Quintessentially Spring

Make the most of the season’s floral prime - wild flower wreaths and blossom sprigs are a must. Consider a random ‘release’ of satin butterflies; or ‘capture’ them in frosted glass champagne goblets that can double up as favours. Make up little packets of seeds – possibly of the same flowers in your bouquet – for your guests to take home. Packages of nuts, dried fruit and multi-coloured sweets will cap proceedings nicely. For a dramatic effect, choose colours that are bright replicas of the flowers in bloom. If your desired impression is a more subdued effect, look at pastel blues, pinks and yellows. Grass green and white offer an especial resonance with the season.
We probed some of our specialist service providers for their input on a spring themed affair. We trust their expert knowledge will provide foresight and guidance to those among you with a heart set on a springtime nuptial.

Attire
We asked Robyn from Robyn Roberts Design for her view of the perfect spring wedding attire. For Robyn, “Spring weddings are all about a fresh, feminine look for dresses. Flowers on dresses are a popular trend at the moment – we like to use lace flower motifs or flower-shaped cut-outs to add detail and texture. Lace is always a beautiful, classic look and there are many styles of lace available – chunky corded laces give a bolder look, while delicate beaded Chantilly laces are more demure. Tiered ruffles are definitely one of the most current looks for the spring season. Ruffles add texture and movement to skirts, while giving a feeling of fun and frivolity.”

For suits she suggests “a lighter colour, it works well for spring-time weddings, especially if the ceremony is outdoors. But classic black is always appropriate for a very formal setting.”

Make-up and Hair
We asked Nicolette from Weddings by Nicolette to describe the make-up elements she considers indispensable to a spring-themed ensemble. This is what she had to say: “Spring weddings are always lovely for their own reason, as all the flowers are starting to blossom, which provides extra décor at no cost! Keeping this in mind, you can choose to 'match' the romance and beauty of the season, by co-ordinating your make-up and hair with it! The spring bridal look is natural, and softer than that of a winter bride, who may prefer a stronger lip colour. For the spring look, the make-up is best kept 'subtle', co-ordinated and harmonized …. think romance, 'peaches and cream' complexions, and soft florals ....”

Eyes
Where the eyes are concerned, Nicolette advises brides to “go for neutral tones, with a little intensity to bring out the natural colour in the eyes. For instance, if you take blue eyes as an example... blue eyes are best enhanced with a palette ranging from natural browns, greys, golds and even soft terracotta tones. These colours make blue eyes more piercing-looking, brighter and bigger! This way, your eyes can be the focus, allowing the make-up to 'add' to the intensity of your natural eye colour. Soft powder liner and a light coating of mascara will finish off the look. You can also add individual false lashes on the outer top corner of the eyes, which will add to the romantic feel - and photograph beautifully!”

Brows
The power of well-made up brows is never to be underestimated. For Nicolette, “softly defined brows will frame the eyes perfectly. Never underestimate the effect of a professional eyebrow shaping! It can take years off your look and open up your eyes completely! When filling in the brows, match the colour of your brows to the natural colour of your hair. Use an eyeshadow specially designed for brows, as this will give them the most natural look and it won't appear as if you have drawn the eyebrows on, which is the appearance that a pencil often gives. The same colour used to define the eyebrows can also be used as an eyeliner around the eyes.”

Cheeks
The cheeks call for a unique touch of attention: “Lightly define the cheeks, incorporating a soft-pink or soft-peach blush. An illuminating highlighter powder looks lovely when lightly swept over the cheekbones, using a large powder brush.”

Lips
The lips wield great power in defining the overall look. Says Nicolette: “If you go too bright on the lips now, you are going to change the whole look completely, so choose your lip colour carefully. Therefore, stay within the nude lip palette, and go for either the cooler 'blush' tones, or the warmer 'peach-nude' tones. Always outline your lips first in a matching lip pencil, as this will not only correct the shape of the mouth, but the pencil can also be applied all over the lips to serve as a 'base' for your lipstick. Tip : If you can't find the right lipstick colour, but have the right pencil colour, completely fill in the lips with the pencil (as mentioned before), and just use a slick of clear gloss over it instead! Always remember to keep a 'touch-up' make-up kit with you on the day!”

Hair
And, for the crowning glory, Nicolette offers this advice: “For your hairstyle choice, keep the style 'soft' by going for large waves or cascading curls, rather than a really slick updo. Hair can be worn up or down, as this depends on the style of the dress. Loose curls worn down (rather than pinned up), can look more relaxed, which may add to the carefree atmosphere of the day. A carefully placed vintage clip or tiara will also enhance the look.”

Photography
For Warren from Warren Williams Photography, 'light and airy' would be the order of the spring wedding day - crisp white shirts, chinos, lots of glass, and white wines. As far as venues go, Warren wouldn't recommend a specific venue but he reckons it's very hard to beat anything up the West Coast and beyond at that time of year: “The air is clean, long, windless days and of course the entire countryside is bursting with flowers in full bloom.”

Cake
We asked Lilia from The Cake Box what she would suggest for a spring wedding cake. Lilia favours sashes and bows (velvet or ribbon), vintage lace, diamante brooches and floral designs. Says Lilia: “The flowers may be real or made from sugar perfect for a country garden look. Classic roses are always popular and trendy gerberas are making a comeback. The vintage lace look is Victorian inspired and works well in pastels such as pinks and turquoise.”

There you have it, ladies and gentleman, your guide to start planning the quintessential spring wedding. If you have any other questions for our experts, please feel free to forward them to me at jana@saweddings.co.za.