Tag: white

Inspiration Board: Tropical Coral & Mint

by gaby

Hidey ho, neighbours. How was your weekend? Mine has been absolutely chokka with work, and a separate project I have on this November which has really been taking me back in time a bit to a year I spent teaching English in Milan… really wishing I could just jump on a plane and spend some time in my second favourite country again! Anyway, we’re transporting ourselves somewhere else completely today, to tropical Colombia, where lucky reader Clara will be getting married at a restaurant venue. She’s chosen mint/aqua, coral, gold, ivory and white, and I have to say, I don’t think she could have picked a more perfect palette. It’s just the right mix of tropical, modern and romantic. My first find was the stationery set below, which I am completely in love with, and which I think completely gets across the location and the colour scheme. I also love the idea of adding in some fun tropical touches, like coral bands on the napkins and this cute enamel statement octopus ring – maybe a fun accessory for the bridesmaids, in their coral sundresses. Clara also likes shabby chic and lace, and while it’s not always easy to mix this with tropical, I’d do it using pretty tea glasses with coral roses, a fringe garland (why not include lace in this?) and a ruffly dress. The flowers are also a lovely mix between classic and tropical, and I love the bold use of a flash of gold. For the tables, I’d keep things simple – maybe using a nice print (chevron or stripes always work well) in the mint or aqua shade, with gold cutlery and glassware (or just keeping to simple white tables with beautiful stationery accents at each setting for a more sober look). Clara also asked about using flowers for the church and the restaurant and I think she has a few options, depending on the size of the party. If it’s intimate, I’d use smaller arrangements in the church placed at different heights, and then re-use these along the table (even bridesmaids’ bouquets can be placed in vases and double up as reception flowers). Or, if you’re going for big statement pieces in the church, place these standing or on stands around the reception and keep table flowers more simple. Finally, you could keep things very simple in the church – maybe forsaking flowers completely and using lots of candles, for example, and save the flowers for the reception. There are no hard and fast rules – do whatever your budget and wedding size allow. Hope you like your board, Clara, and good luck with the rest of your planning!

Colours: Mint, coral, gold, ivory, white

Top row (l-r): Bride and groom {efeunodos/William Banea}; roses in tea glasses; fringe garland; tropical bouquet {José Villa}; palm print {Stella McCartney}
Row 2: Coral and mint beach wedding invitation suite {Boudreaux by Wednesday Custom Designs}; enamel octopus ring; watermelon margarita pops; cake {}
Row 3: Coral bridesmaids dresses; aqua chevron print table decor {Kate Headley}; coral napkin holder {Wedding Concepts/Annemari Ruthven}; aqua shoes {Karen Hill/Loli Events}

 

Real Wedding at Rhebokskloof {Laura & Bradley}

by gaby

So what happens when your uncle is one of the most famous and celebrated designers in South Africa and you’re planning your wedding? Well, you ask him to design you a dress, of course. This was the fortunate position today’s gorgeous bride was in, and not only is her Errol Arendz wedding dress stunning, but it shows off all her best features – she’s definitely putting the haute in haute couture! Beyond that, I also love that Laura and the dapper Bradley chose to have a classically elegant white wedding at Rhebokskloof, with a beautiful tent, touches of silver and glass and an extravagance of white roses. This is certainly a style that won’t date, and their images (gracefully shot by Veronique Norval) will no doubt still look as fresh in twenty years as they do today. Sigh. I do love a classic.Read More

Inspiration Board: Love Comes Softly

by gaby

I’m sneaking in a last bit of inspiration before the weekend! This super soft and romantic board is another reader request, this time for Yvonne, who is getting married at Zorgvliet wine farm in summer. She loves whites, creams and soft colours, as well as classic elements like lace and pearls. And I have to say, I think the results are just beautiful! I’ve taken my inspiration from the palette of the invitation I chose (bottom left), and used a majority of whites and creams with just a little hint of the palest blush creeping in. This would be a great wedding to wear a blush dress, in fact, as it would stand out just that little bit against the white on white. I’ve included lots of lovely lace – in the cake detailing, the bride’s accessories, the place setting (just can’t get tired of this glass plate and doily combo – it’s so simple and affordable, but definitely has the wow factor), even that stunning lace-wrapped branch (which was used as a ceremony arch – amazing, no?). Other elements are classic – chandeliers, candelabras, peonies, tall white table arrangements, a chic updo. And then there’s that sweet little touch with the vintage key escort cards. All in all, it wraps up very, very pretty. Hope you like it, Yvonne!

Colours: White, cream & blush

Top row (l-r): Pavillion with chandeliers {Turtle Pond Photography}; bride with bridesmaids and lace branch detail {C: Joy Thigpen; P: Jose Villa}; place setting with doily; bouquet {F: Studio Blush; P: Katie Slater Photography}
Row 2: Wooden sign {Sweet Rose Studio}; blush Claire Pettibone dress {S: Be Inspired PR; P: This Modern Romance}; lace shoes; classic twist updo {}; lace garter
Row 3: Invitation {I: Momental Designs; P: Amelia Johnson Photography; S: Dana FitzGerald}; table decor {F: Karen Tran; P: Pam Scott}; lace detail cake {Call Me Cupcake}; vintage key escort cards {Kate Headley}.

 

Real Wedding at Oranje Guest Farm {Liezel & Louw}

by gaby

I love weddings. (Surprise! I bet you didn’t know that.) And this year has been all about attending weddings for me – five so far, and number six coming up on Friday. I can’t WAIT. You’d think by now I’d be sick to death of looking at them, but no. They’re a gift that just keeps on giving. Take today’s gorgeous wedding, from Michael Tree Photography (welcome, Michael!). It’s so elegant, with a palette of navy, mint and grey. (Just take another minute to be delighted by that colour combo, because I totally am.) The bride is rocking a stunning dress and I love that she’s wearing her hair short and loose – it looks amazing. The design has a touch of vintage (cute car alert!), but somehow manages to feel modern as well. And it took place amid some spectacular South African scenery. There are even white proteas, which basically make me want to punch the air. In fact, the whole thing does. Yay for this wedding, and yay that I get to write about it. I love my job!Read More

Real Wedding at Molenvliet {Liesl & Andrew}

by gaby

I’m very excited to showcase today’s wedding. It comes from one of our industry favourites – the always creative and inspirational Aleit Group, and the styling is seriously cool (not to mention the gorgeous pics by the incredible Jean Pierre Uys). I mentioned Delft a couple of weeks ago as an element I have found interesting recently – well, this wedding used it as a motif throughout. Think place settings, origami menus, cookies and (OMG I die for this) even a Delft-patterned dancefloor! That said, the theme is never tacky or overdone, it just blends in beautifully with the winelands venue (Molenvliet) and the safari-inspired details. Another element that must be mentioned is the aisle – how cool is this one? I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and I’m in love! Yet another reason I am loving this wedding though, is Liesl and Andrew’s super cute story, which includes one of the most romantic proposals ever (I just wish I had space to include the whole thing!). She was a South African girl who finished up her education at boarding school in the UK, he was a born-and-bred Brit. Then somehow, after studying in London and Nottingham respectively, they both landed up in London getting started in their careers in accountancy. And so it began…Read More

Inspiration Board: Elegant Pewter

by gaby

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.

Colours: Pewter & white

Top row (l-r): Rose and fynbos bouquet; bride & groom (Bowersock Photography); Badgley Mischka shoes (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); champagne flutes (Natalie Spencer); fynbos confetti (Nikki Meyer)
Row 2: Chandelier detail at Dieu Donne (Roxy Laker); suspended blooms; ornate mirror table plan (Shoot Lifestyle); grey and white macaroons (Taylor Jackson Photography)
Row 3: View at Dieu Donne (Lizelle Lotter); hanging flowers; centrepiece (Amy Wellenkamp Photographers); bridesmaids in pewter dresses (Shoot Lifestyle); cake with brooch and ribbon detail.

Real Wedding at Delsma Farm {Terri & Tim}

by gaby

When looking at weddings, I often see that little verse crop up: “Today I marry my best friend”. And it’s such a special thing about relationships, how the person you fall in love with becomes your friend as well as your partner. But sometimes you come across a couple who really have married someone who was their best friend first. It’s a rare and wonderful thing, and today’s couple are it. I can’t even imagine how amazing that must be, but you can see Terri and Tim glowing with it on their wedding day. Aaaah! Not to mention all the other gorgeyporgeyness. Oh, just you wait. The bride’s dress? Amazeballs. Terri said it made her feel like a princess and wow, did it ever make her look like one! Bridesmaids dresses? White. SO cool, so on trend. In fact, all the guests wore light colours, and Terri mentions the way it gave everything a 1920s vibe, which I also happen to love. Dessert? Sweets bar. Entertainment? One of the coolest photobooths I have yet seen with a massive selection of props. It all adds up to an absolutely dreamy celebration at Delsma Farm, captured by the very lovely Cheryl McEwan. You can find out more about Cheryl on the blog tomorrow, but let me just say, this lady has a talent for bringing out the beautiful in everyone she photographs. I could have done a whole post on just the pictures of Terri, and it was really hard to narrow them down. You’ll see what I mean…Read More

Inspiration Board: Aqua & Rose

by gaby

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?

Colours: Aqua, pink, white, grey

Top row (l-r): Milk glass containers with flowers; Vera Wang wedding dress (Jose Villa); shell with napkins; bride & groom (Nakai Photography)
Row 2: Valentino aqua shoes; starfish place setting (Mike Adrian Photography); table decor (Julie Lim); milk glass vases (Shay Cochrane); pink ombre cake; beach hair style (First Comes Love Photo)
Row 3: Wedding party; aqua ombre invitation; pink flowers; ice cream cones

Inspiration Board: Snow White

by gaby

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!

Colours: Red, white, black, grey.

Top row (l-r): Snow White dessert table; wedding dress; bride with ornate hairband
Row 2: Red shoes picture by Elizabeth Messina; ‘fairest of them all’ ring; red apple place setting; glass ring box; invitation
Row 3: Red apple picture by Love Made Visible; mirrors; baby’s breath; cranberry red bridesmaid’s dress.



Real Wedding at Vrede en Lust {Brinley & Rupert}

by gaby

You know how there are those women who have a rare luminescent quality, so that when they walk into a room, all the light seems to be drawn toward them? Today’s gorgeous (and thoroughly lovely) bride, Brinley, is one of those women (and I can say that because I know her). Rupert must have felt like all his Christmases had come at once when she said “I do”, and you just have to look at her face to see that the feeling is completely mutual. When I heard that Brin was working with the Wedding Concepts team to organise her wedding from her home in London, I knew it would be beautiful, and with a venue like Vrede en Lust, even more so. But what I really love is how the joy just jumps off the screen at you (captured faultlessly, as always, by the wonderful Joe Dreyer). This is the perfect mix of British charm and South African sunshine (including Zulu dancers leading the couple from the ceremony to cocktail hour), and I’m beyond excited to share it with you!Read More