Inspiration Board: Copper, Orchid & Navy

It’s hard to believe this year is already winding down (where did you gooooo, 2014?) and that it’s almost time for a new Colour of the Year to steal the Pantone crown. I’ll be sorry to see this year’s favourite, Radiant Orchid go – although of course, it won’t go at all, just take a step back in the colour inspiration stakes. But I really liked how this pinky purple played so well with others – it really made for some unusual and gorgeous combinations. Today I’m mixing a soft orchid with one of my absolute fave metallics, copper, with a bit of grey and slate and a hint of navy thrown in. I think the combination is amazing! I especially love how the copper gleams next to the other shades, and how the navy adds that extra little bit of depth. Somebody choose this for their wedding, pretty please? ;)

Colours: Lilac, light grey, slate grey, copper & navy

Top row (l-r): Centrepiece in copper vase {Catherine Mac Photography/Fleur Le Cordeur}; rock sugar with rings {MLKL Photography}; bouquet {Aaron Delesie/Nisie’s Enchanted Florist}; navy bridesmaid dresses {Miki and Sonja Photography/XOXO BRIDE}
Row 2: Table number {Catherine Mac Photography/Fleur Le Cordeur/Seven Swans}; copper dish; copper & grey thank you cards {cocorrina}
Row 3: Bride in grey dress {Petronella Photography/Ashley Gerrity Photography/Aribella Events}; navy wedding shoes {Erik Maziarz for Carla Ten Eyck}; centrepiece {A Bryan Photo/Gathering Floral + Event Design/Kristin Newman Designs}

 

French Copper Café Felix Wedding by Moira West {Liezel & Christo}

Do I ever have a treat for you all  today. This is the kind of wedding that makes my little heart leap for joy – it’s beautiful, it’s original and it has tons of personality. It might just be my favourite winter wedding yet. Bride Liezel (who totally reminds me of the gorgeous Hayden Panettiere, no?) is a lover of everything French, and together with her sister (who is one of the ladies behind Dear Idea flowers, decor and styling), she combined this provincial country flare with a warm winter palette that included copper and antique gold, together with white, green, tiny pops of yellow and cool navy for the bridesmaids. I am crazy in love with the aloes on the tables, the wreaths carried by the girls, and Liezel’s dress and gold fern hair embellishment. Everywhere you look there’s something else to love, and especially with the incredible Moira West‘s atmospheric photos. Man, I love my job.Read More

Autumn Glitter Styled Shoot by Veronique Photography

OH YOU GUYS. I think it’s safe to say I am totally, completely, head over heels, over the moon in love with today’s wedding style inspiration, which comes from a truly fantastic team (including Veronique Mills, Just Jack and Whispers of May – who just happens to be one of our own SouthBound Brides). It’s glittery, it’s gorgeous, and it’s a brand new take on autumn/fall weddings, using the warm shades of copper or rose gold to glam up a clean white space. Just the palette is enough to have me pinning all afternoon, but I also happen to adore the details – dipped feather place names, a sequin runner, breathtaking florals, and a sweet metallic cake. It’s just perfect, and I have a feeling you all will think so too. Oh, and PS, we have a bit of a behind-the-scenes bonus today, so head over to our Facebook page for a glimpse at how it all gets put together :)Read More

Inspiration Board: Copper & Shweshwe

I’m so excited to bring you today’s inspiration board, because it’s a preview of a mini-shoot I’ll be sharing with you tomorrow, a collaboration between myself and Piteira Photography (yay, can’t wait!). It features one of my absolute FAVOURITE prints, a truly South African design element (and one which is going to be really hitting its stride in 2014): shweshwe. For me, using this iconic South African fabric is the most gorgeous way to bring a homegrown twist to your wedding design, and still be right up to date with wedding trends internationally (prints, after all, are having their day in the sun). You can get shweshwe in quite a range of colours now, but the original indigo is the one I love most, and it’s a stylish and contemporary shade that combines beautifully with many other colours. I wanted to show how the pattern can be used in a really elegant way – for example, at a classic winelands venue – so I combined it with cool wedding white and a contemporary metallic, copper, for a bit of warmth. The colours look really graceful together, especially with the addition of white candles as a third key design element. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see where we ended up, but for today, I hope you love our inspiration!

Colours: Indigo, copper & white

Top row (l-r): Sash with shweshwe rosette {Julie Wilhite}; cake with high taper candles {White Loft Studio/Mayflour Cake + Confection}; table setting {}; long tables {Jose Villa}
Row 2: Shweshwe bowl; invitation suite; shweshwe fabric
Row 3: Blue bridesmaids {Caroline Tran/Kelly Oshiro}; copper tag escort cards {Mark Brooke Photography/JL Designs}; brass candlesticks; copper vase {Docuvitae/Kourtney James Perry}.

 

Navy Glam Netherwood Wedding by Studio KOVO {Jacqui & Matthew}

It always intrigues me to see weddings of people in the industry. Unlike most brides and grooms, weddings aren’t something they see once in a while from a guest perspective, but something they’re intimately involved in throughout their working life. Which details will they choose to highlight? Which traditions or ways of doing things can they do without, and which trends will they love as much as we all do? It’s a lot of pressure I suppose, but today’s bride, talented KZN-based makeup artist Jacqui of Accentuate Hair & Makeup knocked it out of the park. I absolutely ADORE her navy and mixed metallic colour palette, as well as the super personal detail of including owls in their decor (a tribute to her grandmother). Not to mention stylish topknot bridesmaids and a set of very dapper groom and groomsmen. And the bride? Well, Jacqui was the best advertisement for her own considerable skills (gained both in the UK and on the local MAC events team) – doesn’t she look spectacular? From the lush carnation composite bouquets to the stripey cake to the paper flower backdrop and sparkly copper Mr & Mrs sign, there’s a lot to love here, all captured by Kate van Onselen of Studio KOVO. Let’s begin!Read More

Inspiration Board: Copper & Cobalt

If I had as many boy crushes as I do colour crushes, I’d be falling in love every other day of the week. And here I go having my head turned again, this time by a gorgeous combination of copper/rose gold and blue. It’s amazing. And it totally works using every shade from a blue indigo to a dusk or smokey blue, to bright royal shades to sophisticated navy, so you can vary according to your favourite combination. I suspect that blue is going to be THE colour for 2014, and with metallics not going anywhere, bronze, copper and rose gold are a lovely update on glitzy gold or shimmering silver. What do you think?

Colours: Cobalt blue, copper & white

Top row (l-r): Shoes {Jennifer Laura Design/Val & Sarah}; cake {Fiona Kelly/Always Andri Wedding Design}; copper crockery; bridesmaids {Corbin Gurkin Photography/Loluma}
Row 2: Groomsmen in blue suits {Corbin Gurkin Photography/Loluma}; diamond ring; invitation suite {Kristen Weaver Photography/An Affair To Remember/9th Letter Press}
Row 3: Blue dress; cobalt vases; bridesmaid with corsage {Mr Haack/Jesi Haack}; hydrangea centrepiece {Docuvitae/Kourtney James Perry}

Inspiration Board: Copper & Ostrich Egg

Monday means inspiration board time, and today I’ve decided to do one of my own. I wanted to create a look that was truly South African, but at the same time contemporary, elegant and understated. Neutrals were the way to go, and I love the ostrich shell offwhite combined with black and sage, with copper metallics as a trendy little twist. Another current trend that works well here is the fashion for prints, here using the gorgeous Skinny LaMinx range with their gorgeous pincushion proteas (an ideal complement to the white king proteas in the bouquet and table arrangement pictured here). Add neutral bridesmaids dresses, copper foil stamped stationery and some other shiny copper touches, and you have the perfect fusion of classic black and white, down-to-earth South African-ness and fresh 2013 style. So usable – what do you think?

Colours: Black, ecru, sage and copper

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {I Heart Weddings/flower talk}; copper shoes {Anthropologie}; protea under bell jar {Just Jack/Cari Eksteen}; table setting {Skinny laMinx}; marquee setting {Kym Ventola Photography/Some Like It Classic}
Row 2: Neutral bridesmaids {Kym Ventola Photography/Some Like It Classic}; succulent in copper vase {Kym Ventola Photography/Some Like It Classic}; pincushion protea wall art; copper foil stamped invitation {Jolie Jolie}
Row 3: Bride & groom {rylee hitchner/abany bauer}; print napkin {Skinny laMinx}; copper wrapped boutonniere {Wedding Artists Collective/Gloria Wong Design}; hanging copper tins {Dave Lapham/Laura Helm at Ashton Events}; cake on copper cake stand {A Fabulous Fete on Etsy}.

 

Inspiration Board: Carnevale

Good morning friends? How were your weekends? I had a really good one, doing more January planning and organising as well as catching up with Louise from b.loved and chatting about our big blog and business plans for 2013 – all very exciting! You’ll also get to kuier with her a bit later this week. But for now, it’s time for our Monday inspiration board. I wanted to start the year with something bold and new, and after telling you that copper was one of the year’s hot colours, I just had to get stuck in. I’ve decided to combine it with both teal and navy, and it’s rich, opulent and exciting – maybe even slightly mysterious. It reminded me a little of Venice (hence the name). I’d just love to see this one come to life!

Colours: Navy, teal and copper

Top row (l-r): Copper and teal dress; glitter giftwrap {Grey Likes Weddings/T&H Photography}; copper shoes {Desiree Dawn Events/Shea Christine}; sparkly top {Fiona Kelly/b.loved Weddings}; keys {Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge/Chelsea Nicole}
Row 2: Sweets; teal stationery suite {Sean Flanigan/Lilia DeGregory}; copper cake {Missy Photography/Merci New York}; ribbons {Grey Likes Weddings/T&H Photography}; gorgeous redhead bride
Row 3: Opulent bride {Fiona Kelly/b.loved Weddings}; navy bridesmaids; table settings; Venice.

 

Inspiration Board: Coral & Glam

Tangerine may have been Pantone’s 2013 colour of the year, but if there’s a breakout shade for weddings this season, it’s coral. And boy, am I ever glad! Coral is such a warm shade, and so versatile – I can’t believe how many colours it works with beautifully! It’s also lovely reader Carrie’s favourite colour, so of course she’s chosen it for her summer wedding. And Carrie must be a girl after my own heart, because she also loves a bit of sparkle, and wants to put her bridesmaids in mismatched glittery dresses – how pretty is that? There are some lovely coral or blush and sequin dresses available at the moment, but for this board I’ve gone for one of my absolute favourite bridesmaid combos of recent times – these copper skirt and top sequin and lace mismatches are just amazing and they look so good with the coral and white bouquets! Add in beautiful copper heart Vivienne Westwood shoes, and some good as gold accents and you have the perfect amount of metallic. A good tip with coral is to use it in a sort of ombre way, with everything from a pale blush to the most powerful orange version of the colour, just the way that it is in this adorable stationery suite. Add a few special touches – homemade lemonade, a ruffly chair back, sparkly mason jars, and you have everything you need for coral and glam wedding wonderful. Hope you like your board, Carrie!

Colours: Coral, blush, white, copper & gold

Top row (l-r): Bridesmaids {P: Jarvie Digital Photography}; table layout {S: Envision Wedding Studio; P: AC Ellis Inc.}; pink lemonade {P: White Loft Studio}; blush ruffle chair back {S: Envision Wedding Studio; P: AC Ellis Inc.}
Row 2: Coral & gold stationery suite {P: Jean-Pierre Gary and Kiera Ormut-Fleishman}; coral macaroons; Vivienne Westwood shoes; fireplace ceremony {P: Justin Demutiis Photography; S: Olivier Events}
Row 3: Sparkle mason jars; lace sheath dress with keyhole back {P: Paul Johnson}; cake {Elizabeth Messina}; single bloom centrepiece {Martha Stewart}.

 

Inspiration Board: La Boheme

Good morning, wedding belles! Sorry for the late start this Monday, but I’m sure you’ll grant me a bank holiday lie-in. Anyway, I’m super excited about today’s board, which was a request from lovely reader Cara. It just makes my day when I get unusual themes and ideas for inspiration board requests, and ever since I read Cara’s email I’ve been dying to put this one together. Cara and her fiancé are planning a French bohemian style for their Johannesburg wedding. They hadn’t chosen colours yet, but were looking for something rustic, hippy and down to earth, but classy. I also didn’t start out with a colour scheme, but this evolved into a palette of rust, copper and green, and I think it has just the right amount of French country boho charm (although, as an alternative to neutrals, I’d recommend purple, including lots of lovely lavender). A headband (or a crown of flowers) for the bride is a must, and bridesmaids should be put in a range of lacey dresses with mismatched accessories (matching bridesmaids is a definite no here). Flowers are rustic and slightly wild, and I’d probably incorporate fruits as well, like figs and grapes, into the mix. Heavy urns with overflowing greenery, whimsical adornments like feathers (love how these just sit in the groom’s pocket instead of a boutonniere), long tables, rugs and scatter cushions. To some degree, anything goes. Hope you like this Cara – I am sure it’ll be absolutely beautiful!

Colours: Copper, rust and green

Top row (l-r): Boho bride {Johanna Johnson}; glasses {S: Jessica Sloane of lovebird style; P: Brooke Boling Photography}; door handle {P: Tamiz Photography}; centrepiece {P: Scott Clark Photo}; feathers in place of boutonniere {P: Nancy Neil}
Row 2: Decor {P: Tamiz Photography}; bouquet {F: Panacea Event Floral Design; P: Chloe of Mike Larson Inc}; champagne on tray {S: Davia Lee Events; P: Danielle Capito Photography }; bridesmaids’ dresses {P: Josh Goleman}
Row 3: Tables {Scott Clark Photo}; cherub with crown {P: Braedon Photography}; rustic door {via trekearth.com)}; table decor {D: Lace and Likes; P: Swoon by Katie}; wedding reception {P: Tamiz Photography}