Category: Inspiration

Clinton Lotter 2015 Collection

by gaby

Did you ever take a look around and realise just how many South Africans are taking over the world? It makes me super proud of our little nation. And of course, we have a tradition of innovative fashion designers, which is why I love showcasing the work of homegrown talents. Some have flown our borders, like the phenomenal Clinton Lotter, whose work I first came across a few years ago while browsing through the racks at Blackburn Bridal in London – I was immediately in love, and I’ve showcased every one of his collections ever since. So I thought it was about time we took a peek at what 2015 has to offer, courtesy of an eye-catching lookbook that’s very Game of Thrones chic! Whether you’re winning battles or winning hearts, doing it in one of these gowns is the height of glamour.Read More

Inspiration Board: Airs & Graces

by gaby

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}

 

Local Colour Styled Shoot from the NEW Wedding Inspirations Magazine

by gaby

We’re kicking off a new week with a punch of colour – and more than a touch of homegrown style, which as you all know, is our FAVE. As it’s Heritage month, our friends at Wedding Inspirations magazine have commissioned a seriously wonderful ‘Local is Lovely’ issue, celebrating everything beautiful and South African, from indigenous florals to beadwork-inspired cakes. There’s so much to inspire you here, so do be sure to go out and grab yourself a copy. Today, we’re delighted to share this seriously gorgeous shoot from the September issue, a modern twist on traditional local motifs (shwe shwe, yay!), against the modern blank canvas of White Light. With decor and styling by Ribbon Creative Studio and photography by SBB Directory members Jack and Jane, you know you’re going to see something completely fresh and lovely, so let’s dive on in! (And PS, you’ll find all the info on how to get the look for yourself in the magazine.)Read More

Dreamy Pastel Wedding Dresses

by gaby

Blush Wedding Photography/Diana McGregor Photography/Summer Watkins/Tara La Tour via Style Me Pretty

Some days I really, really love my job, and today is one of them. Because who doesn’t want to spend an afternoon or two sifting through the most ridiculously dreamy dresses on the planet? I don’t know if it’s just that a touch of pastel adds a bit of whimsy to these beauties, but I seriously think pastel wedding dresses are beyond romantic, and I adore the way that, as well as blush (which we’ll always love!), there are amazing options in mint, powder blue, lemon, lilac and peach too. Have a look, and fall in love.
*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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Blue by Enzoani 2016 Collection

by gaby

Time for some fashion inspiration, lovely ones! South African brides are huge fans of luxury European fashion line, Enzoani, and we’ve featured many real brides rocking their beautiful designs over the years. Today I wanted to share one of the latest Enzoani collections – their in-house Blue by Enzoani line – which I am sure we’ll see on many brides in future! From the romantic silhouettes to the gorgeous lace, they’re the kind of gowns that make you go “ooh!”. One thing I really like about these dresses is that, although they have gorgeous and interesting backs, the front detailing is just as lovely, which I sometimes think gets a bit neglected with illusion lace being such a bit thing these days. That said, there’s lots of on-trend sheer panelling and sparkly embellishment to satisfy those portrait back loving brides as well. Basically, it’s lovely, and this lookbook is all about the European princess look, so let’s indulge ourselves, shall we?Read More

Inspiration Board: Enchanted Blue

by gaby

It’s funny with inspiration boards – sometimes I feel like I’ve done loads of a particular colour or combination recently, and then I look back at my archive and realise I actually haven’t. So maybe it’s just all those colour combinations floating around in my head. That’s what happened with today’s board, because it turns out I haven’t done anything with pale blue for ages. That made me really happy, because it gave me an excuse to play with powder blue and gold, which I’m sorry, is just completely dreamy! I adore this romantic but not to feminine combo for a wedding, especially the way that the cool of the blue and the warmth of the gold complement each other perfectly. What more do I need to say?

Colours: Powder blue, sand & gold

Top row (l-r): Ballerina bride {Archetype}; blue & gold table decor {KT Merry/Joy Proctor}; individual cakes {Alicia Pyne Photography/Sugary And Chic Cake Boutique}
Row 2: Cake with coloured candles {Warm Photo/Special Day}; flower girl in lace crown {Whitney Neal Photography}; gold candyflossRow 3: Tent breakout area {Jemma Keech/Cathrin D’Entremont Weddings}; gold shoes {Marissa Lambert Photography/Jimmy Choo}; foiled pear placecard {Weddings By Sasha}; blue bridesmaid dresses {Elizabeth Henson Photos}

 

10 Ways to Style Sequin Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

You’ve probably figured out by now that sequin bridesmaid dresses are kind of a favourite here on SBB – let’s be honest, they look completely gorgeous and glamorous and they always make our pretty-loving hearts lift a mile. But by now you also know there are a ton of options for how to actually put that sparkly ensemble together. Long or short? Solids or skirts? Same dresses or mismatched? Well, we can’t make the decision for you, but we can do what we do, and bring you some delicious, glittering inspiration!Read More

Glamorous Olive Grove Engagement by Louise Vorster

by gaby

It’s been our month of glamour on SBB, but one of my favourite things is finding a way to inject a bit of glamour into an unexpected place: chandeliers hanging from a tree, ballroom style in an urban loft space… or a shimmering full length gold dress in an olive grove. That’s why I immediately fell in love with this beautiful shoot by Louise Vorster – the contrast between bride-to-be Adél’s glam gown and the rustic setting for her engagement shoot with her love, Jan, is so eye catching and gorgeous. And there’s something very intimate about it too – like the two lovebirds have sneaked off to have a fancy date in an secret location, and are having the time of their lives doing just that. It’s moments like this that give us a glimpse of the fun of being engaged, a welcome break in a sea of wedding planning, and a special memory captured forever.Read More

Rosa Clara 2016

by gaby

It’s always such a pleasure to scroll through the latest designs from Spanish label Rosa Clara. Not only do we already know the gorgeousness that is Spanish wedding couture, but Rosa Clara’s line always has such wonderful details and textures, and each time I scroll through I notice a new embellishment, a sleek silhouette, or an unusual neckline. The 2016 collection was inspired by divas of the 1930s and 1940s, and manages to mix classic elegance with pretty much every fashion forward bridal trend we’re loving at the moment – two-pieces, off-the-shoulder gowns, portrait backs. Plus, even though this collection is straight from Barcelona with love, I adore knowing that local brides can find Rosa Clara at Olivelli, which makes the line that much more special for South African readers. So let’s take a moment to immerse ourselves in these calming, elegant lookbook images, and dream of each of these lovelies sashaying down the aisle next season.Read More

15 Glam Foiled Wedding Invitation Suites

by gaby

I swear, I have as many stationery crushes as I do rugby players. The stationery is a little less PG rated, obvs. The point is, one of my absolute biggest stationery crushes over the last couple of years has been foiling, which everytime I see in a wedding invitation suite just makes me want to run my hands over it and say “ooh, shiny shiny!” Gold, silver, copper, rose gold… doesn’t matter. It’s a really beautiful way of bringing a bit of glamour to your invitations, and making metallics set the tone for the elegant soiree to follow. As always, there are some seriously talented designers in the Etsy community who have created some gorgeous foiled invites, and I’ve picked out fifteen of my favourites. I love my job.Read More