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!
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
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.
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?
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
Happy 4th of July to all my American readers! Today’s board is another reader request (I’m loving how many requests I’m getting these days!) – this time from the lovely Ingrid – and I have to admit, it was a bit of a challenge. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but it wasn’t easy to find in the right colours. I’m so excited with how it turned out though, and I hope you are too, Ingrid!
When Ingrid emailed me, she knew exactly the sort of colour palette she was after for her Kleinevalleij wedding. She’d also fallen in love with the table arrangements for this unbelievable Style Me Pretty wedding, which pretty much inspired everything else. Let me break down this look a bit. The key is in its contrasts: modern paired with a bit of vintage and a touch of rustic. Succulents and silver? Shouldn’t work, but they SO do. The components – lush purple flowers (dahlias! so gorgeous!), succulents, mercury glass, wooden boxes, moss, distressed ceramics and silver. I’ve added in a few avian details and some blackboards and lilac for even more of that French country style. Doesn’t it look amazing together?
Ingrid’s bridesmaids are going to be getting their own dresses, so she wanted to make it easy for them, and chic little black numbers are a great way forward. To distinguish the girls, I suggested giving them long strings of pearls that they can all wear in a different way, but purple shoes are another alternative (Ingrid could wear sparkly and silver if she wants to stand out). I love that guests would start off with a classic black and white wedding (maybe with a couple of small purple touches in the stationery at the ceremony) and then be wowed by the whole look when they move into the reception hall. I see a lot of weddings currently at Kleinevalleij using some pretty grey/silver damask tablecloths, and these could also work brilliantly here. I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to see how this wedding turns out! (And don’t forget – if you’d like me to create a board just for you, drop me an email and let me know a bit more about what you’re looking for.)
Today’s board is another reader request – my favourite kind! Natasha emailed looking for help with her chosen palette of pewter with a rose or dusty pink. She’d had trouble finding an inspiration board using these colours that embodied the romantic elegance she was looking for from her wine farm wedding, with a touch of formality. I have to say, I LOVE these colours! Pink and grey are very hot right now, but there are many different shades of both colours to work with and pewter is absolutely gorgeous. I think the colours on their own embody the romantic (pink) combined with the more formal and elegant (pewter), which will really help to create the atmosphere Natasha wants.
There are some key foundations to the look I’ve built up here. One is the use of lots of white (since too much pewter could be a little dark), with soft, floaty textures and classic white stationery. A second is the use of calligraphy, which again adds that romantic but formal touch and ties everything else together beautifully. Use it on everything from fun fortune tellers (these make super cute orders of service or place settings) to a table of pretty escort cards to understated place settings (don’t you just love the pink ribbon?). Of course, bringing in the metallics is equally important, which I’ve done here on the wedding dress (I die for this Vera Wang, but a sparkly belt or even brooch detail on a dress would also work beautifully), in the pewter vase and in the bridesmaids’ dresses. Of course, you could just as easily go for soft pink dresses or even a combination of pink and dove grey, but I loved these formal, full-length pewter gowns. Combine with pink bouquets to get both colours across. And speaking of flowers, I adore the single oversized bloom trend and think it would be perfect for this wedding! It adds that little something quirky and different. However, if Natasha chooses to go more traditional, then roses, peonies and anemones are all possibilities, combined with other soft pink and white blooms.
Natasha also asked about favours, as she’s considering white fans for the ladies but is a bit stumped for the boys. One thing to bear in mind is that men tend to forget to take their favours home with them, so in my experience giving them something they can use on the night is ideal. I’ve suggested cigars to play into the elegant theme, but if you don’t want them all disappearing for a little while at some point, then scratchcards, alcohol minis or something edible also work well. Otherwise you could consider bottle openers (in line with the winelands setting), playing cards, or even mini hip flasks.
Hope you like your board, Natasha! And don’t forget, if you would like your own inspiration board, just drop me an email!
I’ve been wanting to do this inspiration board ever since I saw the winning dessert table design in the European Sweet Table Contest by Belle Amour. Debs took a vintage fairytale approach, and with that forest wallpaper and the blood red, snow white and black as ebony colour scheme, it was simply stunning. I thought it would be a great starting point for a winter wedding. Obviously you want to avoid Disney cheese, but you can take design elements straight from the story – dozens of mirrors lining the walls, red apples at every place setting – just try to avoid the temptation to dress your seven bridesmaids up as dwarves! ;) Colette Dinnigan currently has a Snow White bridal collection, and this pretty dress has the perfect mix of drama and whimsy. Pile on the red lipstick, and you’re sure to be fairest of them all!
I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that I love all the weddings I feature here on Cap Classique. Because, let’s be honest, I have been blessed with some seriously unfreakingbelievable prettiness on this blog (and trust me, there’s lots more in the honey jar). But sometimes I don’t realise quite how MUCH I love a wedding until I’m busy putting the pictures together and I start to get butterflies thinking how gorgeous it is and how much you guys are going to love it. Which is exactly how I feel about Chené and Andy’s wedding at Natte Valleij. When I start throwing around words like ‘vintage romance’ and ‘secret garden’ you know it’s going to be beautiful, and boy is it ever. The details are just beyond gorgeous (my favourite is the hanging birdcages – WOW) and the bride and groom look like they stepped straight out of a fashion shoot. It’s pretty much perfect, so get ready to fall in love too! Oh, but first I get to introduce you to Chené and Andy’s photographer. Abigail Klopper of Abigail K Photography is not only an up-and-coming Cape Town snapper, but she’s also leading the way in getting the wedding industry up on their social media. This is one savvy chick, and I’m very excited to have her here on the blog!Read More
A lot of brides and grooms these days want something different for their weddings. To stand out from the crowd, and give their friends and family something to talk about. Some really go out of their way to achieve this – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But being different doesn’t always mean you have to do something wild and crazy. It can be a whole host of small touches that add up to an overall experience. (Aha, you knew I was going to start talking about details again, didn’t you?) That’s what today’s couple did. They wanted something a little out of the ordinary, and so they booked a beautiful and unique venue – Beloftebos (one of my personal favourites) is set in a forest with an oak canopy so thick it actually fulfils South Africa’s indoor marriage regulations! Then they chose gorgeous, indigenous flowers (some of which I’ve never seen in a wedding before) and decked their tables with topiaries instead of bouquets. They complemented these with elegant charcoal bridesmaid dresses, hanging hearts and pretty stationery, and served yummy rustic food. And then they topped it all off with a rock band. When you put all that together, it’s really special, and I bet their guests felt really special being there. All of this loveliness is brought to life through the lens of the wonderful Nikki Meyer, a big Cap Classique favourite! Welcome back, Nikki!
Zelda sent over some background on the day – I just love how her enthusiasm shines through in everything she says! One lazy summer evening during a braai at our friends’ place, I noticed the only guy there who wasn’t wearing shoes and was immediately intrigued. I made my move and told him he had gorgeous feet, taking photos of them. By 11pm the meat was in the oven and we were starving… Well, they always say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and that was true in this case! We ended up sitting on our haunches on the kitchen floor with me feeding him chops. Then, like Cinderella I jumped in my 4×4 and drove off into the night. I didn’t lose a slipper but I made a big impression! About a month later friends invited me for a weekend away and to my surprise, in the little fisherman’s town of Velddrif, there he was, the man who won my heart and the beginning of my life as a wife and his as a husband.
One cold windy Friday, Giulio rocked up at home with so much energy, suggesting we should go take photos on the beach. I looked at him thinking he was crazy, but went along with it. We stopped at Blouberg Beach to take photos of the shipwreck and were there for quite a while and just as the sun set, with me capturing the shot and him standing behind me with his arms around me, I looked down and there it was. A royal blue box with a beautiful diamond! My word, I always said “I’m not a bling person” but I must admit, I LOOOOOOVEE my ring! Oh, but let me get back to my story, I was so shocked that no words came to mind. The excitement got the better of me and I just could not stop laughing! Giulio actually had to calm me down and ask me what my answer was. And of course it was yes, yes, yes!
We wanted our wedding to be a celebration and to be different from other traditional weddings. We were first going to get married on the West Coast and drove up one Saturday, but nothing appealed to us and we stopped for a quick bite with friends. One of them suggested Beloftebos and we immediately jumped in our car and drove all the way to Stanford. When we got to the venue, we just knew: ‘this is it’.
I must admit, almost until the very end, I had no idea of what colour scheme I wanted. The only colour I had was the bridesmaids’ dresses and that was charcoal. Our invites were printed on cream paper and we used charcoal there as well. I love trees and used an old oak tree to symbolize our wedding as we were going to get married under oak trees.
My mother is so special to me, and I was lucky enough to have her do most of the decorating herself (with a bit of guidance from me! ;) ). We used my dining room table as inspiration and except for the crystals and hearts (which are so my mom!) everything was similar to the way I have it at home. I wanted to keep everything natural with a bit of French flair and so we only used topiary trees on the tables and local fynbos (indigenous flora) for bouquets – mine was sewejaartjies (helichrysum). These indigenous trees and flowers, unique to South Africa and our environment, were one of the elements that made our wedding special.
Highlights of the wedding? My husband was the best thing, of course! And although the venue created great ambiance, it was my friends and family that completed the celebration of our promise to each other. We also loved having a live band (Crimson) – not many people have a rock band at their wedding for entertainment!
In the end, it definitely wasn’t the usual beach or wine farm wedding. Just as we wanted, it was different, and as unique as our relationship.
CONGRATULATIONS, Zelda and Giulio!! Wishing you both a wonderful life together! And a big thank you as always to Nikki Meyer – you can catch more of this lovely wedding over on her blog.
