Category: Inspiration Boards

Inspiration Board: Zen Neutrals

by gaby

Ah Friday. A thing of beauty. But before we all head off for the evening, I have another reader request inspiration board to share with you. This one came from a bride and groom – Andreas and Melanie – which is a first for me (love an involved groom!). They’ve chosen to have a simple, intimate wedding in McGregor at a fab venue I hadn’t come across before, Temenos, and are planning on a gorgeously subtle palette of silvery grey and earth tones. They want to create something casual but ceremonial, well-balanced spiritually and materially. I immediately thought back to this memorable wedding I featured a few months ago, including the bonsai trees that were on the tables (a simple, relatively hassle free, but very effective centrepiece that you can then give away or use in your home). I also loved the long tables and rustic Scandinavian feel of this wedding, including a teepee and a branch chandelier. Stone, feathers and wood are three more natural textures that add a bit of zen-like balance (as well as contemporary chic) to proceedings, and for an intimate wedding I really like the idea of lots of candles, creating an intimate glow. Dress bridesmaids in silvery grey goddess dresses, stick with creamy flowers, and use minimalist stationery. Finally, for an extra bit of zen, why not have your ceremony in the round? This is sure to be a beautiful wedding for a low maintenance couple – hope you like your board Andreas and Melanie!

Colours: Grey, taupe, stone, mocha

Top row (l-r): Dessert table {Oh, How Charming!/Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design/Aaron Delesie}; bridesmaid dress; balsa wood bouquet {Stephanie Williams}; stone candles; bride and groom {Iz Photography}
Row 2: Buddha; branch chandelier {Kate McLuckie}; bonsai centrepiece {Picture Me & U}; stationery
Row 3: Feathers {Arrow & Apple}; bonsai centrepieces {Picture Me & U}; ceremony in the round {Caroline + Ben}; white peacock.

 

Inspiration Board: An Autumn Romance

by gaby

Good morning friends! Sorry for a bit of a disruption last week, but everything should be sorted now for a brand new week packed full of inspiration – just wait until you see some of the loveliness I have lined up for you. Starting with today’s inspiration board, which is a request from reader Jessica, who’s planning a cold weather wedding in a little church in the country with a palette of soft purples. Jessica isn’t a fan of roses and wants simple flowers, and actually this works really well with a purple colour scheme, since there are so many pretty purple flowers in a range of rustic hues. A sprig of lavender at each place setting is fragrant and easy to do, and why not mix and match bouquets for a more relaxed look? Cut out leaf shapes from purple card and string on branches for a fun autumn escort card idea, and bag a cute colour co-ordinated cardigan. Then just add gorgeous stationery and lots of fairy lights, and you have all the makings of a romantic autumn wedding. Good luck with the rest of your planning Jessica – hope you like your board!

Colours: Shades of purple, taupe and mocha

Top row (l-r): Bride; Shimmer wedding invitation {Minted}; bouquet {Elizabeth Messina/Lisa Gorjestani}; chapel {Mario Testino for Vogue}
Row 2: Buds; bridesmaids {Sylvie Gil Photography/Kristi Amoroso}; leaf escort cards {What Shanni Saw}
Row 3: Cork heart; bride in cardigan {Kim & Niki, Photographers}; blackberry swizzle sticks {The Nichols Photography/The Nouveau Romantics}; fairy lights {Feather + Stone/The Little White Wedding Company}

Inspiration Board: An Autumn Romance | SouthBound Bride

Pick Your Favourite Inspiration Board for 2012

by gaby

You know, friends, when I started this blog I was already a big fan of wedding blogs, and one of my absolute favourite things was inspiration boards. I didn’t start making them to compete with other bloggers who’d already mastered the form, but because of how much fun I had making them, and that has continued to be the case. Lucky for me, you guys seem to like them too. ;) It was a huge dream of mine to one day see one of my boards turned into an inspiration shoot, but before that day came, I got another amazing opportunity. Last year I teamed up with a new company called The Invitation Gallery to produce the SBB Collection – I loved that they represent several talented South African designers, allowing brides and grooms who couldn’t necessarily afford bespoke designs to still have access to gorgeous, contemporary designs beautifully printed on high quality paper. Each of the Invitation Gallery designers picked one of my boards and used it as a starting point for their collection, and I can’t tell you how exciting it was for me seeing them for the first time (and the second, and the third…).

Since then, I’ve been working with the collection on a series of inspiration shoots, and they have been just as lovely in the ‘flesh’ (in the paper?) as they were onscreen. You may have seen one of them in the current My Wedding Day magazine in SA (and you’ll be seeing more of it soon, as well as the others). I like to think there’s something in the SBB Collection for everyone – from beach weddings to rustic weddings, from classic to whimsical, and in all shades from aqua to purple to peach to blue.

But we like to keep things current, don’t we? So we thought it was about time that we updated the collection with a new design, and we’re asking you – my lovely readers – for your help. In a few weeks’ time, we’ll be asking one of the Invitation Gallery designers to create a collection based on your favourite inspiration board from 2012 and I’ll be working with that collection in a brand new shoot next year.

Here’s how it works: just head over to the SBB Facebook page and click on the album 2012 Inspiration Boards (or go there directly). Go through the boards and ‘like’ the ones you, well, like. The board with the biggest number of likes at the end of the year will go on to inspire the latest in the SBB Collection. It’s that simple. :) I can’t wait to see which one you pick!

 

Inspiration Board: Mellow Yellow

by gaby

Sometimes I get the COOLEST requests for inspiration boards, and I have been looking forward to this one for a while. Reader Leigh-Anne mailed to tell me about her trendy urban meets country chic summer wedding, with bold black and white stripes and punches of yellow. The relaxed but elegant celebration will feature a number of fun touches to reflect their hip personalities, including black Converses, a braai menu, orchids, peonies and a Vespa! Wow. The board kind of created itself! First stop was a great table setting (check out this wedding for more) – I love the striped table runners and the yellow chargers, and bringing in an organic yellow (lemons) is a fun nod to the country chic aspect. I love the soft flowers, especially this yellow orchid bouquet, and the white painted mason jars are the coolest. Stripes of course are a big motif – as well as the table runners and invitations (how stylish are those envelope liners?), I have fallen in LOVE with these striped Bruno Frisonis, but alternatively you could pair a yellow shoe with a striped sash (I know Leigh-Anne is planning some Louboutins). Bridesmaids could also do stripes, but I love these black belted yellow numbers (especially if paired with soft white bouquets) and stylish heels. I love the idea of the groom in a yellow bowtie and suspenders (reflecting the stripes) – and they go perfectly with the Converse look. I love the sound of a braai menu, and it made me think of what photographer Christine Meintjes told me about her sister’s wedding, where they had a braai station with all sorts of mini braai treats during cocktail hour. So cute. Finally, for equally stylish guests (and fun photos), give cheap shades as a favour, and then ride off into the sunset on a yellow Vespa. Just one last tip for Leigh-Anne, not pictured here, is to grab some black and white striped washi tape – there will be a zillion fun last-minute uses for it. Good luck with the rest of your planning Leigh-Anne, can’t wait to see your wedding!

Colours: Black, white and yellow

Top row (l-r): Place setting {Stephanie Saul Photography/Jessica Frey Photography/House of Flowers}; flowers in white mason jars; escort cards {Erin Hearts Court/La Partie Events}; yellow orchid bouquet
Row 2: Dress with striped sash {Erin Hearts Court/La Partie Events}; striped envelope liner invitation {Cheree Berry Paper/Edyta Szyszlo}; yellow bridesmaids dresses {Krissy Allori Photography + Courtney Jade Photography/Double Take Event Styling}; groom in Converse {Marianne Taylor}
Row 3: Bride and groom {Aaron Shintaku/JL Designs}; shoes {Bruno Frisoni}; sunglasses favour {Marianne Wilson Photography}; yellow Vespa {Carla Mendes}; braai station {Catherine Mac}.

 

Inspiration Board: Harvest Sunshine

by gaby

Today’s board was one of those unexpected little surprises. It came from helping a friend who was looking for autumn wedding ideas, particularly incorporating pumpkins and gourds (love how these have become a lovely decor option recently). I started thinking about colour palettes and how, while the more typical autumn colour combinations – russet, yellow and orange in particular – are always rich and gorgeous, they wouldn’t be for everyone. I often think of blue and yellow as a spring or summer combination but looking at some of Pantone’s current feature colours including dusky blue and sunflower, I began to think they would make a beautiful, unusual autumn palette especially when paired up with yellow squash and white pumpkin textures. I’d keep flowers simple (although LOVE the pumpkin ‘vase’) with a big statement sunflower bouquet and then include warming autumn touches like a cardigan for the bride or bridesmaids, beeswax candle favours, and delicious cold weather menu options. It’s also a good chance to include prints, which as you know are a big deal right now. What do you think?

Colours: Dusk blue, sunflower yellow, ivory and soft grey

Top row (l-r): Mini white pumpkins; billy buttons in milk glass {Portobello Bride /ngg studios}; bridesmaids {Our Labor of Love}; beeswax candles
Row 2: Table setting with pumpkins and gourds; pumpkin vase; yellow letterpress invitation; yellow striped tie; forks on print fabric
Row 3: Sunflower bouquet {Dove Wedding Photography}; favour wraps; table setting with book pages; bride in yellow cardigan {Cameron Ingalls}

Harvest Sunshine Inspiration Board

 

Inspiration Board: Autumn Rustic

by gaby

Hello friends! Time for a brand new inspiration board, and this time we’re veering from the traditional summer wedding to a rich autumn look. Reader, Claire, has a cozy cold weather wedding in mind for her June celebration at Toadbury Hall, where she and her fiance are planning a forest ceremony followed by a marquee reception, in a bedouin tent filled with fairy lights and heaters. They’re looking for a rustic style in red, orange, yellow, bronze and gold, and want to enhance their natural surroundings rather than distract from them. I’m a big fan of this idea, so with the palette settled I went on the hunt for easy ideas that incorporated materials that would naturally be found in the forest surroundings. Pine cones are certainly one, and they have a multitude of possible uses, from escort cards to place holders, or just sprayed gold and placed on a plate or even in vases on the table – so pretty. I’ve even seen adorable pine cone bouquets – a fun alternative to flowers! Wood is another texture to use of course, and cut wooden circles can be used everywhere from under plates to table numbers or cake stands. Or what about stones? I loved these metallic painted ones, and the surfaces would reflect candlelight beautifully. Flowers should be rich, but I’d probably focus more on candles and natural materials on tables to make the whole place as warm and intimate as possible – a real winter oasis. And don’t you just love the fairy light bottles? So pretty. Bridesmaids could be in a mismatched array of your colours, but they could also have a neutral like a mushroom colour, with bright flowers popping against them. Another aspect of a chilly wedding that is super fun is the menu – make the most of it with warming soups, a hot chocolate bar, maybe mulled wine or cider stations, toffee apples, etc. And finally, how much do you love these invites? The wording as well as the design. Just perfect. Hope you like your board, Claire!

Colours: Red, orange, yellow, bronze, gold

Top row (l-r): Invitation {P: Stone Crandall Photography}; bouquet; pinecones in vase {P: SB Childs Photography; C: A Touch of Elegance}; bottles with fairy lights; rustic cake {P: Rebecca Hollis Photography; D: Romancing the Stone}
Row 2: Toffee apples; table number {P: Gideon Photography; D: Forevermore Events}; pine cone place cards; hot chocolate {P: Camilla Photography; D: Branches Floral}
Row 3: Bridesmaids {P: Michelle Turner; C: Maine Seasons Events}; bark votives; painted stones

Autumn Rustic Inspiration Board | SouthBound Bride

Inspiration Board: Tropical Coral & Mint

by gaby

Hidey ho, neighbours. How was your weekend? Mine has been absolutely chokka with work, and a separate project I have on this November which has really been taking me back in time a bit to a year I spent teaching English in Milan… really wishing I could just jump on a plane and spend some time in my second favourite country again! Anyway, we’re transporting ourselves somewhere else completely today, to tropical Colombia, where lucky reader Clara will be getting married at a restaurant venue. She’s chosen mint/aqua, coral, gold, ivory and white, and I have to say, I don’t think she could have picked a more perfect palette. It’s just the right mix of tropical, modern and romantic. My first find was the stationery set below, which I am completely in love with, and which I think completely gets across the location and the colour scheme. I also love the idea of adding in some fun tropical touches, like coral bands on the napkins and this cute enamel statement octopus ring – maybe a fun accessory for the bridesmaids, in their coral sundresses. Clara also likes shabby chic and lace, and while it’s not always easy to mix this with tropical, I’d do it using pretty tea glasses with coral roses, a fringe garland (why not include lace in this?) and a ruffly dress. The flowers are also a lovely mix between classic and tropical, and I love the bold use of a flash of gold. For the tables, I’d keep things simple – maybe using a nice print (chevron or stripes always work well) in the mint or aqua shade, with gold cutlery and glassware (or just keeping to simple white tables with beautiful stationery accents at each setting for a more sober look). Clara also asked about using flowers for the church and the restaurant and I think she has a few options, depending on the size of the party. If it’s intimate, I’d use smaller arrangements in the church placed at different heights, and then re-use these along the table (even bridesmaids’ bouquets can be placed in vases and double up as reception flowers). Or, if you’re going for big statement pieces in the church, place these standing or on stands around the reception and keep table flowers more simple. Finally, you could keep things very simple in the church – maybe forsaking flowers completely and using lots of candles, for example, and save the flowers for the reception. There are no hard and fast rules – do whatever your budget and wedding size allow. Hope you like your board, Clara, and good luck with the rest of your planning!

Colours: Mint, coral, gold, ivory, white

Top row (l-r): Bride and groom {efeunodos/William Banea}; roses in tea glasses; fringe garland; tropical bouquet {José Villa}; palm print {Stella McCartney}
Row 2: Coral and mint beach wedding invitation suite {Boudreaux by Wednesday Custom Designs}; enamel octopus ring; watermelon margarita pops; cake {}
Row 3: Coral bridesmaids dresses; aqua chevron print table decor {Kate Headley}; coral napkin holder {Wedding Concepts/Annemari Ruthven}; aqua shoes {Karen Hill/Loli Events}

 

Inspiration Board: Homegrown

by gaby

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: Cleopatra’s Gold

by gaby

Good morning, lovelies – did you have a fantastic weekend? Get up to any Halloween antics? Today’s board is one of my own inventions – sort of a mix between my recent Moroccan influences and a decadent art deco interpretation of Egyptian style. The colours – black, white and gold – are classic for an evening celebration of course, and paired with pretty luxe details like these beautiful bridesmaid dresses, gold-detailed glasses and those sandals, would make for a really lovely wedding. The bride’s makeup would be dramatic, and she’d wear a stunning mantilla – maybe with a flash of sequins on her dress and a henna tattoo. With so much going on with the table settings (love these print tablecloths, by the way, even if Kim Kardashian did use them), I’d keep the rest of the decor relatively simple – isn’t this tent-like draping a simple and lovely way to do things? The stationery would be a designer’s dream, and I’d combine several rich patterns in the three main colours. I would LOVE to see someone pull this off!

Colours: Gold, black & white

Top row (l-r): Bride in chair {P: Jose Villa}; bridesmaids {P: My Big Day Photos}; rings {P: Michelle Turner Photography; P: Leah Michelle}; glasses {P: Katie Neal Photo; D: Alchemy Fine Events and Invitations}; art deco mural
Row 2: Invitations; makeup {P: My Big Day Photos}; gold sandals {Elie Tahari}; gold beanbag; mantilla veil {P: Picotte Weddings; D: Wedding Nouveau}
Row 3: Table setting in gold, black and white {P: Katie Neal Photo; D: Alchemy Fine Events and Invitations}; henna tattoo {P: Picotte Weddings; D: Wedding Nouveau}; sequins {P: My Big Day Photos}; draped reception {P: Frenzel Photographers; C: Jesi Haack Weddings}.

 

Inspiration Board: Skipping Stones

by gaby

Sjoe. I have been getting more reader requests for inspiration boards than I can keep up with, but I absolutely love hearing from you and will get to as many as I can, so please do be patient! Our second board for the week is for Kelsey, who is planning a summer wedding at the college she and her fiance attended. I’ve seen quite a few college weddings on US blogs, and I think it’s a lovely place for a wedding – something I sort of wish we did in SA. Mind you, I don’t think you could pay me enough money to get married at the ugly shoebox that was the Stellenbosch arts building! Anyway, I digress. Kelsey dreams of a wedding that’s delicate, simple and romantic, and wanted to include both lace (because of the pretty vintage factor) and stones, because her fiance proposed while they were skipping rocks on the Boise River. How adorable is that? I love this sort of personal touch, and luckily I have come up with some really cute ideas. Kelsey’s palette is absolutely dreamy, and incredibly contemporary – light blue and light grey are such an of-the-moment colour combo. LOVE. I’m envisioning a classic wedding with some pretty but not too fussy touches. I adore the idea of a blue or grey wedding dress, but bridesmaids in these shades are just as wonderful, and I’d recommend bringing in quite a bit of sheer fabric if possible (also a big trend for 2013). The lace motif comes in through a lacy wrap for the bride, pretty lacy stationery (I wouldn’t use too much actual lace on the tables, to keep it unfussy), a lace decoration on the cake and even a lace backdrop for the photobooth. Flowers are mostly white, as is the rest of the table decor I’m picturing. (If Kelsey would like to keep it simpler, she could scale down that table decor.) For a vintage touch, I’d include simple details like ‘something blue’ embroidery, piles of ‘love letters’ tied together with ribbon (a new take on the book table decor trend), and how adorable are these crochet covered stones? The stone motif was the most fun to include – I absolutely heart the runner, because it reminds me a little of a riverbed (so appropriate here) but other ways to bring them in are though giving your guests wishing stones to hold during the ceremony, or stones to write on as a guest book alternative, stones inside hurricane jars with candles on the table, or even stones covered in clay with names stamped in as place cards (although not all at once please!). The end result is so pretty and romantic, don’t you think? Hope you agree Kelsey – good luck with the rest of your planning!

Colours: Powder blue & grey

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {P: Ngg studios; S: Imbue Weddings}; embroidery; bouquet {P: Marta Locklear Photography; F: The Enchanted Florist}; table setting {P: Alicia Swedenborg; S: Vintage Honeymoon}; lace monogram cake {P: Juliet Elizabeth Photography; C: A Charleston Bride}
Row 2: Stones with crochet detail {P: Jose Villa; S: Joy Thigpen}; bride and bridesmaids {P: Costantine Delis for Vogue}; love letter decor {P: Briana Moore Photography}; stone aisle runner {P & D: Designs By Courtney}
Row 3: Sheer blue dress {P: Alicia Swedenborg; S: Vintage Honeymoon}; tags {P: Melissa Musgrove Photography: C: La Fete Weddings}; stones guest book {P: Lauren Kinsey Photography; C: Fete Weddings & Events}; hairstyle; lace cover-up {P: Samm Blake}