Category: Bride

Coloured Wedding Dresses

by gaby

Image: Michèle M. Waite via Elizabeth Anne Designs

A few weeks back, I gave my predictions for wedding trends in 2013, and today I’m exploring one of my favourite. Coloured wedding dresses have become a huge style crush for me, and it seems like just about every designer feels the same way. And why not? White dresses weren’t even a part of wedding tradition until Queen Victoria married in one in 1840, and they weren’t the norm until after the Second World War. Many brides simply wore their best dress, whatever the colour. So you shouldn’t feel obliged to wear a white gown, any more than you’re obliged to wear a veil. And as wedding dresses themselves move toward evening gown shapes and embellishments (and sometimes even actual evening gowns worn as wedding dresses), the field is wide open for you to wear something that really makes your heart sing. I think what I like most is that, unlike the coloured wedding dresses of the ’90s (which were mostly red and black and wrong all over), most of these combine soft whispers of colour with elegant flowing fabrics, resulting in all the romance of a white ballgown, but with a bit of extra zip. But it’s all very well to read this, and to see the dresses on the catwalk. What do coloured dresses really look like on real brides? Here’s a rainbow of loveliness to show you!Read More

Make a Statement

by gaby

Images: Wedding Concepts/Annemari Ruthven on SBB (left); Elizabeth Messina/Stylish Silhouette/Canvas and Canopy Events via Green Wedding Shoes (centre); Kyle Hale via Green Wedding Shoes (right)

Ten years ago, if I’d been writing this blog (if blogs even existed then, which they probably didn’t), I’d no doubt have been telling you ladies to style your (strapless, obvs) wedding dress with a simple pearl necklace or a diamond solitaire. Nothing too flashy, mind. And don’t get me wrong – diamonds and pearls are ALWAYS a good idea. But if it was me styling my wedding dress, I have to admit that I’d probably be looking in the direction of a trend that has grown and grown among brides – the statement necklace. A few years back, my dear friend Kath rocked this herself, wearing the most gorgeous chunky creation made from various brooches and heirlooms – it looked amazing. And since then, I’ve seen brides in any number of bold and lovely pieces. Every time I do, it gives me a little fashion thrill. Of course, I’m a fan of statement jewellery in general, and this trend isn’t for every bride, but if you’re willing to take a risk, you can turn even a plain gown into a bit of a showstopper. In fact, a plain gown is often a better bet for a bit of styling – you definitely need to have a bit of balance. The other piece of advice is to make sure that whatever you’re doing with your hair allows the necklace to be shown off properly – up is better but long hair down can work, though it’s definitely something to check when you do your hair trial. You can go for bling, layers of pearls – even colour. Here are my most inspiring web finds.Read More

Favourite Style Moments 2012

by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! As you read this, I’ll be off having a bit of a pre-birthday lunch and visit to the V&A Museum (my best) with one of my favourite friends, who is out from New York. Can’t wait! And here’s a little treat for you, in the form of my roundup of the most stylish moments from SBB’s real weddings this year. As much as I love a classic bride in a floor length white gown, I also love that so many brides now make the look their own. I also love that you all have embraced some of the trends that have been coming through over the last year – lace, coloured dresses, sashes. Some of you have done something COMPLETELY different, and each look really adds to the wedding it is part of. As with the decor, it was SO hard to narrow this down, but these are the fashion moments that really made me go ‘ooh!’ in 2012.

Temperley, baby! There’s a reason why just the name gives me a little thrill. Temperley London dresses are those I notice on catwalks, sigh over as a collections and double take when I see on a real bride. They’re feminine, unusual, and just a little bit spectacular. This dress, chosen by beautiful boho bride Anna for her beachy literary-themed wedding by Andrea Carlyle, might just be my favourite:

Read More

Ballet Buns

by gaby

Sources: Elizabeth Messina via Wedding Chicks (left); Jonas Peterson via Once Wed (right)

So there I was a few months back working a styled shoot with Sev Hubert of The Hepburn Collection (who happens to be a hair god) and I was having a minor OMG-I-didn’t-know-I-was-going-to-be-on-the-video-but-my-hair-is-just-stuck-back-in-my-go-to-bun freak out moment. And he just sort of looked at me appraisingly and said: “It is fine. A bun is always chic.” And you know what, the man knows what he’s talking about. A bun IS always chic, and never more so than at the moment, where the ballet bun/top knot/high bun has become the hottest style of the season. From sleek to a little messy, piled on top of the head or a little lower, it’s been an unexpected and welcome addition to the bridal hair repertoire, and has featured in some of my favourite wedding looks this year. I thought it was about time I collected some inspiration for you, so that’s what we’re doing today!Read More

Feather Wedding Dresses & Feather Bridal Capes

by gaby

Feather Wedding Dresses & Feather Bridal Capes

*COMPLETELY UPDATED FOR 2021* Of all the trends in wedding dresses right now, none has caught my eye quite like the use of feathers (usually ostrich). Like ruffles, only better. It must be heaven to float down the aisle in one of these beauties, whether it’s flirty feather accents around the neckline or hem, a feather bodice (so Swan Lake), or a full feather skirt that seems to froth around the wearer like a wave. They’ve been making a big impact on the bridal catwalks, and they’re perfect for the bold, whimsical feel that we’re seeing in 2021 bridal fashion. Whether your style is boho, glamorous, romantic, or Gatsby vintage, there’s a feather gown out there to catch your fancy. So here’s an inspirational roundup of ostrich feather wedding dresses, and some gorgeous feather bridal capes and boleros to share too!

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Read More

A Beautiful Illusion {Portrait Back Wedding Dresses}

by gaby

K-Patz in happier days. Tut tut, Kristin. No more sparkly boyfriend for you.

Blame it on Kristin Stewart. (I mean, she’s getting blamed for everything else right now, why not.) I thought the biggest style statement of that there Twilight wedding would be the hanging blooms, but it turns out that Bella’s gorgeous illusion back gown was the big winner. With lace being huge right now, I am seeing beautiful lace backs popping up everywhere, and goodness if they don’t always catch my breath. Now I’ll admit, there’s a bit of envy here because no way no how am I ever going to be wearing one of these in any form (let’s just say the look gets a little ruined by a bra strap, and I get a little ruined without a bra), but for you ladies who can pull this look off, they make an incredibly stylish and romantic statement. (For the rest of us, of course, there are still illusion necklines which are also a big trend, but that’s another post). There’s something about the mixture of covered and sheer, of lace and skin, that makes them simultaneously demure and sexy. Just one note of caution – if you have your heart set on wearing your hair down (or even half down, or in a ponytail), give this dress style a miss. No point in covering up Mona Lisa’s smile!

To get you inspired, I thought I would introduce you to some of the key designers who have been working this look recently, and then show you my local favourite.Read More

Hair Inspiration: The Post-Wedding Haircut

by gaby

Usually we’re all about the wedding look, but today I thought I would share some inspiration for after the big day. The post-wedding chop is one tradition almost always observed by South African brides (in my experience, anyway!). All those months of growing your hair to get it up into a braid or chignon seems to culminate in a post-honeymoon trip to the hairdressers for a chic shorter hairstyle with which to begin married life. So here’s a bit of hair inspiration for that day after the big day, from our friends the slebs. How short will you go?

SUPER SHORT
Read More

Wedding Trends Reloaded

by gaby

Here at SouthBound Bride, I love bringing you all the latest trends. As you know, I believe that each wedding should be an expression of a couple’s unique style and personality, but it doesn’t hurt to get a sense of the ideas that are floating around out there. Eventually, those ideas can get a little repetitive. And while in some ways that doesn’t matter (remember that most of your guests don’t sit on wedding blogs all day and won’t have seen it before), it can be fun to consider fresh twists and new options. So here are eight of my top alternatives for creating your favourite effects.
Here’s my disclaimer: I’ve loved and promoted all of the ‘old’ ideas here, and I’m nobody’s fashion police. So if you love something, you DO IT. This is just about being creative and exploring other avenues along the way!

Read More

Bold Wedding Nails

by gaby

So, nailpolish. Do you love it? I love it. And I don’t know if it’s a fashion thing or a me thing, but I’ve become way more experimental as I’ve got older (totally rocked ombre nails at a wedding this summer, which was fun). Thing is,  I always thought weddings were a strictly French manicured zone. Lately though, little pops of colour and funkiness are turning up across the wedding blogisphere, and it’s starting to become clear that brides are getting bolder with their digits. Read More

Bespectacled Brides

by gaby

There’s a group of brides out there who have to make a very personal fashion choice when it comes to their styling. Many of you ladies who wear eyeglasses as part of your everyday life choose to go with contacts on the Big Day, but what if you feel your glasses are part of your identity? I’m a big believer in the ‘you, only better’ school of wedding looks – after all, you want to feel comfortable and your husband doesn’t want to see a stranger walk down the aisle! Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of inspiration around for brides who wear glasses, and I regularly see brides asking if it’s okay for them to rock their frames with a wedding dress. The answer is yes, absolutely!

I was lucky enough to feature an absolutely stunning bespectacled bride in one of my first weddings, and I’ve loved the look ever since. Here she is, the gorgeous Louise of Lovelab (and by the way, if you haven’t seen this wedding, you totally should, it’s insanely gorgeous):


Source: Annemari RuthvenRead More