Inspiration - SouthBound Bride

Inspiration Board: Rose Quartz & Concrete

4 April, 2016 by gaby

You guys. HOW is it April already? Seriously, it kills me how fast this year is going (again), but at least with a new month comes a new ‘theme’ and this time we’re turning sharply from country to city weddings, and rustic to glam. Well, maybe not glam, since April is all about industrial wedding themes, and it’s the use of utilitarian industrial elements combined with romantic and glam elements that makes this look so awesome (and such a huge trend for 2016). And actually, you don’t have to be having a city wedding to pull it off (for example, you’ll find industrial chic details at The Venue Fontana, which works beautifully in a converted barn setting too). To demonstrate that contrast, I’ve picked a big one for today’s inspiration board, by combining one of the least romantic textures (concrete) with the soft rose quartz, one of Pantone’s colours of the year. It’s a distinctly modern twist on the blush and grey wedding trend, which also happens to go spectacularly with mixed metallics, and I have to tell you, I’m in love. What do you think?

Colours: Pantone Rose Quartz, concrete grey, white & mixed metallics

Top row (l-r): Blush wedding dress (Carousel Fashion) | DIY concrete candle holders | shoes (Kerry Bartlett/Harriet Wilde)
Row 2: Silver stripe invitations (Minted) | bride with ring box (Kristin Partin Photography/Caryn’s Bridals/Kays/The Mrs. Box) | pink martini
Row 3: Concrete & gold effect cake (Sweet Bakes) | concrete geometric votive holders | mismatched bridesmaid dresses (Michael and Carina Photography) | peony bouquet (Joy Proctor/Melanie Duerkopp Photography )

Fruit & Vegetable Place Settings

1 April, 2016 by gaby

Before we all head off for the weekend, I have one last little post on our farmer’s market theme to share. I absolutely love place settings that include produce – whether fruit or vegetable – as a sweet little touch. In fact, I’ve used fruit in two of the editorials I’ve styled myself over the years. And I can’t think of a better way of getting across the feeling of farm-to-table than this. The great thing is that you can use pretty much any fruit and vegetable – we’ve seen absolutely beautiful designs using everything from pumpkins to pomegranates, from apples to artichokes, and everything in between. For extra green points, choose something local and seasonal, and place one at each setting. We’ve rounded up 20 of our favourite examples to inspire.

Inspiration Board: Farm & Field

31 March, 2016 by gaby

Before our month of farm-fresh inspiration ends, I just had to create one more moodboard. This is what I really think of when I imagine a farm-to-table wedding – something organic, and natural, and rustic but very romantic. With a bit of a botanical feel and a neutral palette, and including fresh produce and natural textures. It may not seem ‘wedding-ey’ as a concept, but when you put it all together, I think it’s so pretty! If you’re drawn to this look, be sure to balance the ‘rougher’ elements with more elegant, traditional ones – calligraphy, fine linen and china, or touches of metallics, for example. The best part? You can send your guests home to cook their centrepieces for Sunday lunch ;)

Colours: Sage, taupe & white

Top posts (l-r): Artichoke table number (Sylvie Gil Photography/Shannon Leahy/Natalie Bowen) | tablescape (Ace Photography/Cedarwood Weddings) | calligraphy eggs (Ali Harper)
Row 2: Bride & groom (welovepictures) | artichoke centrepiece (Moira West Photography/Dear Idea) | cutlery tied with twine (Illuminate Photography)
Row 3: Seed packets | bridesmaids (Brosnan Photographic/Elegant Events) | cheese cake (Michelle Joubert-Martin/Fairview) | vegetable escort cards (Jeremiah And Rachel Photography/Habitat Events/Habitat Floral Studio)

Julie Vino Santorini Collection

25 March, 2016 by gaby

Holiday! Celebrate! (You’ll be singing that all day now, sorrynotsorry.) Since today actually is a holiday, I thought it would be fun if you and I went on a holiday together – albeit a virtual one. I’ve picked one of my favourite destinations too, the glorious isle of Santorini in Greece, which is the inspiration and setting for Julie Vino‘s current collection. Sugarcube houses and sapphire seas, plus beautiful gowns, is a winning combination. It’s been a couple of years since we discovered Israeli designer Julie Vino, and her collections never fail to impress with their combination of sensual and feminine. This one is fit for a Grecian goddess – or just the luckiest of brides.

Opulent Monochrome Wedding Inspiration

24 March, 2016 by gaby

When it comes to colour, you all know by now that I’m a little… fickle. I love bolds. I love pastels. I love pops. I love neutrals. And I love, love, love (with the part of my heart that is all Gucci and Chanel and gold jewellery and little black dresses) monochrome. As Coco herself said: “When I find a colour darker than black, I’ll wear it”! And when it comes to your wedding day, these days there’s no reason why you can’t rock a little black dress – or a lot of one. That’s what the model in today’s bold and beautiful styled shoot does, and what a dress! I absolutely adore this sexy, stylish gown from JVR Couture, and it’s the perfect centrepiece to a set-up that mixes opulence and simplicity. A strong, sophisticated palette of black, white and gold, with luxe touches like ruffles and chandeliers, and lush flowers, and gilded plates and pears. If you’re a glamorous bride, then this is very much going to be your vibe – what an awesome job by SBB Directory member Hello Love Photography!

Romantic Art Life: Gentle Soul

18 March, 2016 by gaby

Brideys, do I ever have some beautiful inspiration for you today! Last year, I discovered Romantic Art Life, a collection of gorgeously intricate bridal hair accessories, which I shared on the blog. Well, I recently came across the 2016 collection, and I am in LOVE. Each one of these pieces is so special and perfect for a wedding day look (or even a bridal portrait shoot or engagement session, styled right). And there happens to be the most gorgeous lookbook too, full of beachy romance and lots of dress, hair and makeup inspiration on top of the amazing accessories – I couldn’t wait to share it! Here’s a bit more about the collection, entitled ‘Gentle Soul’, from designer Anastasiya: “My 2016 Bridal Collection “Gentle Soul” was inspired by the organic elements of Florida, pastel colors of the beach sand, relaxed feel of the sea and sky. I wanted to create a timeless style full of movement and romance. Our elegant bride believes in magic, loves to dance and sing, dreams about love. Her soft & romantic gowns from light & airy fabrics, accessories with intricate details in her hair, illuminate the beauty of her gentle soul. Her soul that is unprotected, beautiful and soft.“

Rustic Farmer’s Market Style Wedding Invitations

17 March, 2016 by gaby

So, we’ve been chatting this month about farmer’s market slash farm to table slash generally organic and rustic wedding style. We’ve spoken about decor, we’ve spoken about food – but there’s one aspect we haven’t touched on yet at all. Paper! Yep, stationery for a wedding with this theme is as much fun to think about as ever! I had a little wander around Etsy and Minted, two of our faves, and I found some suites that I think you guys are going to LOVE. Some feature produce like fruit or vegetables, some cultivate that farmhouse table feel, and others are just generally rustic and gorgeous. So whether you’re planning a full-on farmer’s market theme, or just want a feeling of farminess (not a word, but whatevs) in your invitations, you’ll find something here.

Inspiration Board: Each Peach Pear Plum

14 March, 2016 by gaby

Time for some colour inspiration, lovelies! I’ve said it before, my favourite thing about using fruit and veg (since farm fresh decor is what we’re talking about this month) is the purity of natural colour, which is just never quite the same in synthetic form. So when it came to designing a board in the colour plum, I knew I wanted to follow the natural variation of actual plums instead of just the deep paint shade – a mix of Marsala or burgundy red moving right into rich purple. And to keep things bright and romantic, I’ve combined it with peach and white. I’m pretty much in love with the result – how about you?

Colours: Plum, burgundy, peach & white

Top row (l-r): Bouquet (Twig & Twine/Adelphi Productions/Christina McNeill); place setting (Hudson Nichols Photography/Bottle Pop Party Co./Fresh Designs Florist); plums (Claire Thomson)
Row 2: Flower crown (Heather Hawkins Photography/Bows And Arrows/Makeup Santa Fe); peach bridesmaids (Belle and Beau); peach cocktail
Row 3: Plum escort cards (Adam Barnes); peach wedding dress (Sara Hasstedt/A Vintage Affair Events & Rentals/Violet Floral Design); ruffle cake (Kina Wicks)

Robyn Roberts Collection 2016

14 March, 2016 by gaby

Over the years here on SBB, we’ve featured a lot of real weddings and gorgeous wedding dresses, but the days that there’s a Robyn Roberts gown on the books, are always special. One of SA’s top bridalwear talents, Robyn’s gowns walk that perfect line between modern and romantic, contemporary and whimsical, and make brides feel both like supermodels and princesses on their big day. Honestly, I’ve never met a Robyn Roberts dress I didn’t love, and so I’m absolutely delighted to be sharing the brand new collection exclusively on SBB today. These gowns are ah-mazing – bang on trend, but oh so wearable! According to Robyn, the idea was to create a range of dreamy dresses with a modern edge. Textured effects were created by layering multiple ethereal, whisper-soft fabrics, and focusing on back details and soft, comfortable skirts. The colours vary from crisp white to creamy ivories and rich blush undertones – swoon! And not only do we get to bask in all the fashion glory, but we also get to enjoy some drop dead gorgeous florals from our faves at Green Goddess flower studio as well. Told you it was a special day!

20 More Fruit & Vegetable Wedding Bouquets

11 March, 2016 by gaby

When our Farmer’s Market theme for March was decided on, there was one post from our archives that I was particularly excited to revisit. This roundup of fruit & vegetable bouquets has been popular ever since it was published, and I loved all the combos that were included in it, with their range of produce inclusions, but over the years since, I’ve often found myself doing a little blogger swoon over something new and thinking how much prettier bouquets with edible bouquets just seem to keep getting. So it was awesome to have a chance to revisit the look and share some more beauties – I honestly think these are some of my absolute favourite bouquets ever! You’ll find a range of whimsical, colourful and downright quirky inclusions here, from litchis to chilli peppers, and including some perennial favourites like citrus and artichokes and kale. The bottom line? Whether or not you’re having a farm-to-table style wedding, don’t be afraid to think outside of the traditional box when it comes to the work of art you carry down the aisle with you.