So the other day there I am watching Glee, and that Mercedes chick is singing – really singing, not just wailing at the end of the song – and it’s Aretha and she’s nailing it and I’m thinking what must that be like? You know, to just open your mouth and God comes out. Because when I open my mouth to sing, it’s more like dog comes out. But that’s what makes talents special. Not everyone has them. And watching someone do that one thing that only they can do, and love, is just magic. I’m getting to the point here. Today’s bride is one of those magic, talented people. I have no idea if she can sing, but what she can definitely do, is flowers. I’ve been dying over the weddings she’s worked on through her company, Flowers in the Foyer, for a long time now, so you can imagine how insanely excited I was when Mandie from Joe Photography told me about her wedding. And as soon as I saw Joe’s stunning photos, I was obsessed. Read More
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 now declare this week’s festival of gorgeous weddings… OPEN! (Just imagine me with a giant pair of scissors here.) (PS, where do you actually GET a giant pair of scissors? Because I totally want one.) I’ve been dying to show you Jess and David’s wedding for a little while now, because to me it encapsulates so many things I love about a Cape wedding. Beautiful weather, a spectacular winelands backdrop (the lovely Webersburg estate), soft pink florals, proteas, quirky personal touches. And of course a couple who are completely besotted with one another. It just radiates from them, doesn’t it? (Just wait until you see their video, which I’ll be posting as a bonus this afternoon.) Other things I love: Jess’s dress and that oversized flower in her hair that I am completely dying over, the map used as a seating/escort chart, the Rob Ryan-esque menu cards and other pretty stationery, the sparklers for the first dance… All so gosh darn puuurty. And all captured by the genius that is Annemari Ruthven! Enjoy…Read More
Happy Monday, lovelies! I have so much goodness coming your way this week, it’s going to be like awesome real wedding palooza. But first, I have a very special inspiration board. This one was created especially for one of our readers, who wrote to me for some help a couple of weeks ago. She wanted a pretty, romantic look for her wedding at a beachside venue, and she wanted lots of white and aqua for her bridesmaids, but she wasn’t sure if she should introduce any other colours. Although aqua and white on their own are lovely, I always think the addition of another colour adds more dimension and gives you more options when you’re sorting out your details. There’s so much that goes with aqua – coral, lemon yellow, pretty taupe neutrals, for example – but the couple’s favourite was a mixture of aqua with rosy pink tones, inspired by the gorgeous image top left. So here’s the rest of what I came up with – light, clean and very romantic!
The key to a look like this is to base everything on a white on white palette, so that you don’t overuse the bright pink and aqua shades – you can also bring in a bit of grey or silver to help. Chantel wondered if a grey or silver damask may work for the tablecloths, and it would, but I think only if it was very subtle (as lovely as damask is, it can really dominate when used in black and white, for example). I’d suggest runners or square overlays as an alternative, and for this palette you could use pretty Cath Kidston-style prints like the pattern seen below from photographer Christine Meintjes’ gorgeous aqua and pink wedding. To bring in the aqua on the tables, I love the idea of using milk glass (or, if not actual milk glass, then glass containers spraypainted white and differing shades of aqua as in the original picture). So pretty! I also added in some beachy touches with shells and starfish, or you could get hold of some pretty white urchin shells or similar, just for a little bit of beach appeal (starfish may make a lovely motif for a romantic beachside wedding). Another place to bring aqua in is in the bride’s shoes (love these ones!) – another pretty little pop of colour alongside the bridesmaids’ dresses, without going overboard. Keep everything soft, especially the flowers (thinking peonies, roses, carnations – maybe with a few anemones for extra visual interest). I also think the ombre trend I spoke about last week works beautifully here – in invitations that have a beachy, washed out look, in pretty cake slices, and in pink flowers that graduate from deep pink to pale pink. For a final, beachy fun touch, have an ice cream bar where guests can create their own cones or sundaes at cocktail hour (or late at night). Or why not try the absolute latest trend and have classy jelly shots instead?
Happy Monday folks! Hope you had a great weekend. I had a great one catching up with friends, although I wish the fabulous spring weather we saw last month would come back! I could do with some more sunshine. Anyway, on with today’s inspiration board, which I have to say, has me feeling all girly and giddy. A bit of glitter will do that for you. As you already know, metallics are big this year and they’re often paired with a gorgeous soft pink. I’ve added just a touch of pistachio to the mix, and I think it looks delicious – an updated version of the sharper candy pink and bright green that was popular a couple of years back. This would work beautifully in just about any venue, and you could adapt it depending on the season. Just perfect!
Smell that, folks? Yep, it smells like freedom. The freedom of a long weekend, and I’ll tell you a little secret, mine has already started. Started last night, in fact, with wine and cupcakes at Altar-ed, a fab little event organised here in London by OMG I’m Getting Married and Forever and Ever Events (thanks, ladies!). Which is, obviously, the best way to start a long weekend. Prettiness always is. So allow me to do the same for you, by providing you with your own dose of prettiness courtesy of this wedding at Diemerskraal. I have been DYING to share it for weeks, and I am so excited that the moment has finally arrived! Where do I start? The buttons, maybe my favourite little touch? The bunting? The supercool invitations? The OMG they actually WILL wear them again bridesmaids dresses? The fact that the venue is an aircraft hangar? Actually, it’s all of it together, tied up in a perfect little bow by Stephan Marais, who took these gorgeous pictures. To me, it strikes the perfect balance between contemporary, classic and cheeky, and I absolutely LOVE it! So enjoy. And if I don’t see you here tomorrow (even though you totally should pop in, because we have another loooovely wedding!), have the best Easter weekend!Read More
I’m a relatively easy woman to please. At the end of the day, just give me a prawn Caesar salad and a glass of good chenin and I’m happy. On my birthday, I like anything at all that comes in a little blue box ;). And when it comes to weddings, a little bit of French country style and I’m in heaven. Today’s wedding has just the right amount of pink, pastelly goodness, but what I love most is that it shows you don’t need a crazy budget and tons of décor to pull this off, just a soft colour scheme, unifying elements like wire, ribbon and hanging bottles (oh, the hanging bottles! – be still my weddin’ lovin’ heart), great flowers and of course a DIY-tastic bride and groom with friends and family to help them. Sally and Neels were married at Oewerzicht near Greyton, and Judy Stofberg of Just Judy Photography was there to capture it all. Sit back and enjoy the pretty!
Living in London, one of my all-time favourite days of the year is when I walk past my local florist and notice that the tulips are in. There they sit, in all their pretty, perfect colours, telling me that spring is on its way and immediately making me well up with happiness. I’m a HUGE fan of tulips. Which is why I totally coveted the bouquet today’s bride carried from the very first moment I saw it. But it didn’t stop there. Once I saw the rest of this oh-so-laid-back picnic wedding, I just knew I had to share it with all of you! Carley and Marius decided to host their ceremony and reception at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, which I hadn’t even heard of, but which I am totally putting on the list for next time I’m home because the surroundings are just so beautiful. Their day was everything a Cape Town summer wedding should be – all bright colours and parasols and cupcakes. I just love Carley’s pretty dress, and the way they used streamers instead of confetti. And anyone who serves choc ices at their reception is a winner in my book! Their photographer was Bernard Bravenboer, who I’ve been looking forward to featuring on the blog for some time. Welcome, Bernard! And a massive thank you to Carley and Marius for sharing their day.
If you look up elegance in a dictionary, you’ll find alongside a mention of grace and taste, the concept of elegance as something cleverly simple. So whichever way you define it, elegance is what today’s wedding is all about. A bride in a beautiful dress, carrying a single rose-flanked protea. Poised. Stunning. A lovely guest house for preparations. Bridesmaids in the softest shade of pink. A groom at home in his suit. A succulent boutonniere. A vineyard reception. Wooden tables. Damask. Little sprigs of brunia on the napkins. Simple gifts of fudge and cigars, charmingly presented. Every detail is perfectly formed, and each has its place in the whole. It’s cleverly simple, and tasteful and graceful. It’s elegant. Which makes it the perfect match for photographer Joanne Markland, whose photographs are always pure elegance. And how much do I love, love, love the final pic in this series – the way that no matter what wedding craziness is going on around them, the bride and groom share a moment of stillness and connection. So whatever craziness the working day holds for you, take a moment for yourself here too, and enjoy.Read More
When I was 22 I lived in Italy, and I dated a boy there. We used to go and get drinks by the canals, and stare into each other’s eyes and he would tell me I had “the look”. What look? The look of luuuurve my friends. Googly-eyed, starry-eyed, whatever you want to call it. Well, you see those two up there? Yup, that’s The Look. But the fact that Dylan and Joy are blatantly glowing with how crazy they are for one another is not the only reason I love today’s wedding (although it’s my favourite reason). The fact is that this wedding is unbeeeeleeeeeevably gorgeous. As in, make oooh faces at it, poise your mouse over the favourites button before you’ve even finished reading it type of gorgeous. In fact, I’m making The Look at this wedding right now because I’m so in love with it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it has an achingly pretty (and contemporary) palette of soft pink and grey, or that the bride is a stone cold fox and her husband a strapping professional rugby player, or that the photographs are by up-and-coming and super talented photographer Nastassja Harvey (who you should totally book now while you still have the chance). And apparently the folks over at Top Billing agree, since Joy and Dylan’s wedding was featured on the show last week (yay!). Whether you managed to catch it or not, you are going to love the chance to savour every image from this beautiful day.Read More
