Inspiration - SouthBound Bride

Beach Beautiful

10 September, 2013 by gaby

What are the two magic words guaranteed to set any wedding blogger’s heart a-thumping? (And no, they’re not ‘mason jar’.) Jose Villa. Only my favourite photographer, ever. And what are three magic words guaranteed to get South African brides excited? Why, ‘new Wedding Inspirations‘, of course. One of my all-time favourite wedding magazines, and the first thing I picked up a copy of when I landed in SA. So what happens when you put the two together? Well, that’s what I get to share with you today. I’ll explain – the brand new issue of Wedding Inspirations is out now, and it’s an absolute feast. There’s ideas, advice, fashion and some absolutely beautiful shoots. Including this one, which was not only photographed by the aforementioned Jose Villa, but styled by the fab Joy Proctor of Joy de Vivre, a super talented wedding stylist in the States who is bringing her considerable skills to the SA market. It’s a beautiful, romantic and refined coastal look, with selected vintagey accents and a soft but classic colour palette. I’m more than a little in love with it, and I’m so thrilled that our friends at Wedding Inspirations have allowed me to spotlight it here today.Read More

Pantone Spring 2014: Freesia & Sand

9 September, 2013 by gaby

How I do love a new set of colours to play with! And I must say, I think the bold, bright yellow of Pantone’s Spring 2014 collection, ‘Freesia’, may be my fave. It immediately reminded me of the bold yellow stripes that characterise a great place I went to last week in Abu Dhabi, the Monte Carlo Beach Club – everything there is kitted out (tastefully) in preppy yellow and white stripes, and it looks amazing. Paired with ‘Sand’, another of Pantone’s 2014 picks, you have the makings of a perfect beach wedding, or even of a rustic farm look. As always, be sparing with the brights, let them punch out. And punch is certainly what this colour does! Love it.

Colours: Pantone Freesia & Sand

Top row (l-r): Ring {Joielala Photographie}; stripey paper straws; invitation; dessert {Grandes Fetes/Jessica Schilling}
Row 2: Place setting {Krissy Allori Photography + Courtney Jade Photography/Double Take Event Styling}; bridesmaids in yellow stripes; billy buttons {Nineteen Eighty Five/Christine Meintjes}.

Pantone Spring 2014: Placid Blue & Paloma

9 September, 2013 by gaby

Morning, lovelies! It’s that time of the year again, when Pantone releases their spring colours. My favourite. I’m still being inspired by last years’ crop, in fact. That was, until I got a whole new ten colours to dream about. I’ll be doing a full roundup on Weds of the whole set of colours, but this week I’ll also be bringing you inspiration boards of my favourite colour combos, starting with today’s. I just love this soft blue, ‘placid blue’, especially when combined with the softest grey, ‘paloma’. So romantic! It’s also a lovely alternative if you’d been considering pastels or a blush and grey mix for your wedding, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of placid especially. Or just consider wearing a blue wedding dress in the shade – so unusual and gorgeous. I’ll be back with another board this afternoon, but meanwhile, what do you think?

Colours: Pantone Placid Blue & Paloma

Top row (l-r): Horseshoe escort cards {paper antler via style me pretty}; blue wedding cake with ruffles {Hey There, Cupcake!}; place setting {Jose Villa/Beth Helmstetter}; blue dress {Alicia Swedenborg}
Row 2: Watercolour invitation suite {Bubblerock/Quelque chose de Bleu}; blue wedding dress; blue and grey tie; paint samples {Lauren Bamford}.

25 Unique Boutonnieres

3 September, 2013 by gaby

Here on SBB we focus a lot on the bride and bridesmaids (sorry boys!) but of course our grooms are just as important to us, and we want them to be every bit as stylish as the ladies. And apart from a sharp suit, one great way to do this is through a fun boutonniere. Of course, I still LOVE floral bouts, but let’s be honest, not all guys are keen on them. And not just that, they can become an easy way to inject some comedy and personality into your groomsmen’s outfits, or continue a theme or motif. A couple of years ago, when bout alternatives became a thing, I did a roundup here on SBB which has been one of our most popular, and I thought it was high time that I did a little bit of a follow up. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are 25 fun and unique buttonhole ideas!Read More

Inspiration Board: Poppy & Violet

2 September, 2013 by gaby

Hello lovelies! Another week, another dose of inspiration here on SBB. This week I’m working out of Abu Dhabi while I visit one of my besties, which is so lovely, and on to South Africa on Thurs! Awesomesauce. Anyway, today we’re bringing together two strong colours that together have a lovely warmth. Poppy red is just brilliant – so bright and cheerful – but a red and white wedding can look a bit dated, depending on how you do it. But add in a punch of Pantone’s African Violet and you have the perfect contemporary combo. I love playing these colours out against a romantic rustic backdrop, as they are here – ideal for an autumn wedding, although they could also work in a modern graphic city wedding. What do you think?

Colours: Poppy red & African violet

Top row (l-r): Lilac dress {Elizabeth Messina/Joy Adaeze}; lilacs; red cocktails {Vanilla Bean Blog}; bridesmaids {Elizabeth Messina}
Row 2: Bouquet {Halberg Photographers/Kelly Oshiro Design}; door with heart lock; chocolates; table setting; calligraphy menu {Becca Borge/Sugar(ed) Event Design and Planning}
Row 3: Bride in field of poppies {Easy Dreamer Photography/Romancing the Stone Styling}; lilac and red stationery; poppy bouquet.

Best Man’s Emergency Kit

30 August, 2013 by gaby

Image: Anneli Marinovich on SouthBound Bride

A few weeks back, we heard from planner extraordinaire Theresa of Creation Events with her top tips & duties for groomsmen, following the popular feature we did for bridemaids. So useful to have everything summed up in one place for the boys! So today I thought that I would follow it up with some more groomsman goodness – a best man’s emergency kit (download our bridesmaid’s one here). So here we go – let’s hear it for the boys! *Links in bold denote affiliate links – SBB may receive a commission on any sales made.

Three Looks for Travel-themed Weddings

29 August, 2013 by gaby

Hello lovelies! Hope you’re having a fab afternoon. As you read this, I’ll almost be at the end of my month off, and heading to SA – can’t wait, as always! So, since travel is the order of the day for me, I thought it was time to touch on travel-themed weddings again. The great thing about this theme is that it really doesn’t have to be a single look or style – it can really be incorporated into any wedding style or venue. To prove my point, I’ve put together three lovely palettes using three of my favourite travel-themed invitation suites. The looks are very different, from vintage to contemporary elegance to bright, fun pops of colour. Which is your favourite?

Peplum Wedding Dresses

28 August, 2013 by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2018* It’s funny how fashion totally changes your taste, isn’t it? And then changes it again. Back when I was 12, I was head over heels in love with a dress my mom ended up buying me from Woolies: it was black and electric blue, with a dropped waist, made of shiny watermark taffeta that ruffled when you walked, had an off the shoulder ruffle and a niiiice net rose to finish it off. God, it was hideous. But at the time, which for the record, was the late ’80s, I thought it made me look awesome. Just a few years later, I wouldn’t have been seen dead in it. And the way fashion goes, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day (gulp) I look at something similar and think it looks good again. (Note to future self: NO.) The nice thing is that when trends come round again, they often do it in a gentler, subtler way. And so it is with peplum wedding dresses. I want to hate them, I really do, but then I look at how flattering they are, and what a difference it makes when they’re made with wedding dress materials, like floaty lace or tulle, and how many of the top designers are including peplum dresses in their collections, and I have to admit, I’m a convert. So I thought I would round up some of my favourites!
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Inspiration Board: Mint & Lilac

26 August, 2013 by gaby

There’s just something about purple palettes that I love, don’t you think? They really are just so pretty. And today’s is no exception. Lilac, lavender and mint make a great combination on their own, but when you add a bit of grey and a touch of silver sparkle, as well as a little dash of vintage, it’s just made for a wedding day. The cheese cake you may recognise from our roundup last week – I absolutely adore this one – but I also love the jumble of hanging bird cages, the mix and match bridesmaids, and the bride’s hair and gorgeous grey dress. I can just imagine how this would look in real life. The other great thing about this palette is that it’s so versatile – I could imagine this for spring, summer… and with a few tiny tweaks, autumn and winter too. What do you think?

Colour: Mint, lavender, lilac, grey & silver

Top row (l-r): Bridesmaid bouquet {Elisa B Photography/Amore Events by Cody/Sugar Magnolias}; lavender boutonniere {KT Merry/Sara Jean Events}; cheese wedding cake {Aaron Delesie/Laura Gresham Events/}; lace dress {Oh, How Charming/Braedon Photography}; bicycle
Row 2: Bride in grey dress {Joielala Photographie}; cocktail {Tim Halberg}; silver glitter shoes {Paperwhites Photography}; flowers in vase; hanging birdcages
Row 3: Bride & bridesmaids {Pam Cooley Photography}; place setting {Elisa B.}; lavender letterpress {Satsuma Press}; macaroons.

Wedding Dresses for Pear Shaped Brides

23 August, 2013 by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2018* Today we’re starting a new series, looking at how to buy a wedding dress that suits your body shape. I’m always a bit dubious of body shape stuff (mostly because the things they say for mine are usually nonsense) and I do think that the best thing you can do is to try on lots of dresses and have a chat with the ladies who work at dress shops, because they really know their stuff. But with that said, I think it’s a good idea to have a starting point. You want to look your very best on your wedding day, and the good news is, whatever your shape, there’s a dress (or several) out there that will make you look like a superstar. It’s all about emphasizing your best features and playing a bit of visual trickery to draw the eye towards them. We’re starting today with pear or triangle shape brides – a really common shape, and one which is pretty much made for a wedding dress! And as long as you avoid the wrong type of dress, the answer is no, your bum won’t look big in this. ;) *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.