Category: Inspiration

Boho Campervan Bridal Shoot by Brandon Scott Photography

by gaby

I have one more little surprise for you today, since we’ve had an unofficial celebration of all things boho with this morning’s chilled out wedding and now this absolutely EXTRAORDINARY styled bridal shoot from Canadian photographer Brandon Scott. Honestly, some of the images that land in my inbox are so breathtaking that I have to do a little happy dance, and these definitely fall into that category, with a shiny campervan, a bride in a short lace dress and the most beautiful flower wreath. The gorgeous model has the casual grace of Blake Lively, and really captures the way that a boho bridal look is all about being sunkissed and down-t0-earth and fancy free, basking in the glow of nature and laughing happily with your beloved. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this wedding style. Thanks so much for sharing, Brandon!Read More

Inspiration Board: Navy, Peach & Apricot

by gaby

Hello lovelies! I’m back from an AMAZING weekend in Plett with two of my best girls from high school – we had the perfect weather, and such an amazing time chilling and laughing until we cried. But it’s back to work today, and that means inspiration boards here on SBB. Today I’ve chosen a warm but formal combination of navy, peach and coral/apricot – I absolutely LOVE how these colours work together. If you were thinking of navy and pink, this is a lovely, modern alternative, and having both peach and apricot together adds that extra depth and dimension. What do you think?

Colours: Navy blue, peach and coral

Top row (l-r): Bride & bridesmaids {Lane Dittoe Photographer/Galas by Gerry}; cake with ruffle rose {Kristen Ellis/Mindy Weiss}; peach biscuits {}
Row 2: Peach place setting {Rebecca Thuss}; calligraphy envelope {Antiquaria,}; paint
Row 3: Peach bellinis {Pictilio}; stripey straws; shoes & bouquet {Dana Cubbage}; navy suit {Shannon Lee}.

 

Berry & Jewel Tone Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

Time for our latest rundown of gorgeous looks for your bridesmaids, and today we’ve come over all autumney with a line-up of berry and jewel toned dresses in the prettiest shades of purple, lilac and, of course, the colour of the year Radiant Orchid. I’m loving how these colours are popping up in bridal parties round the globe and brightening things up – and I have to say, I am especially fond of the look where you have a wedding that otherwise uses earth tones or neutrals. It really pops. Of course, you can choose a single shade of plum or cranberry, but this is another of those cases where tonal mismatching really comes into its own. Plus, there are loads of dresses in these colours popping up on the catwalks, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to pick up some you all love in the shops. Win.Read More

Inspiration Board: Kraft & Blush

by gaby

Hello my lovelies, how was your weekend? Today I’m indulging two of my wedding loves, those for kraft paper details and the softest shade of blush. Kraft (or brown paper) used to be one of those details that was really only associated with rustic or casual weddings, whereas what I wanted to show here is that it can actually be adapted for romantic, sophisticated celebrations as well (win for the budget). The little calligraphed packages are my favourite detail (calligraphy just makes everything pretty, fact) and I thought it went perfectly with the soft pink with the tiniest touch of gold. Not to mention the gorgeous kraft paper wall hangings and adorable frothy flowers. The prettiest way to start off our week!

Colours: Blush pink, white, beige and green

Top row (l-r): Kraft wrapped favours {Jose Villa/Beth Helmstetter/Laura Hooper}; bridesmaids {Nancy Ray/Rebecca Rose Events}; cake {KT Merry/Nine Cakes/Rock Paper Scissors Events}
Row 2: Envelopes with white calligraphy {Landon Jacob/Jessica Rourke/Lady Letterpress}; bouquet {Megan Dandeles Photography/mStarr Event Styling & Design}; rosé champagne
Row 3: Blush wedding dress {Adam Barnes/Katie Stoops}; table setting {Elizabeth Messina}; gold cutlery {Kate Grewal Photography}; kraft backdrop {Kristyn Hogan/Cedarwood Weddings}.

 

Illusion Neckline & Statement Back Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

We’re continuing our busy Friday with a look at one of my FAVOURITE bridesmaid trends of the moment. Actually, this one started as a wedding dress trend, but good news girls, illusion necklines and statement or portrait back dresses are now for bridesmaids too! There’s just no denying how pretty these are, and how gorgeous and sophisticated they will make your bridesmaids feel. Plus, win, they look GREAT in photos! I think we’ll be seeing lots more of these this season, but today I’ve rounded up some of my favourite looks so far.Read More

DIY Paper Plane Drink Stirrers

by gaby

Morning lovelies! We have a busy day here on SBB, as Telkom and Eskom put paid to some of my well-laid plans this week, but all the better to fill up your Friday with pretty. We’re kicking things off with a little bit of DIY goodness. BY FAR the most popular theme in weddings (if you could call it that, since it isn’t necessarily all themey) is travel. Every time I write about it on SBB, it gets a ton of hits and frankly, I love writing about it since travel theme design often includes some of my favourite things – air mail stripes, vintage stamps and postcards, maps, globes, hot air balloons… and paper planes. I’ve been wanting to do a couple of travel theme DIYs for a while, and I thought I would kick things off with a little something for cocktail hour. This DIY is super, super easy. If you can fold paper and use glue, you can make these. They make an adorable little detail for your pre-drinks, and you can just as easily use the same DIY (with toothpicks instead of full size skewers) as cupcake or even cake toppers.

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Inspiration Board: Wedgwood & Wildflower

by gaby

Happy Monday, lovelies! It’s time for our weekly inspiration board, and today I am singin’ the blues. But the good kind. The kind that makes me think 2014 is the year that Something Blue becomes more than part of a motto for the bride. Now, don’t get me wrong, blue goes beautifully with many other colours, but lately I find myself drawn to the cool freshness that an all-blue palette can bring, especially when it combines a couple of interesting shades. It’s preppy and formal enough for a wedding, but bright and interesting too. I fell in love with the bouquet in this board from the second I saw it, and I adore how it mixes casual and formal, as well as two shades of blue with classic white. I thought it would make a great palette, but it wasn’t until I came across some lovely Wedgwood details that it came together – again, it’s the mix of formal and classic with a laid-back modern aspect that makes this so winning in my book! It really is the best of both worlds.

Colours: Cornflower blue, baby blue & white

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {Lisa Vorce/Kate Holt/Jose Villa}; bride {Virgil Bunao/Ooh Events}; monogram handkerchief {Bella Grace Studios/Allure Events}; shoes {Graham Terhune Photography}
Row 2: Wedgwood cookies; bridesmaids {Emily Steffen}; dress with monogram embroidery
Row 3: Invitation suite; wedding table {Carmen & Ingo/Doreen Winking}; flowers.

 

Two-tone Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

If you follow on Twitter or Facebook, you might have spotted a little something about SBB making its radio debut on OFM, a radio station based in Bloemfontein yesterday. Fun! I was delighted to be approached by DJ Yolanda Maartens, and I was more than happy to act as one of her experts on a spot she calls The Wedding Planner. This time, Yolanda suggested we chat about bridesmaids and the latest trends for dressing your girls, and it got me thinking that it’s been a while since I did one of our bridesmaid dress trend roundups. Last year I covered a huge series of looks, and many of these are going strong into 2014 (hello sparkle, lace & pastels!) but there are a couple of key looks I haven’t yet covered. So I’m declaring March the Month of Bridesmaids, and I’m starting things off today with two tone dresses. Now, colour blocking is by no means a new trend on the catwalks (or even on bridesmaids), but I think 2014 is the year it really comes into its own, thanks to the development of two other trends. One is for longer lengths, with many bridesmaids rocking floor length gowns where a couple of years ago it was all about the cocktail dress. The other is for skirts (one of the trends I looked at last year). And while two-tone dresses can be any combination really, my favourite look – and the one that I’m seeing more of this season – is a white top or bustier with a long, flowing, skirt. Not only is it very, very pretty, but it’s super flattering on a huge variety of figures. So yay. We like this one. :)

If you’d like to hear my full OFM interview, you can play the podcasts from here. Read More

Citrus & Slate Styled Shoot at Kelvin Grove

by gaby

Afternoon lovelies! Very excited to share this styled shoot with you today, which comes from a very talented team of suppliers, including photographers Heathyr Huss and Nicole Rich, as well as event designer Nicola Jane Wedding & Event Specialist. The theme of the shoot was Nutopia, a romantic infusion of citrus and slate. I am always a huge fan of modern wedding styling, especially when it uses innovative colours or textures and this shoot is chock full of lovely ideas to inspire you. First of all, it is sunshine yellow, which has to be the most cheerful colour ever. With a healthy dose of citrus detailing and gorgeous flowers (including pincushion proteas, my best), parts of the look are really organic and certainly very summery. And did I mention the romance of the dresses? Wow, Elbeth Gillis gets me every time! These soft aspects contrast with some industrial elements – not scary industrial though, pretty modern industrial. As in, hanging bulbs, concrete planters (LOVE this idea), and slate grey which really makes the lemon yellow pop. The whole look is fresh and elegant and gorgeous!Read More

Inspiration Board: Cornflower & Orange Grove

by gaby

Morning, friends – time for our Monday morning inspiration! Today I’ve put together a board that mixes some of my favourite things – a dash of duck egg blue, a spritz of citrus, and a soupçon of French countryside styling. I absolutely love the way that these colours work together, and it gives me such a feeling of summer and sunshine, but with an elegant edge. Although it’s a look that would happily translate to a number of venues, it has me dreaming of a blue-shuttered chateau in France, with orange garlands and little kumquat decorations on the cake and table, and a gorgeous pale blue wedding dress. Isn’t it pretty?

Colours: Duck egg blue & orange

Top row (l-r): Table setting {Stephanie Williams}; blue wedding dress; cake with kumquat decorations {Lisa Vorce/Mindy Rice}; vintage truck {Joy de Vivre/Michael & Anna Costa}
Row 2: Orange crate with soaps {Hand in Hand}; invitations {Raymond Hom}; blue wedding shoes {Jeremy and Alicia Brown/Vintage Whites Weddings}
Row 3: Orange chandelier wreath {Ryan Ray Photo/Events of Love and Splendor}; chateau wedding.