Many brides go for a neutral nail look on their wedding day. We’ve had the French manicure, then we had the plain white or cream. Some even went as far as subtle pinks. Other brides who were not sold on the idea of subtle went for over-the-top glitzy nail art or bright colours. But what about the in-between? Fret not! There are loads of other options that are truly gorgeous, not too extra and far away from boring.
Picture: Instagram/Lolaliner
South Africa’s very own Zozibini Tunzi has just been crowned Miss Universe for 2019. Her beauty, strength and intellect have inspired us all to be a little bit like her. Take some style tips from our reigning queen this upcoming wedding season by taking a page from her fashion diaries.
Wedding dress:
Zozibini strutted down the Miss Universe stage wearing a stunning white caped gown representing her Xhosa heritage, designed by Biji – La Maison de Couture. Modern and structured, this dress makes a powerful statement.
Bridal capes are a great option for brides that are looking for a little something extra and for those that are looking to break away from the norm. If you’re not into the super modern look, you can soften the cape by going for lighter fabrics to give an airy finish.
If you’re daring, why not go for an illusion gown wedding dress? Zozibini wore this Biji – La Maison de Couture to the Fairlady Santam Woman of the Future Awards earlier this year and gave us major #outfitgoals.
This lace applique gown is delicate yet sexy, perfect for the bride wanting to strike a balance. If you’re scared of the full illusion look you can always line certain parts.
Crowns:
Zozibini’s ornate crown, named ‘The Power of Unity’, celebrates the complexity, diversity, unapologetic ambition and strength of women. With more than 1,770 diamonds set in 18-karat gold, the crown features interconnected leaves and flowers. A 62.83 carat golden canary diamond is the stunning centrepiece.
While you might not have the budget to replicate this specific crown, there are so many ways to get the look. Give off regal romance with these stunning crowns.
Feature image: Instagram / Zozibini Tunzi
You’ve seen it, you’ve loved it, but you keep thinking: ‘Can I wear it?’ The answer is yes! Wedding gowns that come with a backlace is the epitome of elegance. The fun part is, if your dress does not come with one, but you have an open back, you can opt for a necklace with a back. That means it will be short at the front and have a backdrop hanging down your back. Here are some inspiration from different kinds of backlaces, suited for different styles.
Dainty
Pearly
Glitzy
Layered
Rustic
Pendant
Picture: Etsy.com
Applique – various fabrics sewn onto netting or other transparent fabric – creates a lovely, romantic appearance for your bridal look. It allows you to show some skin and yet still look classy and tasteful. It suits brides with a feminine style and a love for detail. Applique designs can feature anywhere, like the back, sleeves, neckline or veil. Here are some of our favourites.
Picture: Unsplash
Weddings in 2020 will definitely be featuring something blue. Pantone has just announced their 2020 colour of year, and it’s a brilliant blue loaded with beautiful meaning.
For 2020, Pantone has selected PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue as their Colour of the year.
“A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity,” explains the company. “Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”
“Imprinted in our psyches as a restful colour, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. Aiding concentration and bringing laser like clarity, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue re-centres our thoughts. A reflective blue tone, Classic Blue fosters resilience.”
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With such beautiful symbolism, this hue works perfectly for weddings. Here’s how to bring on the blue on your big day.
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Image: Unsplash
Celebrities have been feeling the love this year, and we can’t get enough. From a romantic star-studded event in the South of France to a three-day extravaganza in Marrakesh, these famous couples went big for their 2019 nuptials.
Justin and Hailey Bieber
The most exciting, star studded wedding of the year goes to the Biebers, who wed in Montage Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina on September 30. With a stunning off-white gown designed by Virgil Abloh and a statement veil with the words ’till death do us part” stitched onto it in white block lettering, Hailey’s look was absolutely iconic. But she didn’t stop there. She had two reception looks: a Ralph & Russo halterneck and a Vera Wang slip dress that she paired with sneakers.
Their second nuptials (they had a small courthouse wedding in 2018) were attended by their many famous friends, including Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Justine Sky, Jaden Smith, Joan Smalls, and Justin’s manager Scooter Braun.
Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner
Following a host of pre-wedding activities, this loved up-couple said ‘I do’ at the Château de Tourreau in the South of France with their closest family and friends around them. Of course, Kevin and Nick Jonas were there, as well as sister-in-law Priyanka Chopra, Maisie Williams and Ashley Graham. Turner wore a stunning long-sleeve gown designed by Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière.
This is their second wedding. The couple famously wed at a Las Vegas chapel after the Billboard Music Awards, and their nuptials were broadcast to the world via Diplo’s Instagram Live.
Zoe Kravitz & Karl Glusman
The last weekend in June was a pretty eventful week in France. Joining Joe and Sophie, Big Little Lies star Zoe Kravitz also said ‘I do’ to actor Karl Glusman in the city of love. The location was particularly special to them as it is where they met back in 2016.
The couple is very private, and haven’t shared any official images from their nuptials. However, we do know it was a fun-filled affair. According to W Magazine, dad Lenny Kravitz’s 18th-century mansion acted as wedding venue. In an interesting fashion statement, the bride-to-be wore bridal biker shorts and an embellished fishnet cover for their rehearsal dinner.
Their wedding had an A-list attendance, including Zoe’s parents Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, step-father Jason Mamoa, Cara Delevigne and the cast of Big Little Lies.
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre had a stunning three-day extravaganza in Marrakesh back in April. The location was chosen as Sabrina’s family is originally from East Africa and Idris’s is from West Africa, so they wanted to meet somewhere in between. In a tribute to their cultures, they wove Ghanaian and Somalian traditions into their big day.
Sabrina wore an A-line crêpe dress with delicate Chantilly lace train for the ceremony, and a figure-hugging shimmery number for the reception. Both were designed by Vera Wang.
Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling
The ‘Lights’ musician said ‘I do’ to her art-dealer boyfriend, Caspar Jopling, at the York Minster Cathedral in England back in August. Goulding stunned with five beautiful bridal looks for their festivities. For the ceremony, she donned a bespoke Chloé gown and a delicate silk tulle veil with an organza collar featuring her and Caspar’s initials. Her other gowns include a sleek off-the-shoulder silk Stella McCartney creation, a beaded Ralph & Russo number, a short Balmain number featuring semi-sheer puffed sleeves and she ended the evening in a simple strapless black gown with a full skirt.
The wedding was a royal affair, with Sarah, Duchess of York and her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in attendance. Other notable guests include Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Ed Sheeran.
Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz
The German model and her Tokio Hotel singer beau had a romantic ceremony off the coast of Capri in August. They tied the knot onboard the famous Christina O, following in the footsteps of Princess Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who also chose this yacht for their respective receptions.
The pair legally married back in February, using this extravagant affair as an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends.
Image: Instagram / Hailey Bieber
Wedding arches have come a long way from the simple dome structures they used to be. Now popular in both indoor and outdoor weddings, the wedding arch can be a beautiful symbol of the home you and your partner will build together. This tradition is, of course, one more way for you to decorate and create a focal point. Here are some creative ideas that are perfect for your outdoor wedding.
Feature Image: Instagram/Foreverlyafter
One size fits all? No! Not when it comes to your body shape.
Women come in all shapes and sizes and it’s so important to know your body type and shape to dress accordingly and accentuate your best features. To avoid your dress shopping experience being a stressful one, it’s important to know and stick to what works for your body.
It’s also important to remember that very few women fall into only one category as we can have different features from various body types. Why? Because we’re beautifully unique!
In this upcoming series, we’ll be looking at all the different body shapes and some gorgeous weddings gowns that will accentuate YOU perfectly.
Next up, is the rectangle shape.
With a third of women falling into this category, the rectangle body shape is known to be rather athletic due to there being very little definition, with your waist creating a straight body line. Women with rectangular body shapes are normally tall and lean, with the shoulders and hips being quite similar in width. Your goal here will be to CREATE CURVES!
Focusing on gowns that have an A-line silhouette, or ballgowns, will add more volume to the hip area, while fuller sleeves and shoulder detail will balance out the top half. A scoop neck or sweetheart neckline will further help to create curves.
Alternatively, a fitted dress with a padded bodice and sequins or diamanté detail to add dimension, or embellishment around the bust and shoulders, will help to accentuate those areas and bring attention to it.
Necklines are going to play a crucial role when picking your perfect wedding dress. A high neckline like the halter neck or keyhole neckline will help lift your cleavage and create the illusion of more curves, while showing off your collarbone and shoulders. A sheath dress is also a great option as the dress emphasises the waist. It is fitted and nipped at the waistline but with no waist seam.
Here are a variety of great dress styles perfect for a rectangle body shape:
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By Amy-lee Steenkamp
Feature image: Unsplash
We are on the brink of entering the new 20s so it’s only right we take a look back at the glamorous style that epitomised the Jazz Age. A time of decadent fashion, the roaring 20s was extravagant, over-the-top and exciting. Fashion featured art deco-inspired geometrical prints, stunning embroidery and beading galore.
It’s almost a century later and these styles are still just as relevant and timeless today. If you want to channel your inner Daisy Buchanan, take notes from these glamorous gowns.
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Picture: Pexels
A bride is usually very easy to spot. She wears a wedding gown that stands out from the crowd, and there is absolutely no chance she’ll be mistaken for a bridesmaid. The groom on the other hand, may get lost in a sea of suits.
This seems a bit unfair. It would be a shame for a groom to not be seen on his big day. There are ways (some more subtle than others) for a groom to stand out from his groomsmen. Have a look at these ideas:
– Different neckwear
If you’re wearing a tie, have your groomsmen wear bowties or vice versa. You could even switch it up completely by having your groomsmen sport classic neckwear while you wear an alternative neckpeice. There are way more alternatives than you think.
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– Vary in suit colours
The colour of your suit makes a tremendous difference. This is one of the easiest ways to stand out from your groomsmen. You’ll be the main focus, without a doubt. This works especially well when your groomsmen wear more dull toned suits while you wear something brighter.
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– Accessorize
Add something extra to your outfit. You could add a hat, a pocket watch, a brooch, or really anything you want. All you need to do is find the best way to incorporate it.
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– Play with patterns
If you really want to make a statement, you should consider adding some patterns. Keep your suit the same colour as your groomsmen, but add some pizzaz by adding a pattern. Alternatively, you could do this on a smaller scale by simply wearing a shirt with pattern or print while your groomsmen wear plain shirts.
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– Smart-casual groomsmen
By simply having your groomsmen ditch their blazers, you’ll be the centre of attention instantly.
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– Switch up your tie colour
If you’re the type of groom who wants to be set apart, but does’t want too much attention, simply switch the colour of your tie. This one is very subtle, but very effective.
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– Get creative with your boutonniere
Similar to the tie switch above, you could keep it simple and just vary in the colour of your boutonniere. You could also personalise it and get creative, there are endless possibilities. Have your groomsmen wear the classic flower, and hand craft your own boutonniere.
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Image: Pixabay