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):
This week we’re featuring three safari-themed inspiration boards to show how a single theme can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Which one is your favourite?
Thursday, hooray! Almost the end of the week. You’ll have noticed by now that the blog schedule’s been shaken up a bit what with 3 inspiration boards due to appear this week and then the unexpected quiet day on Tuesday. But whatever, let’s just go with it. So today I have the next in our inspiration board series, and the latest trend roundup due this afternoon. And tomorrow is going to be jam packed, so be sure to keep checking back!
I’m really excited about today’s board, because it’s a reader request as well as the second variation on the safari theme I’m featuring this week. Simone contacted me to help with ideas for her game farm wedding. She didn’t want the ‘typical’ safari decor, with animal prints and Big Five table decorations, but preferred vintage decor and softer colours. (It should go without saying that this is a style reference to Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa, rather than suggesting any kind of glorification of colonialism, obviously.) You’ll remember a few weeks back we touched on this as part of the Blog Around the World post, and Alicia put together that look so perfectly that I couldn’t help using a few of her images again (click here and follow round all the blogs to get all the pictures) but I combined them with a palette of sage green and soft coral which I hope Simone will love. It’s inevitable that there are going to be lots of brown neutrals in a bushveld environment, and these colours lighten and modernise things up a little and complement them perfectly. The real key to this look is in the interplay between wild natural surroundings and classic fine dining elements, so for table settings you’ll want patterned crockery, crystal glasses, silverware (I love the idea of using old silver to contain flowers) and pressed linen. The really fun part is in including lots of found vintage objects – gramophones, compasses, storm lanterns, binoculars, and of course old suitcases (which you can use as props in a number of ways). Scout around your friends and family’s homes to begin with – you may find some gems! I’d have the bridesmaids in floaty, slightly vintage green dresses, and the bride in a gorgeous vintagey gown (birdcage veil is a must!). Fill your table with lush white blooms and pops of coral, and a few succulents. And don’t forget the cocktails! This is the perfect place to serve a classic (and delicious) G&T.
Welcome back folks! You will no doubt have seen what’s been going on in London, and yesterday I just didn’t feel right talking about wedding prettiness when my home town had been under attack just a few hours before. It’s been a horrible couple of days, but I won’t go into it except to say what a relief it was to see it under control last night (and let’s hope the same for the rest of the country too from now on), and how grateful we all were for the police and emergency services, and for the spirit of community that sprang up amongst Londoners. I feel proud of that. ANYWAY. Today’s wedding is the complete antithesis of anything scary or dark or sinister. It is, quite literally, filled with Joy! Beautiful bride Joy and her husband Alex wanted a great celebration filled with colour, and that’s exactly what they got. I loved the brights they contrasted with charcoal throughout (how clever was it to use pops of colour on the bridesmaids’ sashes?), and super fun touches like groomsmen’s socks embroidered with their role as best man, etc., balloons, a crafty DIY guest book and my favourite, a getaway moped! Ooh, and don’t you just adore the little pink petticoat Joy has peeping out from under her dress? But I think my favourite pics are the ones at the end of Alex singing to Joy and the couple embracing – there’s so much love in these stunning pictures (by fab photographer Bernard Bravenboer). Altogether now: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!Read More
Happy Monday folks! We have one of my favourite features on Cap Classique this week – 1 Theme 3 Ways, where I bring you three inspiration boards around a particular theme or motif, all with very different looks. Safari style isn’t something we always associate with the Cape, since there are such spectacular bush venues around the rest of the country, but I’ve had many requests recently for safari style (more about venues later this week). In fact, one of this week’s boards was designed specifically for a reader who is considering vintage safari as her theme. But today I thought I would start with a more modern palette – one that is bang on trend in fact: green, grey, black and white. I know lots of you want to avoid the very obvious animal motifs, but I think a touch of zebra works perfectly here – just be sparing and use it wisely. I love the combination of pale green and grey bridesmaid dresses and a delicate white and green bouquet with a touch of brunia, and then bolder graphic touches like the zebra stationery and the black and white striped rosette. And this being 2011, we can’t not have a bit of sparkle – how gorgeous is this bride’s bolero? This look is ideal for a couple who want an elegant modern wedding that still has a touch of the bushveld about it, or who want to reflect elements of a game lodge setting without going overboard, and it’s very easy to achieve. I love it – what do you think?
It’s Friday, Friday, ge’in down on Friday… well, maybe not, but it is Friday. It’s been a bit week for me, and I can’t think of a better way to end it off than with this beautiful wedding from the Aleit Group. All you brides looking for something soft and slightly vintage? You are going to LOVE this! Clare and Andrew were married at one of my favourite venues (Vrede en Lust – check out our feature here), and complemented the sunny weather and spectacular views with quirky vintage touches that really made their guests feel at home. Everything about this wedding is so classic, and yet it has a really fun feeling to it – I have a feeling this is going to end up on lots of your bookmarks! Oh, and look out for a Grade A for Adorable escort card table using sweet postage detailing and old suitcases. Love it! Pictures are by the spectacular Sybrand Cillie – check out more on his blog here. Happy weekend everyone, and we have a jam packed week next week for you, so see you back here on Monday!
Happy Monday, everyone! Wow, it has been an exhausting weekend for me – I finally did the big move, so it has been non-stop packing and unpacking, etc. What a schlep. But I’m so excited about my new place, and can’t wait to get decorating! One of the best parts is that I have an en suite bathroom again, so get to pull out of storage a fab little gadget I have – it’s a bath rack/caddy that stretches over the bath and instead of having place for soap, has a rack for a book, and a holder for a glass of wine. Actually, it also has place for a candle, but I figured paper… alcohol… flame… maybe not the best idea! Anyway, I can’t wait to make use of it again, and with all my sore muscles from carrying boxes and a day of cleaning today, I’m sure I will soon! ANYWAY, on to today’s board, which is inspired by a different kind of moving: travel! As you may have picked up, I adore air mail stripes, and I like the idea of combining them with a soft vintage palette and fun travel, aeroplane and postage-inspired details. It brings together the idea of love letters, and far flung places, and the old world romance of the aeroplane. This would be perfect for a couple who have done long distance, or just for one who love to (or long to!) see the world. Favourite real wedding detail? The ‘departure planes’, which were thrown at the bride and groom as they made their exit instead of confetti. Cute, huh?
One of the best pieces of advice that I’ve heard, and that I always pass on to couples in the early stages of wedding planning, is to pick three priorities together. Three things you want to make sure are exactly as you want them on your big day, no compromises, spare no expense. And then – this is the important part – let the other stuff go. If it’s not going 100% according to plan, let it go. If you can’t afford it, find a cheaper alternative. If you don’t have time to DIY it, let someone do it for you, or buy it, or do without. Prioritisation keeps you sane. I don’t know if anyone passed this little nugget on to today’s bride and groom, but they seemed to get it anyway. They’re foodies, so they chose a venue with incredible food (The Foodbarn in Noordhoek). They didn’t have time to go crazy with the decor, so they found a place that already had lots of unique and lovely design details and just added special, personal touches. They wanted to spend time with their guests, so they did a pre-ceremony shoot with photographer Nielen Bottomley. It all comes together into a beautiful, intimate wedding with a pretty pink and grey colour palette, that feels completely unforced and unhurried. I love it. And of course, I especially love that Amy used Cap Classique in her planning. We inspired her – and now she’s inspiring us!Read More
In the last couple of weeks we’ve looked at options for keeping your bridesmaids and the bride warm in chilly weather, and today we’re looking at one way of keeping your guests toasty and warm. Pashminas are a popular winter wedding favor, not just because they’re lovely gifts that your guests will use on the night and beyond, but also because they can be a great addition to your decor either in soft neutrals or bright pops of your theme colours. Here’s some ideas for presenting them in photo-friendly ways, and some options for pretty signage. Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
You know, normally when I introduce a wedding, I say a few words. I don’t know, maybe you all read them, maybe you don’t. And there’s a lot I could say about today’s pretty as a picture wedding. I could tell you about the pair of high school sweethearts glowing as they finally walked down the aisle. I could mention the gorgeous French-inspired venue (La Petite Dauphine, which I adore). I could say things like proteas and Parisian stripes and bunting and balloons, or go on about Judy Stofberg from Just Judy‘s awesome photos. But really, there are only two words I need to say to make you want to scroll on down immediately.
Happy Monday lovelies! I’ve been dreaming up this inspiration board for months, ever since I saw the line of dresses in the second row. I just love how the soft pinks and blues work with beach neutrals and a touch of dark grey, and it reminded me of a beautiful beach sunset. There’s a dreamy, castaway feeling to this palette, and it would make for the most romantic of seaside weddings! As always, the key is in the textures – a billowy bride’s dress, fabric floating in the breeze, and coloured glass, contrasted with rustic touches like raffia, coral and shells, and indigenous foliage like brunia. I’m obsessed with the astilbe bouquet, and I think it would be perfect to complete the look. Plus, don’t you love the sailor’s knot favours/escort cards? I pretty much just want to dive into this board and stay in it forever. If only… ;)
