Tag: trends

Best of 2015: Cakes

by gaby

Cakes, you guys. How much do we love them? They’re always one of those little highlights I look out for when scrolling through the images from a wedding – I love seeing what  couple has chosen! (Which is also probably why narrowing this down was so hard!) This year we’ve seen more variety than ever – buttercream as been back in a big way, as have classic white cakes, and let’s not forget naked cakes which are still causing waves of pretty both at home and abroad! We have also had some gorgeous sparkly specimens – my favourite being the one pictured above that had actual metallic drippings. Gorgeous, no? Whether the statement is bold and bright or a whisper of beautiful detailing, every one of these 20 cakes really turned our head. The first 15 are from real weddings, and the last from some of the amazing styled shoots we’ve featured this year, that will be inspiring weddings for the years to come!

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Best of 2015: Groomswear

by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! This morning was all about the ladies, as we rounded up our favourite wedding dresses, but now it’s the boys’ turn – and what a stylish lot the boys have been this year! From formal to casual and everything in between, and from matching parties to cleverly mismatched groom & groomsmen, it seems like the guys are really getting into their wedding day look these days. Long may it last! While men’s fashion changes a bit more slowly than its female counterpart, coloured suits continue to be strong, and bowties are definitely (finally!) having their day here in South Africa. I’ve seen a lot fewer tuxes, but beautiful formal suits have taken their place, for the most part, and braces are always a favourite, especially with the groomsmen. And finally, look out for plenty of non-flower boutonniere creativity, where lasercut especially has made it possible to express wedding theme or personality by what’s on your lapel.

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Wedding Trends for 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.

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Fresh Dessert Table Inspiration

by gaby

It’s been a while since I published this post, offering ten gorgeous inspirations for dessert tables and linking them up to SBB colour boards. And in that time, I’ve seen dessert tables evolve, from being highly stylised to maybe just a little bit more relaxed, from being almost entirely cake and candy-based, to having a larger variety of sweet treats, and of course to include dessert table alternatives like pies, cookies or even brunch. But one thing has remained the same – brides love ’em. And it’s no wonder – a candy buffet or dessert table offers a fun, interactive dessert experience for your guests AND it’s a piece of reception decor all on its own, which reinforces your theme or colours and can spark a lot of creativity. What guest doesn’t like seeing a little nook dedicated specifically to sugar, especially when it’s temptingly laid-out. So I thought it was about time I shared some of my new favourite dessert tables, and as before, linked them up with some of our very own inspiration boards to give you a sense of what sort of look and feel each table might suit.

BEAUTIFUL BLUSH

The addition of a floral arch turns a nice feature into a spectacular one – perfect for all you garden wedding and blush-loving brides out there! I’ve paired it with our perennially popular Kraft & Blush inspiration board.

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Two-tone Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

If you follow on Twitter or Facebook, you might have spotted a little something about SBB making its radio debut on OFM, a radio station based in Bloemfontein yesterday. Fun! I was delighted to be approached by DJ Yolanda Maartens, and I was more than happy to act as one of her experts on a spot she calls The Wedding Planner. This time, Yolanda suggested we chat about bridesmaids and the latest trends for dressing your girls, and it got me thinking that it’s been a while since I did one of our bridesmaid dress trend roundups. Last year I covered a huge series of looks, and many of these are going strong into 2014 (hello sparkle, lace & pastels!) but there are a couple of key looks I haven’t yet covered. So I’m declaring March the Month of Bridesmaids, and I’m starting things off today with two tone dresses. Now, colour blocking is by no means a new trend on the catwalks (or even on bridesmaids), but I think 2014 is the year it really comes into its own, thanks to the development of two other trends. One is for longer lengths, with many bridesmaids rocking floor length gowns where a couple of years ago it was all about the cocktail dress. The other is for skirts (one of the trends I looked at last year). And while two-tone dresses can be any combination really, my favourite look – and the one that I’m seeing more of this season – is a white top or bustier with a long, flowing, skirt. Not only is it very, very pretty, but it’s super flattering on a huge variety of figures. So yay. We like this one. :)

If you’d like to hear my full OFM interview, you can play the podcasts from here. Read More

Trend Alert: Candles

by gaby

As the year starts drawing to an end, we wedding bloggers begin to think about the trends that have made an impact in 2013, as well as those that are top of our crush lists for 2014. There’s one I have been watching for a while, and I have to say, I am loving what stylists have been doing with it, and it’s candles. I know, right? Who knew they even went out of fashion? But when we’re talking candles here, we’re talking tall and taper candles, multiple candles (the way that flowers were done a couple of years ago), coloured candles, and even candles on wedding cakes, birthday style. LOVE. So I thought it was about time I brought this look to the blog. Here are some of my favourites from t’internets.Read More

Hair Inspiration: Gatsby Glam

by gaby

Sources (l-r): The Nickersons/via Vintage Tea Roses/Willow Moone

Fact: I am more than a little bit obsessed with Gatsby right now. Although it’s not a new thing – the novel is one of my favourite books, and I have had a huge crush on the ’20s since I read it as a teenager. And I am also a huge, huge Baz Luhrmann fan. After the movie tanked with reviewers last year, I was so nervous to see it, but I ADORED every second of that film. No kidding, I watched it three more times on the flights from the UK to Dubai and Dubai to Durban last month. Now I won’t go into the many reasons why it’s one of my new favourite movies, except for one – Gatsby styling is awesome. The dresses, the hair… wouldn’t we all want to play dress up as Daisy Buchanan for one night? Incredibly flattering. So it’s really no surprise that I love the 1920s trend that has made its way into weddings (and stayed) – what is surprising to me in a way is just how popular it has been with everyone else. The post I did a couple of months ago on Gatsby bridesmaid dresses turned out to be one of your all-time faves, and it got me thinking that maybe it would be fun to do a hair feature on 1920s and 1930s-inspired styles. They’re not period replicas, but this series of beautiful (very flattering) styles incorporates some 1920s trademarks – finger waves, bobs, beautiful hair accessories, soft buns curled into the nape. I dare you not to fall in love with one, or several… old sport.Read More

How to Wear Statement Bridal Jewellery

by gaby

Source: Oak & the Owl/Em the Gem

This morning, lovelies, we’re talking about one of my all-time favourite things. Jewellery! Oh yes indeed, because who doesn’t love looking at (and wearing) pretty jewels? I’m a huge fan of sticking to classic fashion and using interesting accessories to make it pop, so it’s no wonder really that I’m so in love with the current trend for wearing statement jewellery on your wedding day. After all, if it’s not your personal style in day-to-day life, why suddenly revert to a demure string of pearls on your wedding day? The big question for a number of brides I talk to, though, is how exactly to rock this look without going overboard – after all, nobody wants to look like a bride who (as someone once said about Joss Stone) was covered with glue and rolled through Claire’s Accessories. So today, courtesy of the good folks at Fragments Jewelry, we’re bringing you all the tips and inspiration from real brides that you need. And, just because I can’t resist it, I’m sharing some of my favourite pieces from the Fragments collection. If you’re not already familiar with the brand, then do head over to their online store – but you might want to get someone to hide your credit card first, because I warn you, what you’ll find there is seriously gorgeous!Read More

How to Style a Cheese Wedding Cake

by gaby

I don’t know about you, but I love cheese wedding cakes – they’re by far my favourite alternative to the traditional wedding cake. It’s not just the abundance of delicious cheese (cheese!) but the fact that they can be so prettily styled. Fruit, crackers, edible flowers, herbs, drizzled honey, ribbon and of course different varieties, colours and shapes of cheeses can make each cake look unique and work to suit just about any wedding style. Plus, it’s easy to put this together yourself (see our cheese wedding cake DIY instructions here). Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a big fan of actual cake, but it doesn’t suit all couples and I think it’s great that nowadays people don’t feel pressured to spend a fortune on something they don’t want to eat themselves. A few weeks ago we looked at dessert table alternatives, but today I thought I would round up 20 gorgeous examples of cheese towers to give you style inspiration! Which is your favourite? Oh and PS, you can see more of the latest cheese wedding cake looks on our special Pinterest board.Read More

Fruit & Vegetable Bouquets

by gaby

Hello lovelies! You know, when I first did posts on fruit and vegetables in wedding design three years ago, I had no idea how much they would become part of the floral landscape, but I have to say, I absolutely LOVE them. It’s the texture that’s added by the unusual shapes or colours, as well as the pop of something unexpected. Not to mention, of course, that many brides and grooms now choose to include them because of the green credentials of working with something that can be eaten and not wasted. I’m amazed by the creativity of wedding floral designers (or should that be floral, fruit & veg designers nowadays?). So today I thought I would round up 25 of my absolute favourite bouquets that include a combination of flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs. They’re all so deliciously beautiful! Keep an eye out for veg patch favourites like kale (very much of the moment), cabbage, artichokes and then fruity berries and citrus, although the possibilities are really endless.Read More