Trends & Ideas - SouthBound Bride

Best of 2015: Wedding Dresses

18 December, 2015 by gaby

In some ways, this is one of my favourite posts of the year, but in another, it’s always one of the hardest to narrow down. I swear, ever year the dresses get prettier! 2015 has been no exception, and after last year’s explosion of colour, it has definitely been the year of lace, with gorgeous portrait backs and illusion necklines, long lace sleeves, nude lace underlays, and plenty of soft, sheer contrasting fabrics. SO romantic. Not that colour didn’t get a look in – I think my absolute favourite gown this year was gold and glam and gorgeous all over, and there was also some seriously pretty ombre going on, as well as soft blush, peach and champagne. What will 2016 bring? I can’t wait to find out.

Best of 2015: Bouquets

17 December, 2015 by gaby

It’s that time of the year again, lovelies, when we start rounding up all our faves from the year that was. And what a pretty year it was too! I thought I’d start things off with a bang, with our Top 20 bouquets, because let’s be honest, I LOVE a good bouquet! This year there’s been a huge variety – pops of bright colour, soft rustic nudes and whites, lots of greenery and creativity and texture. These are the florals that got the most love from you all on Facebook and Pinterest and Insta, and some of my favourites too. Basically, the best of the best! Let’s get inspired.Read More

Monsoon Flowergirl Dress Inspiration

8 December, 2015 by gaby

With the festive season comes party season and that means party dresses – and not just for adult ladies either. Little ladies also have a chance to get their glam frocks on, and that means there’s great pickin’s when it comes to dresses that would make for adorable flower girl gowns. I’m personally partial to flowergirls rocking tiny versions of dresses I wish I could wear myself, and Monsoon happens to be brilliant at them – this season there’s more tulle and sequin and floral applique going on than ever before and I love it. So I thought I would round up ten of my favourite party gowns and combine them with some of our favourite inspiration boards to show you how party can translate perfectly into wedding where these little dresses are concerned. The only part that sucks? Knowing I am way, waaaaay to old to fit into them.Read More

Travel Theme Wedding Cakes

13 November, 2015 by gaby

Whether you’re planning a travel themed wedding or simply want to add a nod to your love of travel together or how far you’ve come (literally) to get to your big day, a travel themed wedding cake is a great idea. Even so, when I started browsing around looking for travel themed wedding cakes, I wasn’t sure I’d have enough for a feature, but guess what? Instead of unearthing one badly made fondant suitcase stack after another (okay, truth, I found them too), I came across some really chic, fun and clever ideas! No surprise, the shiny map ones are my faves, but there’s lots of different styles of travel inspired cake here to give you ideas, whether or not you’ll have other travel themed wedding ideas popping up on your big day! And you’ll even find a selection of some of our fave travel themed cake toppers at the end!

20 Printable Travel Theme Wedding Invitations

10 November, 2015 by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2020* One of the benefits of choosing a theme for your wedding like travel is that it can really help out the budget because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to things like stationery. And as much as I always love the idea of custom stationery, I know that’s not in the budget for many couples, which is where printable invites can be a great saver. You buy the design and have it customised with your names and details, and then have it printed either through an online print on demand service like PSPrint, or at your local printshop. The best part is that you don’t have to compromise on the design itself, because there are so many great options in places like Etsy. Today I’ve rounded up 20 fab travel and destination invitations, save the dates, and stationery suites with a travel theme – some absolute gems here for wanderlust-worthy weddings!

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

Travel Themed Wedding Trends Reloaded

2 November, 2015 by gaby

I’ve heard planners calling it the wedding trend that just won’t die – and it’s true, in that I’ve been writing about travel-themed weddings for about as long as I’ve been blogging. But there’s a reason why this motif isn’t going away, and that’s because it’s meaningful. You guys – i.e. the only people who really matter when it comes to planning your big day – love travelling or you’ve travelled together, or you come from different places, or you’ve done long distance. Travel is part of your story, and it’s the story you want to share with your guests. We get that, and that’s why November is dedicated to travel themed weddings. BUT. SBB is in the business not only of helping you tell your story, but doing it with style. And sure, we could just reshare all the same ideas (the ones that have made this roundup, and this follow-up two of our most popular posts), but you only have to search Pinterest to find any of those. We’re all about fresh takes and new angles, and that’s what I hope to bring you through November. So there’s no better way to kick things off than with a reload of the travel-themed wedding ideas that have been around the longest and are a little… done. Of course, if you love them, that won’t matter – but here’s some food for thought in creating the same effect in an updated way.Read More

Black Wedding Cakes

31 October, 2015 by gaby

We don’t usually post on a Saturday, but since it’s Halloween I just couldn’t resist doing a roundup of black cakes because oh my gosh they are so surprisingly pretty! As it happens, black (and navy) cakes are actually a big trend at the moment and are more elegant than eerie, more gorgeous than Goth. And why not? Black bridesmaid dresses have already proved what an air of sophistication and style they can add, and black wedding dresses have conquered the runway (and the aisle). Now it’s time for darker cakes to have their moment, and once you’ve seen this lot, you’ll understand why! Oh, and ps – happy all hallows, lovelies! Hope your weekend is more treat than trick ;)Read More

20 Utterly Gorgeous Peony Bouquets

28 October, 2015 by gaby

I saw an article the other day that was all ‘every single wedding these days has peonies, boring, snark blah blah’ and I laughed, because in South Africa we wish we had that problem. Peonies unfortunately are few and far between for our brides, although in the past few years it’s been a pleasure to see their use in weddings increasing – at least during the tiny short window in which they’re available. Which is basically now, you guys. End October, early November, they briefly show their beautiful fluffy faces and we fall in love with them all over again. So in honour of peony season, I decided to round up 20 seriously amazing peony bouquets. Flowerswoon!Read More

20 Gorgeous Two-piece Wedding Dresses

21 October, 2015 by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2021* I remember the days when I wore crop tops. Now I’m not saying I’m old or anything (I am) but it was the ’90s. I worked all summer on my six pack (ha!) and I rocked the crop out of those babies for a couple of months. Now if I wore one, I’d scare the children. But for bolder (and fitter) brides than me, crop top and two piece wedding dresses are EVERYWHERE. And I have to say, I love them. Not just the crops, but the bridal separates with filmy skirts and ballerina tops or intricate lace numbers – I find myself pinning them all the time. So I thought it was high time that we did a collective SouthBound dress swoon over two-piece wedding dresses. Ready…? Swoon.

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

20 Vineyard Wedding Ideas

19 October, 2015 by gaby

Image credit: Dasha Caffrey of Exhibit Emotions/Jasmine Champion Weddings via Bridal Musings

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Since we’re talking vineyard weddings in October, I thought it was the perfect moment for me to round up 20 ways that you can bring a winery theme to your wedding – even if you aren’t planning a wine route celebration. There are so many cute vineyard wedding ideas out there, from decor to favours to guest books, and while of course you’re not going to want to do ALL of them (too themey!), adding in a couple will add that extra layer of detail that makes your guests go ‘ooh!’ I’ve tried to find some fresh new ideas, as well as some classics, so scroll down and find your favourite. And don’t forget to check out the fabulous vineyard wedding details I found for sale on Etsy! I think you’ll agree, they’re all rather ‘wine-derful’! (Lame joke, I know. Sorrynotsorry.)

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