Bridal Inspiration Board #58 ~ Free Spirit

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 this one, I adore.  It sums up visually just exactly where I want to be right now…

As creative event designers, we have spoken before on these pages about the importance of creating a design concept for your wedding which focuses not just on the pretty but on the essence of the day itself: how you want it to feel as well as look.  And today's mood board is a great example of just that as it shows how you can bring to life the spirit of a bohemian affair: relaxed, lighthearted and carefree.

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All Boards Copyright (c) 2013, Pocketful of Dreams

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Image credits: 1. We Heart 2. 100 Layer Cake 3. Ruffled 4. Spoonflower 5. Party Over Hair 6. Flickr 7. NYC Wedding Photography

This look is all about creating a relaxed and beautiful affair; a wedding where the bride and groom glide effortlessly through an intimate and love-filled day and guests are swept up in the emotion, feeling laidback, carefree and totally indulged.  No rules, no drama; just a heartfelt and easygoing day.

Like all Love My Dress readers, our Free Spirited bride has a glamorous side so we want the overall look to embrace the laidback and relaxed vibe of a a bohemian affair but without veering into a hippy look.  Think beautiful, grown up bohemia therefore as we use pretty and delicate details to add a sophisticated edge to the affair.  Remember, your day can feel breezy and carefree whilst still having the most exquisite of decor and touches.

Against a predominantly cream backdrop, add splashes of summer sky blue, lemon yellow and a smokey purple to evoke the colours of a Mediterranean landscape in summer.  Use natural elements to further bring this to life; white washed stones, lavender and lemons will all pop to perfection against a muted background of jute and natural linens.

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Image credits: 1. Belle and Bunty 2. The Lane 3. Go Style Yourself 4. Anna Loucah Jewellery 5. Martha Stewart Weddings 6. Spoonflower

Our Free Spirited bride is serene and carefree…but still loves to inject a little glamour into her look.  The perfect dress therefore embraces the simplicity of our carefree design but with a healthy dose of sophistication.  Focus your search on light column style dresses in delicate chiffon or lace with exquisite details such as floral adornments or sexy low backs.  We love Brazillian designer Emanuelle Junqueira who specialises in elegant, open backed lace dresses or this beautiful "Bunty" dress from London based fashion house Belle and Bunty .  This light and floaty dress in crinkle silk chiffon with a sumptuous silk satin underlay is deceptively simple making it perfect for a more laid-back affair.  Whilst the addition of beautiful handmade silk corsages, the graceful lines of the full skirt and the delicate silk sashes at the back add a stunning feminine and sophisticated finish making it perfect for our look.

Stick to open toed flat sandals in metallics which will embrace the essence of the day and complement your dress perfectly but still add a subtle flash of  glamour to the overall effect.

Wear hair in delicate braids to add a playful reference to the flower child influence; either opt for a loose and textural fishtail braid worn to the side or more intricate plaits to frame your face.  Let your make up add the sophisticated twist; opt for strong brows and bright lips to add a bit of edge to your look.  A bright red lip would look fabulous against a creamy toned dress.

Look beyond bridal jewellery and accessories to gorgeous pieces in muted colours and materials which embrace and evoke the outdoors and nature.  We just adore this Enchanted necklace handmade by London based jewellery designer Anna Loucah; the pendant strikes the perfect balance between bohemian and glamorous.  And if you fancy a headpiece then a simple but beautiful floral garland would be perfect.

Dress your bridesmaids in a mix of colours from your palette to set off the warm cream of your dress. Look for fabrics which will complement the relaxed nature of your day such as chiffon and perhaps select drop hem dresses for a fun and lighthearted look. 
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Image Credits: 1. Michelle Cross 2. Ruffled 3. Rowen and Wren 4. Spoonflower 5. The Berry 6. Anthropologie

Think natural and unstructured for your florals; you want to create organic and un-fussed displays.  Pocketful of Dreams favourite, succulents, will look fabulous planted in reclaimed or home made wooden planters.  Opt for blue toned plants to complement your colour palette.  Use naturally grown flowers and herbs for your floral displays rather than cultivated flowers; think lavender, sea holly and rosemary with silvery blue foliage such as eucalyptus and dusty miller.  For your bouquet stick to just one flower, such as lavender, and loosely tie the stems with a light yellow fabric to add a pop of colour.

For your wedding breakfast, avoid tradition and think about how you can bring to life the relaxed vision of this design.  Choose long wooden tables for refectory style eating and if possible leave tables uncovered and just stick to simple napkins.  Let the natural elements of the wood and the florals do all the talking.  To really embrace this laidback essence, perhaps dispense of a table plan altogether, allowing guests to pick and choose where they sit.

Keep food and drink light with a focus on fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce.  Serve homemade lemonade with sprigs of lavender or with wild flower ice cubes (easy to make in advance and they look beautiful) and stick to sharing platters and simple, honest food that your guests can really interact with.  Think about how you present your food and how that can really help to bring to life your overall design concept.  For example, instead of charger plates, why not serve food on classic white plates on top of gorgeous wooden platters such as these from Rowen & Wren?

Consider creating a high impact backdrop for the top of your aisle or to frame a dessert table.  A large reclaimed branch with paper flowers hanging down would look fabulous; you could even add in real lavender and eucalyptus for a natural element which will stay fresh throughout the day.

Adding outside lighting can help to create a fabulous effect even if you are getting married in the colder months and guests may not actually venture outdoors.  Hurricane lamps always look fabulous or tea lights in paper bags are oh-so-simple but look gorgeous; just remember to weigh them down appropriately.

For your wedding cake, avoid anything too fancy and traditional and instead opt for a naked or roughly iced cake.  Several smaller cakes would look beautiful and make for a fantastic set up which guests can admire and help themselves to throughout the evening; add lavender sprigs and lemons to complement the mouthwatering food display.

Stick to uncoated and recycled stocks and kraft for your stationery and paper goods for an organic feel.  Mix different stocks and typography to create great impact and avoid appearing overly rustic.

This pared back yet sophisticated design is a great example of how you can achieve a day which looks breathtaking but without feeling fussy and overworked.  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

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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.

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Annabel

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.

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