We are welcoming Michelle and Vicki of Pocketful of Dreams back to the blog this morning, as they bring us yet another set of creative and beautiful bridal mood boards for your inspiration and enjoyment. And have you seen their brand new website? Make sure you pop over and have a look at their services and portfolio.
As creative event designers, we do love to keep up-to-date with the world of design and are constantly influenced by what we see in graphic design, interiors and fashion. And one big trend which is rapidly working its way through the interior decor and fashion worlds and which has huge scope for the most amazing of wedding days, is Botanicals. Think British gardens, cow parsley and butterflies – those of you who can't get enough of the rustic and English Country Garden vibe are going to love today's set of mood boards…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All Boards Copyright (c) 2013, Pocketful of Dreams
Image credits: 1. Lovely In White 2. High Tea Inspirations 3. The Botanist 4. Whispered Whimsy Vintage 5. Faded Plains 6. Happiness etc.
The botanicals trend is fresh and feminine and firmly based in an appreciation of natural resources. They key to success with this look is the focus on true reflections of nature which steers it neatly away from chintz and into a world of breathtaking yet pared back design. A true exploration of nature, this design is brought to life through observational drawings and a fascination with the outdoors and the natural environment. Think potting sheds and Victorian naturalist collections which in turn add a soft vintage slant to this look.
The overall feel is very relaxed and soothing; natural woods, flowing branches and large blossoms will all work perfectly here and it's important to make sure you pick your florist carefully as your floral displays will be the real star of this show. Look for someone with an organic and natural style who specialises in unstructured displays.
Stick to a pale, almost sun-washed colour palette of leafy green, dusky pinks and soft mauves against a backdrop of warm creams and parchment. Carefully selected botanical prints and stationary are complemented by natural materials and fabrics to create a soft and fresh look which hints at discovery and exploration; the perfect backdrop for a wedding.
Image credits: 1.David's Bridal 2. Flickr 3. Ruffled 4. Stalking the Belle Epoque 5. Whispered Whimsy Vintage
Our Botanicals bride is guaranteed to be a head-turner and there are a number of options for your wedding day look. Increasingly we are seeing bridal designers introducing florals into their gowns – designers like Claire Pettibone have some truly stunning, ethereal dresses in diaphanous fabrics which would be perfectly suited to this look. Personally, we love the David's Bridal dress shown above with a delicate floral design which perfectly complements our colour palette. If you're not sold on the floral pattern, look at more subtle ways that you can introduce some botanical references into your dress; delicate floral detailing would add a subtle but beautiful reference. You can always add a little floral punch to your look with some floral patterned shoes peeping our from under your dress. The key is to ensure that you select a dress which sits comfortably with the soft and vintage influenced nature of this design, so avoid strong, structural looks in favour of delicate, flowing gowns.
Opt for a fresh faced look with rosy cheeks to capture that love of nature and being outdoors and of course this look is just crying out for a floral headpiece! Forget a simple wreath, this is your opportunity to go all out with something fabulous, high impact and (seemingly) unstructured. Stick to soft, blush and cream shades to maintain your soft, vintage look.
Look for delicate jewellery with a Victorian influence to complement your gown. The antique necklace above not only reflects Victorian design principles but the painted enamel plaque feature lily of the valleys which adds another subtle reference to our botanical look. Etsy is full of beautiful, handmade jewellery pieces featuring dried ferns, foliage and flowers which would be perfect for this look.
The high street is full of botanical and floral print designs as we end into Summer, so look beyond traditional bridesmaid dresses and pick something budget-friendly that your girls can wear again. Short, '50s style prom dresses would look gorgeous and try to stick to botanical detailing or vintage style floral patterns where possible. Alternatively, if you want to avoid anything too heavily patterned, opt for a mismatched dresses look with each of your maids wearing a soft shade from your palette.
Image Credits: 1. Lolita 2. Ruffled 3. Style Me Pretty 4. Preston Bailey 5. Suicide Blonde 6. Martha Stewart Weddings
It won't come as a great surprise to learn that florals are going to feature heavily in the decor and details for this design! For your bouquet and key floral displays, go for wild, unstructured and organic florals, accompanied by lots of foliage and even dried botanical elements. Asymmetrical displays will work perfectly with this look and add to the natural sense of the display – you don't want anything to appear too over worked or contrived.
Drawing inspiration from Victorian botanical exploration, give thought to how you display your florals. Remember the potting shed reference point and search out mismatched clay pots, test tubes, wooden planters, bell jars and even light bulbs for displaying your blooms, mixed in with foliage, herbs, hedgerow cuttings and moss. And don't forget this look is not just about flowers, so also inject natural representations of wildlife like birds and butterflies.
Wherever possible, opt for wooden uncovered tables for your wedding breakfast, dressed with simple tableware and natural linens. Single stems of flowers or herbs with hand written specimen labels would make beautiful place settings.
Naturally sourced, local produce will fit well with your overall design and the focus on nature and the environment but you can also introduce some quirkier design touches into your food and drink. Serve a signature elderflower fizz cocktail with wild flower ice cubes and floral decoupaged cutlery would be the perfect accompaniment to an evening dessert table.
This look is all about capturing the true representation of nature so look to create small scale set-ups either as centrepieces or dotted around your venue which bring this look to life. Display flowers and foliage as specimens, laid out on wooden trays or hung from a vintage herb dryer, with cute vintage style props such as magnifying glasses and even phrenology heads.
Create backdrops from vintage style floral wallpaper wrapped over canvases, hang botanical drawings printed onto simple parchment paper or why not create a stunning floral backdrop by using washi tape to secure single stems to a wall?
Look to stationery companies like the Rifle Paper Co. who have a fabulous botanical range or if you want to go down the bespoke route, then have your designs printed onto stained stock or parchment for an aged feel. Hand drawn calligraphy would be the perfect finishing touch for your paper goods.
This fresh and feminine design concept is a great option for couples who adore flowers and the outdoors but don't want anything too rigid or structured for their wedding day. Do let us know what you think in the comments box below and if there are any colours, concepts or ideas that you'd like to see us incorporate into an upcoming inspiration board we'd love to hear from you!
Michelle & Vicki xx
Creative Event Designers at Pocketful of Dreams
Pocketful of Dreams is a duo of creative event designers, passionate about creating beautiful experiences. They design, style and deliver unique weddings tailored to your own personal story. Email [email protected] to find out more.
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
