Inspiration Board: Just Peachy

by gaby

Happy new week, friends! Hope you had a lovely weekend. I spent it catching up with friends and indulging in a little side of rugby – what did you get up to? I wish weekends could last forever, but here we are, back at Monday, *sigh*. On the upside, Monday means pretty inspiration boards, and today’s is exactly that. I love peaches as a motif for a wedding – not only are they symbolic in Chinese culture of marriage and longevity, but in Renaissance art a peach with a leaf attached represented truthfulness and speaking from the heart. Plus, they’re totally pretty and a little bit rustic. Soft peachy pink goes beautifully with a warm coral orange and green, and pair that with brown neutrals like wood, craft paper and even copper, and you have the perfect combination. I just LOVE the idea of these peach pouches at each place setting – a totally sweet and affordable favour – but you could also treat your guests to homemade peach jam in pretty glass jars. For escort cards, try this sweet rustic option of little labels tied to birdcages – the cages can also be used to house gift envelopes from your guests.

{Pssst! Like this? Check out our Rustic Peach & Apricot board as well.}

Colours: Peach pink, coral, white & green

Top row (l-r): Peach pocket; outdoor ceremony area (Jesi Haack);peach jam favours; flowers in copper pot (Simply Bloom Photography)
Row 2: Tie; kraft/brown paper menu and wooden utensils (Austin Gros);folk art wedding invitation; peach shoes (Troy Grover Photography); bouquet with lace accent (Simply Bloom Photography)
Row 3: Bride & groom (Austin Gros);fruit cooler in mason jar; bridesmaids; birdcage escort cards (Jen Huang).

How to Throw a Great Gatsby Themed Bridal Shower

by gaby

Great Gatsby 1920s Themed Bridal Shower

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Looking for a hen party/bachelorette theme that’s glamorous and fun? Well, look no further! Great Gatsby bridal showers are all the rage! After all, a little party never killed nobody :) 1920s themed parties are always super fun – let’s be honest, haven’t we all secretly wanted to dress up as a flapper and Charleston the night away? It can’t just be me. It’s perfect for a bridal shower as well, because you can start off with a sedate 1920s-style tea party, and then dig into the bootleg gin once moms and grans have left for the evening for a roaring ’20s-style bachelorette (the end of prohibition LOL!) It’s also relatively easy to dress up for, and not something your girls will feel too embarrassed to wear either. Plus, the ’20s are all about glamour and wild abandon, which is exactly what a hen night should be, imo. SO… How to do it? Here’s a quick guide to getting started with decor, food, invitations, activities, etc. And along the way we’re sharing images from a real Gatsby bridal shower from photographer Suzanne Swart!

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

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Milk Glass

by gaby

Oh, hello lovely! Is pretty much what I think every time I see milk glass as part of wedding decor. Which, right now, is OFTEN. This is one of those times when being part of wedding world has kind of been an education, because a year ago I’d never even heard of milk (also called opaque) glass, let alone discovered how absolutely gorgeous it can look with a variety of different kinds of fillers from succulents and moss to lush bunches, single blooms or even candles. So what IS milk glass anyway? Well, it was first made in Venice in the 16th century and comes in a variety of colours (although white is the most popular – achieved through adding an agent like tin dioxide or bone ash to the glass). It was super popular at the end of the 19th century. Collecting genuine milk glass can be a pricey business, but while nothing quite compares to the beauty of the real deal, you can achieve a gorgeous and budget-friendly alternative following one of these simple DIY tutorials.Read More

Real Wedding at Kirstenbosch {Naz & Mohammed}

by gaby

Today is very exciting for me, because we’re featuring our very first Muslim wedding here on Cap Classique! One of the things I am beyond proud of about being a South African is the huge number of different kinds of heritage, cultures, languages and religions that we have in our country – overseas folks may not know that we have: 11 national languages, 3 capital cities and 2 national anthems. Diversity is our thing. So I love welcoming all Cape brides and grooms. Islamic weddings are particularly spectacular, usually beginning with a Mehndi ceremony for the bride beforehand (and who doesn’t want to wear multiple dresses!). I absolutely fell in love with these gorgeous pics of Naz and Mohammed’s wedding sent over by Alan Browne – aren’t they just the most beautiful looking couple? Their wedding was full of colour and laughter from their friends and families, combined with Naz’s modern vintage vision. It’s a feast for the eyes – enjoy!Read More

Inspiration Board: Berries & Stripes

by gaby

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: I LOVE today’s inspiration board. It started with the image top left, and has grown into a board I want to put on my party best and climb inside of. Because how can you not love the marriage of city sophistication and wine farm charm? Classic elements like swirly calligraphy invitations, white roses, chandeliers and a gleaming getaway car mix perfectly with softer country touches – hypericum berries, a wedding signpost, dining under the vines. Serve guests a choice of champagne or this swish gold take on mason jar cocktails during pre-dinner drinks, and wow everyone with a beautiful, sophisticated cake (from local caketress Roxanne Floquet). I love the way that the grey pinstripes bring everything together, and the palette of grey, black, white and gold with little pops of berry red smacks of sophistication. Of course, a swish bride deserves a swish dress, and I’m totally obsessed with this one! Like I say: I love all of it. Hope you do too!

Colours: Grey, black, white, gold and red

Top row (l-r): Red hypericum boutonniere (Andy Duback); wedding car with gifts (Jose Villa); wine bottle table numbers (Missy Cochran); grey striped ribbon bouquet wraps (Cari Photography)
Row 2: Calligraphy letterpress invitations; gold shoes (Jose Villa); wedding signpost (So Happi Together/Gabriel Ryan); gold mason jar with stripey straw; champagne with berries
Row 3: Bride & groom (Yvette Roman); rose bouquet with red hypericum berries (Stephanie Hunter Photography); cake with ribbon and crown details (Roxanne Floquet); vineyard chandelier tables (Jose Villa).

Real Farm Wedding {Marietjie & Andre}

by gaby

Back to the grindstone this week! But I can’t complain too much since it’s only a couple of months now until I’ve worked out my notice and become my own boss. My new little office is coming along nicely (thanks to a helping hand from my amazing housemates, who painted the base coats while I was away – how nice are they?) and soon Cap Classique will have a brand new command centre. And that’s not the only reason I’m so chirpy this morning – just wait until you have a look at this wedding I have been bursting to share with you! I dare you not to get a big grin on your face as you look at Cari Eksteen’s scrumptious pictures and read Andre and Marietjie’s super cute his ‘n hers commentary! They are so adorable. I love love love their grey and red colour scheme (how amazing are the red pincushion proteas with the brunia?), and the amazing attention to detail they put into the accessories for their pictures – those little pops of red that keep showing up and making me smile. And let’s not forget the shoes! Those little beauties first caught my attention and I still heart them madly. Not to mention the cake… Oh, everything! This is one example of a farm wedding done just right – enjoy! PS Fun fact: Andre’s parents are also called Andre and Marietjie – talk about meant to be!Read More

Inspiration Board: Elegant Pewter

by gaby

Hello lovelies! I’m back from my holiday, feeling refreshed and tanned and enjoying a last little day off for the bank holiday today. Greece was spectacular, and apart from having tonsilitis for a few days, I had the best time. And the food! Oh my word. I’ve eaten enough fresh fish, feta and calamari to feed a small Greek army. Not to mention the spectacular sunsets… Sigh. Back to reality. Of course, when reality is getting to make pretty inspiration boards for Cap Classique brides, then reality aint so bad! As you know, I just love when readers get in touch to ask for their very own inspiration boards, and today’s was created especially for Elana, who has chosen pewter and white as her colours. Elana is getting married at Dieu Donne, a stunning Franschhoek venue that is all light and glass and views and facebrick, and she wanted to create a look that was classic and elegant. Think all white flowers (with touches of fynbos), long silvery bridesmaids’ dresses, mirrors and chandeliers, with macaroons as favours. I don’t know what Elana’s planning for her dress, but I love the idea of including a brooch detail either on the dress or shoes, and picking this up with the cake later on – a subtle way of pulling everything together. But the idea that really made me excited was including suspended blossoms either above the tables or as a backdrop in a key part of the space like the dancefloor or dessert table. This is a hot trend at the moment, and it’s just the kind of quirky, memorable detail that can set the decor apart. The overall effect is beautiful and timeless. Hope you like your board, Elana!

If you’d like to request your own inspiration board, email me at capclassique {@} yahoo {dot} co {dot} uk.

Colours: Pewter & white

Top row (l-r): Rose and fynbos bouquet; bride & groom (Bowersock Photography); Badgley Mischka shoes (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); champagne flutes (Natalie Spencer); fynbos confetti (Nikki Meyer)
Row 2: Chandelier detail at Dieu Donne (Roxy Laker); suspended blooms; ornate mirror table plan (Shoot Lifestyle); grey and white macaroons (Taylor Jackson Photography)
Row 3: View at Dieu Donne (Lizelle Lotter); hanging flowers; centrepiece (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); bridesmaids in pewter dresses (Shoot Lifestyle); cake with brooch and ribbon detail.

Inspiration Board: Santorini Dreaming

by gaby

Morning everyone! Or, should I say, kalimera, since I’m sunning myself in the Greek isles as we speak. Just me, a stack of books, the sea and a sunlounger (plus my lovely friend Michelle, of course). But before I left, I prepared this little slice of Greek inspiration for your Monday morning. I’ll actually be in Crete, which has quite a different vibe, but when I think of Greek inspiration, I picture the gorgeous rich sapphire of the roofs of Santorini (which is still on my dream travel list), and I think it would be gorgeous – used sparingly with acres of floaty whites and glitzy gold – at a (big fat Greek) wedding. Add texture with that most Mediterranean of foliage, olive branches – formed into a simple bouquet, arranged in urns, or even spraypainted gold for opulent feature pieces. Use blue for details like glass goblets and chargers, and bridesmaids’ dresses if you can match the fabric (otheriwse go for more white or pale blue). Needless to say, this is a dream for any bride to dress – most designers now have at least one Grecian-inspired piece, and you can combine this with pretty gold sandals and hair accessories worthy of a goddess. Make sure to serve some of the wonderful Greek cuisine and break a few plates after shots of ouzo. Opa!

Top row (l-r): Santorini roofs (Style Scrapbook); sandal; Greek menu board; Greek isle-style letterpress invitation (Bespoke Letterpress Boutique)
Row 2: Grecian hairstyle from Gossip Girl; bridesmaids in Santorini blue; gold olive centrepiece (); place setting (Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations/Jill Thomas Photography); chair back (Alchemy Fine Events & Invitations/Jill Thomas Photography)
Row 3: Santorini wedding (Punam Bean); olive bouquet (Punam Bean); donkeys (J. Cogliandro); bride and groom (J. Cogliandro).

Real Wedding at Windmill Beach {Wiehan & Hananje}

by gaby

You know what, I’m just going to say this (even though I know one day I may totally regret it). I love involved grooms. Yes, I know it’s tempting to be all “You know what honey, I’ll just organise everything because you don’t care about what colour flowers we go for, do you? You just pay.” In fact, I know this works for a lot of grooms, as well as brides, who already feel like they need to please their moms and moms-in-law and a variable army of aunts, uncles, friends and suppliers who have big fat opinions on your big fat wedding that you simply must take on board. I used to think the best system was for the groom to just have the power of veto. But writing this blog, I’ve been surprised and delighted at how keen some of the grooms are. (Keen as sleen, as my friend Abigail would say.) Admittedly, it’s often the most creative grooms who get most involved, and today’s is one of them. He kicked things off with one of the most creative, handmade, and truly South African two-part proposals I’ve ever seen, and then he and his talented bride designed and made everything for their Simon’s Town beach wedding. And you guys, it is beautiful. So heartfelt, and with such attention to detail – my best kind of wedding basically. Plus, Lizelle Lotter has absolutely triumphed with these photos, so light and airy and romantic that I could look at them all day. So grabba cuppa, and prepare to swoon.Read More

Inspiration Board: Candyfloss & Lemonade

by gaby

Ah, summer. There’s nothing like it. And for the most part, this British summer has been nothing like it. Which is why I’m off to Greece on Friday, woohoo! But in the meantime, I’m dreaming of a lighthearted beach wedding in shades of candy pink and warm yellow, with candyfloss and pinwheels and bunting and ribbon and stripy straws, and everything that makes a day at the beach carefree and wonderful transported into a wedding. You could even have a cake made to look like a sandcastle, and why not? Compliment your decor with soft flowers including cute Billy balls, and dress your bridesmaids in adorable alternating pink and yellow dresses. Oh, and don’t forget the popsicles/lollies! I love the idea of making alcoholic versions of these and serving them to your guests instead of cocktails. How cute would that be?

Colours: Pink and yellow

Top row (l-r): Candyfloss; flip flops (Natalie Spencer); bride door sign (Kristen Weaver Photography); pink and yellow bouquet (Honey & Poppies); heart sweets (Creative Push)
Row 2: Summer love sign (Sarah Layne Photography); sunglasses; beachy dessert table (Party Dreamz/Frog Prince Paperie); pink and yellow bunting (Stephanie Cristalli); lollies
Row 3: Bride with bridesmaids (Kai Heeringa); ribbon garland (Party Dreamz/Frog Prince Paperie); ribbon wands (Cameron + Kelly/Sedona Bride); lemonade with stripy straws.