Daytime wedding colour schemes, themes and tips
Daytime wedding colour schemes, themes and tips
Perhaps you thought it would be easy to choose the right colours and themes for your wedding. Maybe you thought you would choose that periwinkle blue that you have loved since you were a little girl. Unfortunately it is not that simple. The theme, style and colour of the wedding are very important to the day and how it all comes together. When choosing you need take into consideration that the decision is dependent on a few aspects such as the season, venue, your personalities and personal preferences of course. Once you have decided you must then coordinate every aspect so that it flows seamlessly and beautifully.
Daytime weddings are beautiful, elegant affairs. Should you decide to have your wedding in the daylight there will be some differences in the theme and colours you would choose for an evening wedding. Afternoon weddings are not a formal as an evening occasion and you would avoid a to formal black tie theme. Choose something that is elegant yet casual. Some good examples of popular wedding themes for afternoon weddings are old vintage, relaxed rustic or garden glory. During the afternoon you would use softer colours for the wedding and reception. Your bridal party would also be far more casual and need to be dressed appropriately. You also need to consider your guest’s in their attire for the big day. The mother of the bride and mother of the groom wedding outfits are should suit the theme and colour so you may consider discussing it with them.
For fantastic mother of the bride and mother of the groom wedding outfits ideas visit Gray and Osbourn’s wedding boutique. There are many beautiful outfits to suit any theme and style of wedding.
Steal her style: Dannii Minogue
Team Dannii triumphed in the X-factor final watched by nearly 20 million people.
Her final act, Matt Cardle, a painter and decorator from Essex, may have won the competition, but when it comes to the style stakes, Dannii’s chic outfits were winners every week.
The Australian singer returned to the ITV show for the live finals after a period of maternity leave and looked fabulous in a range of dresses.
From white lace in week one, through to classic LBD in week 5 and finally a full-length silver gown in the final, Dannii showed off an enviable post-pregnancy figure and an inspiring versatility.
The Prom Dress: In week 3 Dannii wore a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana rose print prom dress, which showed off her small waist and toned upper arms. This super-girly style is ideal for pear-shapes as it balances out the dimensions of the body.
Strapless: Dannii rocked the strapless look a couple of times this series. It’s a style that gives the most scope for jewellery, but it’s essential that the dress contains enough structure that you’re not spending the evening pulling it up! We love this Frank Usher taffeta dress – the bodice is lightly boned and it has contoured bra cups with removable padding for the best shape.
In week 5 Dannii sported an oversize bow woven into the neckline of her Philip Armstrong dress – this is a trend seen across dresses and accessories alike this season. We love this one shoulder velvet dress from Bernshaw – the pink bow over one shoulder is a chic detail.
Grecian Goddess: The elegant draping of the Grecian-style was a look Dannii returned to several times during the finals. Whether you prefer short or full-length styles, this is a fabulously feminine take on the evening dress. Try this black v-neck dress from Gina Bacconi.
Organic Clothing
While most of us might scoff at donning a cotton wedding dress, we do want others to think of us as humane, ethical and in touch with the zeitgeist. The paradigm shift has been made: we want to do our bit for the environment but still look good. It has never been an easy compromise. Until very recently, only bona-fide tree hugger companies were the purveyors of ethical, or green fashion.
Consumers are demanding better products, and better treatment of the earth’s natural resources. And we are (mostly) getting it. Previous generations were content with cotton, also called conventional cotton; these days we demand organic cotton, which leaves a smaller eco-footprint on the earth.
Fifteen per cent of the respondents in a recent UK survey claimed that the use of organic fabric is ‘very important’ to them when buying clothing. Forty-five per cent of these respondents were concerned about the damage clothing production causes the environment and an even bigger percentage prefer retailers that do not use sweat shops or child labour.
But what is organic clothing, and is it worth the fuss? Also, what is the difference between organic and natural clothing? This is a good question and the answer might surprise you. Natural does not mean organic. The 100% Italian Linen skirt you sport may not be organic. Organic clothing, however, is made from natural fibres. Natural fibres include vegetable fibres (cotton, kapok, bamboo) and animal fibres (silk, wool, angora, mohair, alpaca, and cashmere). Now is a good time to learn more about natural fibres, as 2009 is touted as The International Year of Natural Fibres.
There are many different organic fabrics. Some of these are silk, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo and wool. I have always thought of silk as an organic fabric until I read about peace silk, which is also known as vegetarian silk. Normal silk worms are killed off to prevent them from harming the silk cocoons; vegetarian silk production allows moths to get out of the cocoon naturally. But this means the months break the silk threads, so workers spin the thread rather than reeling it onto a spool in one continuous strand. This type of silk is slightly coarser than what we may have become used to.
There are about eleven UK companies that certify organic farm practices, two of which are the UK Soil Association and Organic Farmers and Growers. SKAL International (Dutch) is another well-known organisation that inspects and certifies the production process.
Organic clothing is made from fibres that have not been treated with toxic insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. Prevention is the best strategy farmers have against disease, weed and insects. To be certified as organic, farmers need to adhere to the following guidelines:
- avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs;
- use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
- keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
- maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
- undergoing periodic on-site inspections.
If you want good reasons why you should buy organic, here are three: it is better for the environment; it is farmer friendly; and it is sustainable. Organic clothing do not contain any harmful chemicals, which means it is better for consumers as well as the workers who produce the products. People who are sensitive to chemicals can wear these products without their skin being irritated. Another major advantage to organic clothing is that Fair Trade policies are mostly adhered to.
The Bohemian Look
There are some enduring summer styles that rarely ever fall entirely from favour and the Bohemian look is one of them. ‘Boho’ dresses have been popular with young and chic for a few years and are an artistic way to blend a number of casual styles. It’s also a light and flowing look that works well for the summertime. As a counter point to the monochrome looks that are set to be particularly popular this season, bohemian fashions aim to be more interesting in their use of bold colour.
The Bohemian trends for 2010 are perfectly accessible to women of all ages who are looking to bring a touch of artistic colour and texture to their summer wardrobe.
Investing in a pair of designer denims is a must for summer, regardless of whether you intend to take advantage of the Bohemian look or not. Michele Magic jeans and NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans) are wonderfully slimming and work great under a summery dress for that bohemian look but they can also be dressed up if the occasion calls for it.
The tank top is a simple way to add an element of bohemian layering to your summer ensemble. They’re comfortable and can be easily worn with a skirt or jeans. Adding a colourful and slightly eccentric scarf puts the outfit right on trend.
Your bohemian frock will look fabulous with a pair of boots but when you’re shopping, make a point of buying quality. It’s about style as well as comfort and any item that’s got the potential to make a real statement with your summer dress should be of a high quality. We’d recommend a pair with a mid-sized heel and a rounded toe.
An embroidered frock, or bohemian dress, is essentially the signature item for this look. As long as you go for a colour scheme that suits you and a dress that’s cut well for your body shape, you really can’t lose. If you don’t feel brave enough to bare your legs, a pair of colourful tights will look good too.
With the tank top, every woman should invest in some basic, simply coloured cardigans. As temperatures fluctuate, being able to take off and add on layers quickly and easily is a must. So, start with basics like black and white before moving on to more brightly coloured cardigans. Always refer back to your skin tone but don’t be afraid to be adventurous. For the perfect addition to the bohemian look, layer it over your boho dress, jeans or shorts.
A bohemian dress will look unfinished without the right accessories. So, experiment with silver necklaces, bracelets or anklets; incorporate some wooden or glass beads and big, bright, dangling earrings. Beaded scarves are also a definite nod to the bohemian trend.
Bohemian fashion is all about colourful sundresses, light blouses and flowing skirts. Materials like light-weight cotton, chiffon, silk and velvet are ideal for the time of year because not only are they comfortable but they look great too.
Jersey Dresses
As we begin our way into a new season in a new year, many of us are thinking about how to update our wardrobes. January and February are still very wintery, but like many other people, I already can’t resist looking at the new season’s dresses!
At Gray & Osbourn, our spring collection has a beautiful range of jersey dresses, which are a perfect pick-me-up purchase. The long sleeve or three quarter sleeve dresses are a great idea to buy into now, so that they can be worn through to late spring or early summer.
We love jersey dresses for so many reasons. Firstly they are not only stylish but extremely comfortable to wear too. The jersey material is easy to wear and extremely flattering for most styles and shapes. Jersey dresses can be dressed up or down. They can be worn on their own with a pair of ballet pumps or low heels for casual daytime look or dressed up with some jewellery, high heels and accessories for a smarter, stylish look or for an evening dinner date!
The spot dress by Gray & Osbourn is really flattering with pull on stretch jersey and ruching at the waist to give a stunning slimming effect. It comes in a new hot pink colour as well as blue with white spots. The three quarter length sleeves mean you can buy it now and wear with a cardigan on colder days. At £99 this is great buy for a must have item for your new wardrobe.
The mock wrap jersey dress by Gelco has a smarter look. Gelco have used a subtle snakeskin print, a mock wrap front and tie belt at the back to create a stylish yet easy to wear dress. Again at £99, this is a staple piece for spring.
A final example from our jersey dress range is a stunning dress by Gina Bacconi that is exclusively sold to Gray & Osbourn. Perfect for when you’re trying to find something stylish to wear that won’t be easily replicated by others! The beautiful coral colour is a key theme for spring 2010 and will look lovely through to the summer months too. As is typical with Gina Bacconi, this dress has some exquisite detail, including a beaded neckline and detachable flower which means that this is perhaps more suitable for a smarter or special occasion. For real impact and to create a different look, try wearing this dress with the Michaela Louisa organza opera coat. Matching in coral colour and featuring all-over devore spots, this beautiful coat looks stunning and chic when worn with the dress.
We hope this small insight has whetted your appetite to brighten your wardrobe with a new jersey dress. Take a look at the rest of our collection for more colours and styles.