Trends & Ideas - SouthBound Bride

Get the Look: Little Black Bridesmaid Dresses

19 January, 2015 by gaby

Black bridesmaid dresses are one of those things I get asked my opinion on A LOT. I’ll tell you, people love ’em or hate ’em. But just like I don’t feel like brides HAVE to wear a white dress, I don’t see why bridesmaids shouldn’t rock a little black dress. Especially since I have seen many weddings get this look just right, and not only do the girls look amazing, they also have the best chance of actually wearing their BM dresses again – come on, you know it’s true! So this week in our Bridesmaid Boutique post, we’re looking at some of our favourite little black dresses for bridesmaids, each with the kind of texture, detail or just plain style that makes a bridal party look wow, whether they all rock the same gown or go for mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Yay for the LBD! This post contains affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission on any sales made.Read More

Flower Walls & Backdrops

14 January, 2015 by gaby

I never thought I would (actually, make that: fervently hoped I would not) be inspired by anything that Kimye did, ever. They are just the worst. But what can I say, the floral wall at their ceremony last year kind of rocked. And it just happens to be one of 2015’s biggest trends (along with floral arches). And OKAY, I admit it, I am loving it. Flower walls are just so over-the-top pretty, and they make an incredibly gorgeous statement piece for either a ceremony or a reception (or both!). Flower-intensive, with little in the way of greenery or stems, lush, colourful, and very romantic. So of course I’ve been rounding up my favourites from around the web – trust me, you’ll be seeing many more of them this year!Read More

Get the Look: Sequin & Sparkle Bridesmaid Dresses

12 January, 2015 by gaby

We like to keep things fresh around here, and so today is the first step in something new for SBB. From now on we’ll be regularly featuring real bridesmaid dresses in our new ‘bridesmaid boutique’ features, so you can recreate the looks you love from your favourite bridal parties. We’ve curated a collection of current, gorgeous dresses from the US, UK and South Africa (most of which ship internationally too) at a range of price points. And here’s the really cool part, you can also find all of the dresses over on our brand new Bridesmaid Boutique Pinterest board, so be sure to follow the board and check in for updates and new gowns throughout the year. We’re starting today with one of your all-time favourite bridesmaid looks – sequins and sparkle! We’ve featured several gorgeous glittery bridal parties here on SBB and seen many more sequin bridesmaid dresses we loved all over the web – I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing them. The latest update to this look is full-on glamour: long, luxurious, shimmery bling, and bridal parties in mixed metallics. LOVE.
This post contains affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

From Catwalk to Aisle: 10 Key Wedding Dress Trends for 2015

7 January, 2015 by candice

Hello lovely readers – Candice here! With all the top designers hitting the runway late last year at New York Bridal Week showing off a variety of new trends, we really have been spoilt for choice. If you’re like me, you get a bit overwhelmed by all the magnificent options. So we’ve picked our top ten, stand-out runway and bridal fashion trends for 2015 – see which style you most identify with and how these trends can be interpreted into your dream wedding dress.

Wedding Trends for 2015

6 January, 2015 by gaby

It’s that time of year again! I love these annual trend roundups, writing them always fills me with excitement for the year ahead. Of course, trends aren’t the most important thing in planning your wedding – they’re not even close to the most important thing – but as with fashion and interiors, it’s good to know the sort of looks that will be big (and more easily available!) in the year ahead. The other thing to bear in mind is that unlike fashion, wedding trends tend to have a little more longevity, so there’ll still be plenty of the trends I identified last year (and the year before) in 2015. Many of them have simply evolved. But for today, we’re focusing on the new and the beautiful. Here are my Top 10 predictions.

Best of 2014: Bridal Style

31 December, 2014 by gaby

Hello lovelies! Yesterday I shared with you our top 20 dresses for the year, and today we’re taking a closer look at bridal style – those little accessories and accents that complete a bride’s big impression beyond the dress itself. And as with their dresses, our brides’ choices have ranged from classical to quirky with everything in between. There has been lots of boho loveliness in particular this year, as well as winter brides in the prettiest capes and coverups. Here are our favourite looks and trends.

Best of 2014: Wedding Dresses

29 December, 2014 by gaby

Okay fact: it’s hard to narrow down all of the categories in our annual ‘best of’ roundups. But harder than hard – almost impossible, in fact – is selecting just 20 dresses that represent the absolute amazingness that our fashion-forward brides bring to the table each year. I swear, 2014 has been the most difficult choice yet, because so many of our real weddings showcased an incredible, on-trend, super-flattering and often original take on current bridal fashion, making each bride look like a movie star. From illusion lace and portrait backs (and boy, was this ever the year of beautiful lace!), to soft colour infusions, statement backs, shoulders and sleeves, and beautiful accessories – as well as some one-of-a-kind standalone creations – SouthBound Brides had it ALL going on. The result is not only a gallery of gorgeousness from SA’s top designers (and the world’s, hello Vera Wang!), clever brides and talented family members, but a collection of inspiring and stylish ideas for brides-to-be. Bravo, brideys, bravo. And to make it extra special, I’ve let those very brides describe each creation and how they chose it in their own words.

Best of 2014: Stationery

28 December, 2014 by candice

Hello lovelies! We’re making another weekend house call to stop in and share some of the beautiful stationery that has graced the pages of SouthBound Bride this year. Being a paper aficionado (and designer) herself, Candice has been trawling through the archives to bring you fifteen stand-out stationery moments from both weddings and styled shoots, and featuring the work of some of our favourite SA talents, including Seven Swans, indieberries and Lezanne’s Designs (whose designs feature a fantastic three times in this countdown!). Over to you, Candice…

Glamorous Gold Art Deco

Best of 2014: Bridesmaids

23 December, 2014 by candice

Hello SouthBound Brides – Candice here! I am so excited that I get to chat to you guys about all of our favourite bridesmaid dress trends from 2014.
I have been a bridesmaid six times and counting (hint hint, sis!) and have loved each experience. I have worn a ’50s style mint green tea dress, a floral and lace strapless number, a frilly country style sundress, the classic satin and organza creation with a waist sash, a gorgeous J.Crew-esque floor length gown and also been left to my own devices to choose a dress of my choice in a specific colour palette. Each dress was perfect for the relevant bride’s big day, and wearing them signified that I was somehow specially involved and invested in each amazing celebration. Whether the dress itself is flattering or not, putting it on and getting ready with the bride before such a big and wonderful occasion is what it is all about. Having said that, here are our top 20 picks for 2014 (in no particular order). Hopefully they inspire you to choose gorgeous dresses for your bridesmaids as there is not a single unflattering gown to be seen! (Lucky girls!) How do we even begin to choose our favourites?!

1. Sleek Winter White

Best of 2014: Aisle & Ceremony Decor

22 December, 2014 by gaby

You know, sometimes on wedding blogs we get so caught up with the details of reception decor and dresses and colours, that the ceremony can get a little lost, but as we all know, that’s where the good stuff happens. That’s where you make the promises that will change your life in front of the people you love most in the world. After all, it’s the one part of a wedding day that you can’t do without! So I absolutely love when couples lavish the same sense of style and care on their ceremony that they do on the rest of their Big Day. Here are 15 of our aisle and ceremony decor favourites from the last year – sure to give you some inspiration!