bridesmaid dresses - SouthBound Bride

Embellished Bridesmaid Dresses

17 April, 2015 by gaby

One of my favourite types of SBB post is our bridesmaid fashion posts, because it gives me a chance to indulge in the latest fashion and lust over some gorgeous gowns and gown trends. And if there’s one current gown trend that really makes me get my ‘ooh’ on, it’s long, embellished dresses – those beaded and sequined beauties that immediately raise the style stakes when you see them on a bridal party. Even better, a mismatched bridal party, so there’s multiple dresses to fall in love with. If you’ve been loving this trend, you’ve probably noticed that there are a couple of specific dresses that have become synonymous with this look, and that those dresses happen to have been designed by one label, Adrianna Papell. Available in both the US and UK (and of course, shipping to SA from either), I’ve seen these gowns on everything from whole bridal parties, to maids of honour, to brides themselves (they’re perfect for an elopement or reception dress, or for a really chic engagement shoot look). Basically, we love Adrianna. So I thought it was high time that we did a post specifically dedicated to her dresses, and to this absolutely gorgeous bridesmaid look. As always, just click on any of the product images below to shop (or for UK shopping links click here).Read More

High Fashion Bridesmaid Looks for Less

23 March, 2015 by gaby

As I flip through the many many wedding blogs and Pinterest accounts and Instagrams (and and and) that I see all day, one thing that always catches my eye is a stylish group of bridesmaids. Admittedly, going fashionable does mean you might be giggling over your choices in ten years, but on the day, your ladies will feel like a million bucks. After all, who doesn’t want to look super haute? Here’s the good news: you don’t need to spend an absolute fortune, with a bit of creativity about both where you shop and what you choose. For example, high street fave Topshop is hardly known for its bridesmaid dresses, but today I’ve rounded up eight lovely gowns under £100 that would work beautifully for a stylish bridal party, along with real wedding, bouquet and beautiful stationery inspiration. High street, high fashion, not-so-high-price. Win.

Gatsby Glam Bridesmaid Dresses from Frock and Frill

26 January, 2015 by gaby

A little while back, I wrote a post on Gatsby-style bridesmaid dresses, thinking it might interest a few people, but holy moly, it went on to be one of our most viewed posts of all time (and still is). Clearly the embellished flapper look is one that brides have fallen in love with, and who could blame you, because wow, these dresses are gorgeous and even better, they’re so much easier to find on the high street (or in the mall!) these days. You don’t even have to be having a 1920s or Art Deco wedding for these to make sense – they’re pretty enough to work with any elegant wedding style. (Although I do love a Gatsby wedding. After all, a little party never hurt nobody, right?) I recently became familiar with a UK brand that is taking this look to the next level, Frock and Frill. This label carries a wide range of flapper style dresses in a range of colours – all knock-me-down gorgeous – that would not only work for a bridal party but actually could work for a laid-back bride as well, or as a reception dress. I’m in love with the beaded embellishments, the flattering cuts, and the range of colours, so I’ve just had to dedicate today’s post to my top wedding-appropriate Frock and Frill dresses. Good luck picking a favourite – they’re all GORGEOUS! (Oh, and PS: You can also find all of them on our Bridesmaid Boutique board over on Pinterest!) Click on any of the dress images below to shop.

This is not a sponsored post but contains affiliate links.

Save

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: 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

Pink & Blush Bridesmaid Dresses

24 October, 2014 by gaby

Happy Friday lovelies! It’s the last day of the working week and the last of our special Think Pink posts for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today we’re not just rounding up some lovely images for inspiration, we’re going shopping at some of our favourite South Africa, US and UK online shops to find the most gorgeous bridesmaid dresses in a range of shades from blush to bashful and everything in between. Whether you’re planning a relaxed day wedding, cocktail attire, or something more formal, you’ll find something to love here.

Mismatched Blush Bridesmaid Inspiration from Forever 21

15 September, 2014 by gaby

As those of you in Cape Town will no doubt know by now, South Africa got its first Forever 21 store this weekend, and to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to do a little special of the bridesmaid options available from this US label. The dresses are fun and flirty, and at the moment Forever 21 has a lineup of some gorgeous mixed blush/neutral dresses with little lace, sparkle and portrait back details that would be just perfect for a summer afternoon wedding. Time to be inspired!Read More

Asymmetric Skirts & Neckline Bridesmaid Dresses

19 March, 2014 by gaby

We’re rounding up our Wednesday with the last of our current look at rising bridesmaid trends (for now, anyway!). You know how they say that if you want to buy a red Ferrari, you suddenly see red Ferraris everywhere? Well, not that I would know anything about fancy cars, but for me this trend has been just like that. Suddenly I am seeing one shoulder dresses EVERYWHERE, and a rising number of hi-lo and asymmetric hemlines. They add a really lovely bit of visual interest (especially in comparison to a wedding dress), and I think work particularly well where you want to go for solid colours instead of one of the more textured looks we’ve been talking about (illusion lace, glitter, prints, etc.) but still want to make your girls stand out. And while not all one-shoulder dresses are universally flattering, the right one can look good on a real variety of body types. So it’s kind of a no brainer for consideration, really. :) Here are some of my favourite recent examples.Read More

Bicycle Bride #6: The Bride & Bridesmaids’ Dresses

17 March, 2014 by gaby

It’s lovely Irene’s last post today, and she’s chatting about one of our FAVOURITE things – dresses! Here’s wishing you an amazing wedding day Irene, and we can’t WAIT to see the pictures! xox

************************************************

Our wedding is now less than one week away, and I still have so much to do! So much for not leaving things ’till the last minute. We’ll be leaving for the venue on Thursday already, so I have even less time to get things done. This will be my last post before the big day, and I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate it to the most important element of the day.

Despite all the stressful issues related to this ‘last minute last week’ business, I am looking forward to getting my dress on Wednesday! My very own personal designer (read: mom) will be arriving from East London, with my wedding dress and all four bridesmaids’ dresses that she made herself. Five dresses on her own is a daunting task, as you can imagine, so I’m very glad that she managed to get past a series of minor panic attacks about my dress along the way, and that everyone will finally be able to see the end result on Saturday.

Berry & Jewel Tone Bridesmaid Dresses

14 March, 2014 by gaby

Time for our latest rundown of gorgeous looks for your bridesmaids, and today we’ve come over all autumney with a line-up of berry and jewel toned dresses in the prettiest shades of purple, lilac and, of course, the colour of the year Radiant Orchid. I’m loving how these colours are popping up in bridal parties round the globe and brightening things up – and I have to say, I am especially fond of the look where you have a wedding that otherwise uses earth tones or neutrals. It really pops. Of course, you can choose a single shade of plum or cranberry, but this is another of those cases where tonal mismatching really comes into its own. Plus, there are loads of dresses in these colours popping up on the catwalks, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to pick up some you all love in the shops. Win.Read More