Good morning my loves. I am sat here this morning smiling as I recall an impromptu visit to the cinema last night to watch The Great Gatsby. You HAVE to go and see it on the big screen if you can before it hits the DVD sales. The cinematic sound experience, the styling, sets and performances – quite something else. I absolutely loved it. Why don't you grab yourself a copy of the book if you haven't read the story already? I only read the book very recently too and picked up a copy at my local book shop for less than £2. It's only about 100 pages long and can be read over a couple of days literally.
So, Friday is here and we're all feeling a little bit of that weekend happiness within arms reach – time to start winding down. Regular readers will know that every other Friday morning, we feature a beautifully curated set of inspiration boards from our contributing partners, Michelle and Vicki of Pocketful of Dreams. This morning's boards are basking in the shade of one of my favourite metals and colours, gold. Enjoy and be inspired…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All Boards Copyright (c) 2013, Pocketful of Dreams
Image credits: 1. Thomas Schenk for Vogue Japan 2. Fabulos Inspiration 3. Peguei o Bouquet 4. Lane Dittoe 5. Kellie Kano
In the past few years gold has undergone a bit of a resurgence in the wedding world and we have to confess, here at Pocketful of Dreams we are big fans of all that glitters and shimmers. Today's mood board however has been designed to show that gold doesn't always have to be about unabashed flashiness, but that you can use this versatile shade to create a soft, pared back look perfect for a more relaxed day in a rustic or industrial setting.
Mellow metallic tones are definitely having a moment. Soft hues are everywhere and can be mixed with other metallics and pastel shades to create a gorgeously modern twist which hints at glamour without being overpowering. By steering clear of glitter and sequins and focusing instead on antiqued metals and soft textures with brushed, mercuried and matt finishes, metallics are toned down to create a look which retains an intensity but with a sweet twist.
We've created today's look with a soft, vintage gold as the metallic base with shades of lilac, blush and a cream backdrop to complement and soothe the gold. However, pick your favourite metallic tone to work with – liquid mercury, bronze, copper and rose gold are all gorgeous shades; choose one or mix and match for a stunning look. You can even play with metallic pastel shades, just remember that the key to this look is to keep the colours muted. We're not looking for full-on glamour and glitz here, rather a relaxed and pared back look – a subtle aesthetic with an understated metallic glow.
Image credits: 1. Em The Gem 2. Oh, Hello Friend 3. I Am Turquoise 4. Bauble Bar 5. Style Hive
Our Soft Metal bride needs a dress which embraces her love for metallics but embodies this sweet and soft look. To bring to life this design stick to light, frothy fabrics with delicate and subtle embellishment. Steer clear of sequins or dark gold; we're looking for a soft, vintage shade to give a subtle golden glow to your gown. We're a little bit in love with the aptly named Goldie by Sarah Seven which would work perfectly.
Opt for a classic bridal make up look: dewy and fresh-faced with just a hint of metallic shine in your eye make up. Choose a nude or blush shade for your lips for a subtle and warm look with radiates health and happiness. Wear hair down in waves or a loose fishtail braid worn to the side to keep the softness in the look. Pick a metallic tone for your nails or perhaps mix and match with a different shade to highlight your ring finger; we love the Mirror Metallics collection from Essie which boasts gold and lilac polishes which are the perfect match for our colour palette.
A bib style necklace in a pastel shade would perfectly accompany your gold strapless dress; we love this lilac bubble style bib necklace from Bauble Bar. Look to Anthropologie and The Oxford Trunk for similar styles. Stick to pastel shades or matt metal finishes to keep that soft and pared back look. Remember, no heavy metal wanted here!
Your bridesmaids will look gorgeous in soft lilac shades; look for grey toned lilac to stop the dresses appearing too bright. Cute structured skater style dresses would add a fun twist to the look and finish them off with matt gold heels.
Image Credits: 1. Style Me Pretty 2. Exquisite Weddings 3. Idle Wife 4. Inspired by this 5. Society Bride
For your florals, work with a delicate colour palette of creams, lilacs and blushes. Big blousy flowers like peonies, anemones and roses will add the softness you want to this look and you can incorporate lilacs into the florals as well for variety in colour and texture. Present your flowers in gold and pewter vessels and remember you're aiming for an antiqued look here so stick to matt rather than shiny or polished finishes. Look for unusual shaped vessels to display your flowers in like teapots or goblets and don't be afraid to experiment with spray painting to create the perfect finish. Wine bottles sprayed in an antique gold would look fabulous grouped together with some delicate stems.
For your bouquet and buttonholes experiment with adding in some metallic tones; silver brunia and succulents will add natural lilac and silver tones but we love the idea of spraying foliage and perhaps even delicately gold leafing a few elements for a very subtle but undoubtedly eye-catching arrangement.
Stick to delicate metallic accents in your table settings to create a subtle and soft ambience, perhaps brushed gold flatware placed atop white tableware or lilac napkins tied with gold ribbon. Also think about how you can use metallics in unexpected ways to play to the pared back vibe, for example, source gold folding chairs where the sophisticated shade contrasts with the utilitarian style of the chair.
Embrace your love of gold with your cake – either with a full on sheer design or perhaps a classic white tiered cake with simple gold piping. Peach and blush toned blooms will soften the overall look and why not create a beautiful backdrop from pom poms or tassel garlands in gold, blush and lilac shades to create a cake display which is (almost) to good to eat.
This look is all about bringing some sweetness into your metallics and what better way to do that than with these fabulous dip dyed marshmallows? You can create these yourself using pink and purple food colouring and then present them in simple glassine bags or piled high upon platters for delicate, beautiful and tasty favours that your guests will love.
Muted metallic tones are a great option for couples who want to inject some sophistication into their day without all the flashiness and glitz. A gorgeous pared back look which would work just as well in a barn venue as a more industrial setting. 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
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.
