurt Boomer Photo/Joy Proctor Design}; bouquet {Amelia Johnson/Karson Butler Events/Sidra Forman}; leaf escort cards {Ann-Kathrin Koch Photography/Knot & Pop}
Row 2: Bride with flower crown {Yolandé Marx/Anneke Roux & Nicola Pretorius from The Pretty Blog}; blue cards {Jose Villa Photography/Pilgrim’s Quill/Jenna Lam Events}; boutonniere
Row 3: Bride in red dress & groom {Emilia Jane Photography}; invitation and rings {Brett Heidebrecht/Kylie Swanson/Lindsay Letters/Juliet Grace Designs}; flowers in urn {Christian Cruz For Max & Friends/Sweet Marie Designs}

 

10 Tips for Planning an Autumn Wedding

Fall Bride | Credit: Mooi Photography

I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of May and have only a week to go of our autumn themed content. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been loving it – in fact, I think looking at all this autumny prettiness has given me a new appreciation for what’s going on outside my window, and I’ve been absolutely loving seeing the beautiful colours of fallen leaves. So if you aren’t convinced yet that it’s a great season to get married in, then just think about a country walk in wellies on crunchy paths, nippy mornings and hot chocolate, golds and rusts and yellows and mochas… and then translate that to a cosy and intimate wedding experience for you and your guests. But as with all wedding planning, organising an autumn wedding requires a few practical considerations, and that’s what we’re covering today. Here are our top tips to make sure you get it right.Read More

Opulent Pastel Wedding at Webersburg by Warren Williams {Vabakshnee & Geoff}

We have a bit of a celebrity wedding today, lovelies! You may have already seen lovely SABC news anchor Vabakshnee Chetty’s wedding to hubby Geoffrey Miller on Top Billing, but I couldn’t resist sharing their beautiful pastel celebration with you again here. I’ve seen lots of pastel weddings over the years, but I absolutely love how this one manages to be incredibly elegant and opulent as well as sweet and romantic, and the pastel palette is just part of that – like a box of Ladurée macarons or a froth of blush or baby blue on the Oscars red carpet. Vee, as her friends call her, looked absolutely gorgeous in not just one but two amazing dresses, and after a lakeside meal complete with soft white drapes and sparkling crystal chandeliers, the couple and their guests danced the night away with her in the second, intricate lace creation. Warren Williams captured all the fun, frolicks and finery, as only he can.
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Bridesmaid Dresses with Long Sleeves

Long Sleeve Bridesmaid Dresses

You know what always makes me feel a bit sad? You know when you see those pictures of a winter or autumn wedding, and there’s the bride in some fancypants wrap or fur-look stole or whatever looking snug and cold-weather-stylish, and then you see the bridesmaids and they’re standing there in the same little strappy dresses that their summer cousins were wearing, freezing their bazoomas off. Shame. Of course, stylish wraps for the entire party are always an option, but recently a chic (and practical) option has been popping up in more and more real weddings – long sleeve bridesmaid dresses! Yep, dresses with long sleeves aren’t just for the wedding gown now. From shiny sequined minis to sleek long black dresses, we are absolutely loving this look. So let’s get inspired! And shop. Because we can. *Shopping sources in this post use affiliate links. This means this site may earn a commission if you make a purchase from our links.

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Rose Noir Wedding at Langkloof by Fiona Clair {Angela & Nic}

We tend to wait with bated breath for new weddings by Fiona Clair around here. Not only because we loooove Fee’s incredible, Vogue-worthy images, but because she connects with the most creative brides. Today’s wedding is seriously wow, but what makes it extra extra special, is that Angela happened to be a true SouthBound Bride, and a big fan of the blog while planning her wedding. Well, Angela – we’re a huge fan of yours! Everything about this wedding is amazing and the details of Angela and Nick’s big day integrate like a beautiful story unfolding – red roses and monogram stripes everywhere (a look the couple charmingly dubbed ‘Rose Noir’), fun touches, the most gorgeous wedding dress (topped off with a romantic red rose crown). There’s even a bold paper rose photo backdrop. And all of that chic modern style contrasts perfectly with a super romantic alfresco setting. Quite simply, it’s my kind of heaven.Read More

Lakum Spring/Summer 2016 Collection

Okay seriously, geniuses of the world, when are you going to go ahead and invent teleportation already? Because far too often an invite lands in my inbox and all I want to do is beam myself over to wherever it is. Especially when that place is New York, New York, a city so nice they named it twice, and one of my favourite places on earth. Which is what happened when I got a mail from exciting new Brooklyn-based bridal label Lakum, to preview their S/S 2016 collection (spoiler alert: it’s GORGEOUS). So boo, I couldn’t go, but lucky for me and for you, Lakum have sent over some spectacular lookbook images that will not only make you fall in love with their spectacular gowns, but with New York all over again as well. So let’s take a stroll through the city, while admiring the beautiful Lakum silhouettes. It’s not teleportation, but today it feels like a pretty close second ;)Read More

Vintage Floral Farm Wedding by Cari Photography {Rieke & Jurgens}

While we’re obviously fans of everything soft and subtle here at SBB HQ, I won’t lie – a bright sea of statement botanicals sure sets my heart racing. And wait till you see the florals in this incredible wedding – Heike of Fleur le Cordeur has truly wowed us again! Bride Rieke started off with a palette of duck egg blue and coral, and rustic wood texture, and a passion for peonies so strong that it determined her wedding date to hubby Jurgens (a girl after my own heart!). Heike added in bright pops of purple and orange and yellow and blue, dreamy greenery chandeliers, orchid-strewn flower crowns, and a statement flower-decked wall. Antique botanical prints added an elegant antiquey feel, and even Rieke’s gorgeous gown sported a garden’s worth of tulle blooms. From the groom’s velvet blazer to the foodtruck at cocktail hour, to the sparkly-topped lilac bridesmaid dresses, we’re loving every single detail, and who better to capture it all than the lovely Cari of Cari Photography?Read More

20 Wooden & Wood Effect Wedding Invitations

Custom Wedding Invitations by Oak & Orchid

Texture, you guys. I am all about texture. From wood to velvet to sequins to linen, it’s the addition of a texture to a palette or wedding design that often takes things from pretty to pretty amazing, in my book. Since we’re talking autumn weddings, I thought it was appropriate for us to talk about a texture that works for many autumn weddings (especially those that lean toward the rustic) and that’s wood. And of course, there are lots of ways to incorporate wooden texture into your wedding day, but one of my faves is through the invitations themselves. Here’s the really cool bit – with lasercut and printing techniques being what they are now, you can get invitations that are actual slices of wood. So unusual! And, as it happens, better for the environment than processed paper invites. I love this idea, as well as paper invitations that have a woodgrain effect – and the good news is that lots of designers have wood invitation options these days. So I turned to my favourite online market, Etsy, to pick a few favourites. ‘Wood’ you like to see them? (Yes, I know. Poor. I couldn’t help myself ;) ) Just click on the links (or any of the images) below, and you’ll be taken straight to Etsy to get more information and make your purchase. This post includes affiliate links (in bold). SBB may receive a commission on any sales, but the cost to you remains the same.

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Inspiration Board: Stormy Weather

All of this month we’re bringing you boards inspired by the colours in Pantone’s Fall 2015 palette, but today, instead of combining two or more, we’re focusing on just the one. When I was looking up images for our Pantone bridesmaid inspiration post last week, I just fell in love with Stormy Weather, a beautiful shade of dark grey that I think is amazing for a winter or autumn wedding. I actually think it works well on its own, with some lighter shades of grey and cold weather natural textures, but I couldn’t resist warming it up just a little with a touch of copper, and oh my gosh, I love it! Cool, sophisticated and cosy, all at the same time. And with a bit of a romantic, Wuthering Heights feel too. So here you go. Stormy weather isn’t always a bad thing on your wedding day ;)

Colours: Pantone Stormy Weather, dove grey, copper & white

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {Adam Barnes/Amanda Gray of Ashley Baber Weddings/The Arrangement Company}; place setting {Cassidy Carson/12th Table/Kelly Lenard}; bride {Sibo Designs}
Row 2: Grey dress & ring {Brosnan Photographic/Pearl and Godiva/Claire Pettibone}; copper foiled invitations {Cocorinna}; copper ring
Row 3: Grey candles {Cox & Cox}; copper cake; bride & groom {Braedon Photography}