June 20 marks the first day of summer this year and it will be here before we know it! Since summer is the most popular time for weddings, brides are able to incorporate bright, fun colors into their wedding day festivities. The Pantone color trends for 2012 were announced a while back and we have shared some of our favorites below!

COLOR

Tangerine Tango

This has been named “color of the year” and we have already been seeing some fabulous wedding fashions and decor in Tangerine Tango! This color is warm and vibrant and can be mixed with so many other colors!! It could be paired with a soft gray, neautral tones, navy, a number of greens and pinks! We can’t wait to see how brides use this color this summer!

Cockatoo

This color is oh so refreshing! It makes us think beach chic! However, it can be used for any wedding, not just at the beach. This color is light and airy and again can be paired with a number of other fabulous colors! Linens and even bridesmaids gowns in this color would be simply stunning.

Driftwood

This neutral color is a classic! If you are afraid to commit to a bright or bold color, play it safe and elegant with this color. Or mix a fabulous pop of color with Driftwood!

Sweet Lilac

It’s not quite pink, it’s not quite purple, it’s somewhere inbetween! Sweet Lilac is just that, it’s a sweet, femine color and perfect for the “girly” bride!!

Margarita

Another great color to be paired with a number of other colors! Margarita can be mixed with neautrals for a light, crisp look – would be great for a shabby chic wedding! Or it could be paired with some brighter colors like Caberet as well as Cockatoo! This color would be stunning for bridesmaids dresses!

Solar Power

This warmed toned color screams summer and sunshine! Solar Power is a statement color which can be paired with another pop of color or toned down when mixed with whites or grays!

Caberet

For the bride who loves, pink . . . Caberet is for you! This rich color is fun and flirty and since it’s a deeper shade of pink it would look great with navy, greens (like Margarita) or even other shades of pink like blushes and even champagne! Look for this color in our upcoming Summer/Fall issue! We have some fabulous Bohemian inspiration coming your way using this color and several others we have mentioned here!

We’re talkin’ nails today on the Souther Bride Blog! Whether you are a bride or just a gal who loves nail polish, this post is for you!

Bride’s think about their hair and makeup  for weeks before the big day, along with what color they want for their nails!

Pinks – Pale pink nails are a bridal classic! This color is a perfect neutral that is feminine and works for any season! {Essie’s Adore-A-Ball is a great pale pink polish!}

Reds – For a Parisian bride or a bride who is using pops of red in her wedding, a red polish can add a little sass to any wedding day look! {Julep January from Sephora is a ravishing red polish!}

Neutrals – This is usually the way brides go when it comes to a nail color on the big day! A pearly white, american manicure, or a shiny clear coat on beautiful, manicured nails is always safe and classic! {Essie’s Mademoiselle Pale is perfect for a pretty, neutral polish!}

Something Blue – Fun colors are all the rage right now when it comes to nail polish! If you really want to step outside the box, your something blue could be your polish! A pretty, pale blue could be just right, or just do the blue on your toes if you are not brave enough to have your fingers in blue. {Essie’s Borrorwed and Blue is one of our favorites!}

Sparkle – We’ve all seen the sparkle accent finger. It’s especially cute on the ring finger for a bride! {Carnival by Essie is a spectacular sparkly polish!}

Visit one of the many Gould’s Day Spa locations in the Memphis area to get a fabulous manicure and the latest colors from Essie!

It’s “Perfectly Peachy” today on the Southern Bride Blog! Who doesn’t love the color peach? It’s soft, feminine and the perect color for spring and summer weddings! This delicate color is perfect for pairing with other colors such as mint, navy, aqua, lavender, gray and many more lovely colors!

Now for the delicious taste of a a juicy peach –  we could go on and on about incredible hors d’oeuvres, entrees, desserts and signature cocktails with peaches, but that’s a blog post for another day!

{Cake: Sweet Magnolia Bakery, Flowers: Carol Riley, Cake/Flower Images: Jessica Messer Photography, Cake/Flowers Wedding by I Do I Do! Wedding Planning, Bride Image: Michael Allen Photogrpahy, Shoes image: JSP Studio}

Today on the SB Blog we have a sneak peek of some pretty, pink details from the real wedding of Brittany Stevens and Josh Cox in Columbia, South Carolina, which we will be featuring on our new website once it launches! We can’t wait for you to see the entire board – it’s simply elegant and oh so lovely!!!

If you would like to submit your wedding for the chance to have it featured in Southern Bride Magazine or on-line, click HERE! 

{photos by www.landonjacob.com}

Drum roll please: Southern Bride is excited to announce the WINNER of our first Facebook Cover Photo Contest . . . . . Caylan Vanaman Photography and the beautiful photo of Blake and Leilani Evans!

It was SO hard to pick just one! We thank ALL of you who submitted! This was so much fun and we will be doing it again, so you all will have another chance to enter! Congrats to the winners!! We LOVE our new cover photo!!!

Finding a style that is both elegant and manageable for your big day should be one less thing for you stress over. Here are a few tips to consider:

Don’t put too much stress on yourself; hire a stylist that will be available to you and your entire wedding party for quick touch ups prior to walking down the aisle.

Bring photos of the styles you are most interested in to your stylist and try them on before the big day.

Consider the shape of your face, profile and your hair type to find the style that is most becoming to you.

Consider which style compliments your wedding gown

Do you want your look that day to be more elegant and formal, or would you prefer a softer, romantic look?

Take into account outside influences such as wind, humidity, length if ceremony and style maintenance before committing to one look.  You may want something more formal for the ceremony while keeping it simple for the reception.

By: Janice Allen from Eston Salon

Photos By: Michael Allen Photography

We have an exciting contest announcement today!! Southern Bride is doing a ‘Facebook Cover Photo Contest” for the cover  photo on our page. Brides and Vendors can submit ONE  photo by sharing it on our facebook page for the chance to win. It can be of the bride, couple, wedding party, decor, detail, ceremony, any one photo!

The winning image will be our cover photo on our facebook page for one month!

The contest starts today and will end on Monday, April 30th! Good luck! We can’t wait to see what everyone posts!

(IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a cover photo contest for the magazine cover – but for our facebook cover photo on our page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Bride-Magazine)

]]> http://www.southernbride.com/2012/04/southern-brides-facebook-cover-photo-contest/feed/ 0 http://www.southernbride.com/2012/04/monogrammed-cuffs/ http://www.southernbride.com/2012/04/monogrammed-cuffs/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:32:29 +0000 Lindsey http://www.southernbride.com/?p=8057

Today on the SB Blog we are taking a look at the groom’s fashion and a detail that can make his wedding day attire sharp and sophisticated. We are talking about monogrammed cuffs! A monogram adds an exclusive look to a piece of clothing and especially the cuff of the groom and groomsmen dress shirts!

Typically when a cuff is monogrammed, it is placed on the left cuff.  Having the cuffs monogrammed for the groom and his men will add a very special touch and also be something they can each keep forever – which means this can be their gifts too!

Visit Southern Bride on Pinterest and take a look at our Groom’s Style Fashion Board for more ideas on how to dress the groom and his pals on your big day!

{photo by Even Laettner}

For the Busy Bride with little time to work out, do not worry! There are a number of things you can do throughout your day to burn calories and get fit! Just get active!

• Park further away from the office or store and walk through the parking lot, rather than grabbing that first parking space.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• When you are standing in your bathroom blow-drying your hair – do some squats. You can also do this in the kitchen, while you are washing dishes. It may look funny – but who cares if you get great results!
• On your lunch break, go for a walk in a nearby park or find some stairs to run up and down for 5-10 minutes.
• If you have a hallway at home, take a few minutes and do some lunges up and down the hall. If you want to challenge yourself a little more, incorporate hand weights as you do your lunges.
• Using 5-10lb hand weights while you watch your favorite show instead of just sitting on the couch is a great way to burn some calories and get fit!  Google some different exercise so you can see visual examples of some great upper body workouts!
• Push-ups . . . they work every time! You may not be able to do many sets at first, but start somewhere and work your way up!
• Take a walk after dinner or do some things like jumping jacks or run in place for 30 minutes! You don’t have to have a gym membership or equipment at home to get a good workout!
• Last but certainly not least, if you want a firm, toned tummy – some good ‘ol fashion sit-ups are key! Again – this is something you can do at home!

Good Luck!!

Happy Thursday! Did you know that every Thursday from 1-2 Central Time, Studio 1524 Floral + Event Design participates in a twitter bridal chat with other vendors and brides? You can join them each week!  Simply use the hashtag #bridechat to join!

Also, find them on facebook for more info on their chats and all of their fabulous designs and events!