Trends & Ideas - SouthBound Bride

Fab Elopement Wedding Announcements (Now Updated for Coronavirus Elopements)

9 April, 2015 by gaby

Brightly Colored Elopement Wedding Invitation by Brown Fox Creative

*Updated for 2020 + Coronavirus Elopements* A few years ago, when my friend Sarah and her lovely fiancee stopped in London after a round-the-world trip, a group of us girls threw her a fairly impromptu hen night. All night, we drank trays of flavoured vodka and toasted their lives together, and sent them off back to Joburg expecting them to set a wedding date. Instead, as soon as they’d had a chance to tell their parents in person, we got an announcement – the sneaky minxes had in fact eloped while on their trip. And you know what, we loved it! There were all these gorgeous pics of the two of them, so in love and sharing this special secret moment on the other side of the world. I still think they looked like one of the most relaxed couples I’ve ever seen on their wedding day. So ever since then, I think elopements are pretty awesome. Sure, they’re not for everyone (and there can be hurt feelings from family members and friends who want to be included), but there really is something special about a wedding with a guest list of ‘just us two’. And in the era of COVID-19 wedding options, an elopement may be your best option for getting wed in 2020. BUT here’s the thing – if you’re going this route, you’ll want a classier way to let your nearest and dearest know than just changing your status on Facebook. Something to let them in on the excitement, to let them know they were in your heart if not at the ceremony. Maybe even something to invite them to a party that you throw back at home or when social distancing restrictions relax. And that’s where the elopement wedding announcement comes in. The good news? There are tons of sweet, fun and pretty elopement announcements for you to say ‘we did’. Here are some of my favourites from the makers at Etsy, including 12 designed specifically for a Coronavirus elopement.

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

Individual Wedding Cakes

8 April, 2015 by gaby

Something about me: I LOVE things in miniature. Dolls houses, tiny envelopes and parcels, miniature food as canapes… you name it. So it’s not really a surprise that little mini wedding cakes get an excited ‘eeee!’ out of me every time I spot them on Pinterest. Because come on, they’re just SO. DARN. CUTE. And they’re very much a growing trend for 2015, for all kinds of weddings – just imagine the kick your guests will get out of them! But of course, the extra detail and work that goes into these beauties does often mean a hike in cost, and for big weddings it may not be a practical choice. So this is one of those occasions where having a small wedding allows you to really focus on the special little details – and even better, it means you won’t have a whole mess of leftover cake when you’re only feeding a handful of people. One cake per guest, served as dessert or – for slightly larger weddings – a small scale cake per table. Practical and lovely. Now that’s what we like. Here are 20 of my faves – I dare you not to ‘ooh’ at least once!Read More

How to Create a Boho Cocktail Bar for Your Wedding

26 March, 2015 by candice

Credit: Kimberly Chau Photography/Two Be Wed via Junebug Weddings

How does one justify making loads of herb infused vodka? Create a Boho Cocktail Bar of course! When we came across this clever little alcoholic DIY, it inspired us to come up with five top tips for styling a boho cocktail bar of your own, filled with both natural/organic and bohemian mismatched elements. Perfect for a themed wedding (where it’ll keep your guests entertained while you have your photos taken), bridal shower, or even just a fun get together with your girlfriends. Set up your bar on a vintage table or dresser (or even better, on an antique bar cart) underneath a shady old tree, tie some ribbons and dream catchers onto the branches and lay down an assortment of persian rugs, crochet blankets and pillows to lounge on – your guests won’t want to leave!Read More

Bridesmaids in Flower Crowns

25 March, 2015 by gaby

Can you believe it was only a few years ago that flower crowns were a bit of a rarity in weddings? Now they’re as much of an option for most brides as any veil. But why should the bride get to have all the fun? Flower crowns for bridesmaids are a growing trend, and boy are they pretty. Whether you go for a subtle spray or a statement ring of roses, it can turn a simple bridesmaid look into something really special. So as usual, I’ve rounded up some of my absolute favourite examples from around the wedding web.Read More

20 Wedding Bouquets with Feather Details

18 March, 2015 by gaby

Oh I do love a good bouquet roundup! I swear, I could browse through pictures of flowers all day. For a boho wedding, there are lots of options – think loose, unstructured bouquets or little posies, wildflowers, proteas, or greenery. But one look I really love because of the extra texture it has to it is the bouquet with feather accents. I’m particularly fond of pheasant feathers (as you’ll see by this roundup, are many floral designers!) but guinea feathers, ostrich, wild turkey… you name it. As always though, I’d urge you to try to ensure that the feathers you use are ethically sourced. That said, here are 20 absolutely beautiful arrangements in an amazing range of colours and styles – pick your favourites to inspire!Read More

How to Style a Boho Wedding Tablescape

13 March, 2015 by gaby

Image credit: Summertown Pictures/Oh Happy Day on SouthBound Bride

With March being our self-declared boho month, I thought it was time I break out our ten tables series once again, where I choose ten gorgeous tablescapes along a specific theme or look, and break them down into their individual components to help you mix and match your way to your own perfect tablescape. As with all boho styling, the great news is that anything pretty much goes, but choosing ten tables does give me a chance to highlight all the little boho ‘substyles’, such as boho luxe, woodland, beach, etc. and in that sense there’s loads of inspiration here for all kinds of brides and grooms. In each case, there’s a set of links so you can shop the look, as well as a DIY detail or top tip to help you get your table styling firmly on track. *Links in bold denote affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Boho Aisle Style

11 March, 2015 by gaby

One wedding detail that often gets overlooked in styling articles is the ceremony – but as we all know, that’s the most important part of your day! And while the most important part OF that most important part is obviously the words you’ll say and the way you’ll feel and the people who’ll be there, it doesn’t hurt to pay a little attention to planning a beautiful ceremony area that befits your wedding style and where you can create the perfect backdrop to the most romantic moment of your lives. As it happens, boho brides and grooms have been doing ceremony styling particularly well, so I just had to round up 20 of my absolute favourite boho ceremony areas to inspire you this afternoon!Read More

Feather DIY Roundup

5 March, 2015 by gaby

Time for some DIY goodness, brideys! And in line with our boho bent this month, I thought it was high time I rounded up some feathery goodness for your weddings. Feathers make a great motif for boho celebrations, and there are so many ways you can include them – plus, I adore the whole gold-dipped feather trend, which is perfect for boho luxe! Of course, make sure you source the feathers responsibly, and remember that you can always use paper instead of real (some of the tutorials below cover paper feathers, and even clay ones, which I love). Let’s go!

20 Boho Wedding Ideas

4 March, 2015 by gaby

Image credit: Julia Stockton Photography/Rosie Posie Flowers on SouthBound Bride

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Confession: I feel kind of weird writing a post about the elements that will help you put together a bohemian wedding. Because, after all, the whole point of bohemianism is that anything goes, right? For a truly boho bride, you’re going to really make it up as you go along and just include the things that you love, that are in season, and that are at hand. And that’s awesome. In my view, wedding design should always be about what you love rather than conforming to what you think is expected of you. But let’s be honest, boho has become a ‘look’, and if that’s a look you’re trying to achieve, it’s my job to help you do that. And there are certain ingredients that immediately scream boho – a flower crown, a fishtail braid, perhaps a ’70s style crochet lace dress, a ceremony out in the open, a festival style reception. I still love all of those things, but for today’s roundup, I wanted to focus on the less obvious boho wedding ideas that you could include in your design. There are some seriously cool little boho wedding details here, so dive in, and see what takes your fancy!

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

20 Romantic Bohemian Wedding Dresses

2 March, 2015 by gaby

Nevaeh Floral Lace Open Back Wedding Dress by Wear Your Love

*UPDATED FOR 2020* Looking for the most gorgeous romantic bohemian wedding dresses for hippie, festival or indie brides? Whether you’re getting married in a field or on a beach or just have a free spirit, these gorgeous gowns from Etsy will set your wild heart aflutter. And while I know buying gowns online can feel like a risk, but I think the boho style particularly lends itself to it, since the cut is usually a little looser, the style a little more flowing than your average ballgown. Plus, there are lots of small, up-and-coming designers in this space (where many an independent bridal label began). I’ve rounded up just 20 of my favourite romantic bohemian wedding dresses, but be sure to click through and see more from each of these fab Etsy stores.

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