Pantone Colour of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet

So this month, our editorial theme is ‘Cosmic Love’, and we’ll be using it to explore all things celestial wedding, but linking it at the same time to the latest development in the Pantone Color of the Year universe: Ultra Violet? Why, well, as Pantone themselves say: “Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now… the vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own”. I also love how Ultra Violet links to some otherworldly design elements, most notably iridescence, set to be a huge trend for 2018 (so expect to see some of that this month too, yay!). I think one of the key things about Ultra Violet is that it’s one of those colours that on its own can be… well, a little too much. It’s a great purple, but it’s still a bold colour and you don’t want to let it take over your wedding. But it combines beautifully with so many other shades: blues and greens, pinks, softer purples (maybe one of my favourite ways to use it), neutrals, pastels and berry shades alike. It lends itself to the current trend of having several colours (or tones) in your wedding palette, instead of playing mix and match. Plus, since you’ll find this shade in many flowers, I’m hoping that we’ll be seeing it in abundant florals the way Greenery did. Today we’re breaking down just a few of the options: a unicorn iridescent board suitable that is bang on trend, a softer country boho palette, a moody purple and grey number which I am loving, and a juxtaposition of purple versus bright red that really pops! Links in bold denote affiliate links. SBB may make a commission on any sales made.

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Guest Post: Top 10 Chic Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas

Happy Friday, brideys! One of the ‘trends’… and it isn’t really a trend, because it’s a responsible lifestyle choice rather than a fad, of course, so maybe let’s call it a ‘shift’… One of the shifts that I have loved seeing in weddings over the last few years has been eco weddings. In the midst of an extravagant celebration, couples have been looking to introduce elements of sustainability and eliminate waste wherever possible, so that their union treads lightly upon the earth. But HOW? That’s the question I hear most often, and I’ll be honest, I’m no expert. So I asked my friends Madri and Niki from Inkt Marketing Solutions to share their advice and experience on the topic with you today. Take it away, ladies!Read More

Practical Planning: Vegetarian Wedding Menus

Afternoon, lovelies! I get a lot of queries from readers and as much as I have learned about weddings, there are lots of times where I think it’s best to consult the pros – especially since South Africa has such a wealth of fantastic wedding service providers. So when I had a request for information on vegetarian wedding menus, I went straight to a caterer who I knew would be able to answer my questions and provide you lovely readers with lots of inspiration, Sasha of Prep’d by Sasha Catering. With lots more couples going meat-free themselves (as well as meat eating couples who want to make sure their veggie guests are treated like VIPs), it’s a great time to ask yourself whether a vegetarian menu is right for your celebration. The good news? You don’t have to sacrifice even a little on taste, as Sasha proved by whipping up an AMAZING menu for you all. And the best part? You can download all of her completely delicious recipes!

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Making the Most of Your Wedding Photos

Hello lovelies! To start off your Friday, I asked Cheryl McEwan, a fab Cape Town photographer (and SouthBound Bride too!) to share some of her insider secrets – what you need to know to get started, how to get the most out of your pics and what to do with them after the wedding. She’s sharing her top tips from engagement to happy ever after with you this morning – thanks so much Cheryl!

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Hi all you lovely SouthBound Bride readers! I am so honoured to have been asked by Gaby to share a bit of advice and perspective from a wedding photographer’s point of view with you all. Your wedding photos are one of the most important aspects of your special day and of course the lasting memories left after your wedding. You want to be able to get the very most out of your photos and your photographer so I hope the following will help you with this.Read More

Guest Post: Guest Books by Indieberries

Are you all sick of hearing from our friend Ché of Indieberries yet? No, of course you’re not. Because she is Awesome.Sauce. We love Ché. And we especially loved all the fab ideas she had for her wedding, from her Save the Dates to her invites to her guest book. And that’s what Ché is sharing with us today, along with a bunch of brilliant advice for how to make your own guest book awesome. UN-fortunately, we don’t get to see Ché’s actual wedding or pro pics of her guest book because… well, something bad happened to the photos. We won’t talk about it. Moving on. But let’s just say that this lady is not only a legend at producing an incredible wedding and choosing a very lovely man to marry, she is also the queen of grace under fire and an awesome example of someone who loves the pretty but knows what marriage is really all about. Maybe one day I’ll ask her to tell you about that. But for today, she’s talking guest books. Thanks Ché!

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After searching for a wedding guestbook and only finding standard run-of-the-mill, not-too-exciting options I decided to crack on and create my own personalised coffee-table keepsake. (Although to be fair, I didn’t search too hard for the aforementioned guestbook because I always knew I wanted to make my own).Read More

Guest Post: The Groomsmen’s Duties

Source: Mankoana & Nzuzo’s elegant Sophiatown-themed wedding (Photography: Andrea Carlyle)

Happy Friday, lovelies! I have such a treat for you today! A while back, we asked the lovely Theresa Lazarevic of Creation Events to share her advice for bridesmaids and maids of honour. I knew her advice was good, but I couldn’t imagine how many times it would be read and shared by brides all over the world – it’s been consistently our top post ever since (over 125,000 views so far!), and has been pinned and repinned thousands of times on Pinterest as well. So we thought it was about time that we gave the guys a turn, and Theresa has been good enough to gather more of her straightforward, sensible advice for the groomsmen and best men of the world. Send this off to the hubs-to-be and his besties, pin it for future reference and rest assured that now your whole bridal party will know exactly what needs to be done. Thanks so much, Theresa! Over to you…

PS Download an emergency kit checklist for the groomsmen right HERERead More

Ask the Photographers!

Afternoon, lovelies! I’m just stopping by to let you know about an exciting feature we have in the works with Luis and Kerry of Piteira Photography. Not only am I a big fan of their gorgeous photography, but this husband and wife team are just the loveliest, and I’m happy to count them as friends. In fact, I’m looking forward to seeing them when they’re working in South Africa this summer wedding season (December/January) and this is where the great news comes in – they have some availability, so if you’re still looking for a wedding photographer over the busy season, you can nab this awesome pair! Their work has been featured all over the place: Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Ruffled, Bridal Musings, The Pretty Blog – and of course, right here on SouthBound Bride – so you know you’re in the best hands.

To celebrate their South African trip, Luis and Kerry have offered to step in as our experts for the day. They’ll be answering your questions about wedding photography, posing, light – whatever you’re wondering about. They also planned their own (gorgeous) South African wedding from abroad, so they have awesome insight into planning from afar. So here’s the deal: just leave your question at the end of the post (or on our Facebook page) and we’ll put all the answers together into a special post.

Fire away!Read More

Indieberries Invitations Sneak Peek

Today you can catch me guest posting over on Indieberries, one of my favey South African blogs, written by one of my favey South African bloggers. Yay for Che and Warren, who are getting married in just two weeks time! I’m sharing a word of advice and some of my adventures in bridesmaiding (hint: it includes at least one awkward entrance and a wedding cake disaster). And to celebrate, I have a little sneak peek of Che’s gorgeous handmade invitations – each like an individual package of awesomeness. She’ll be giving you the lowdown on these soon, so be sure to keep checking into Indieberries for the final product, and you can also get some seriously fantastic DIY advice from her Save the Dates post on SBB here. But for now, let’s just enjoy a hint of what her guests found in their letterboxes. Can I just say: how much are we looking forward to seeing her wedding??? Read More

Guest Post: Indieberries Save the Dates

Oh we do love a DIY bride. And we especially love her when she’s our friend Che and she just happens to run a supercool South African blog called Indieberries, with cartoons and stuff. See, Che reminds me of my friend Marcelle. In Std 2, she pitched up at our school, and everything she touched turned to perfection. Her handwriting was awesome. She could draw. Her projects looked like professional scrapbooks. When she covered her compass tin with pictures it looked SO COOL (seriously, in the late ’80s that was a thing). She was like Regina George with the cutout t-shirt, but whenever I tried that stuff, it just looked ridiculous. So when Che got engaged, I knew that her guests would be treated to lots of creative, handmade, scrapbooky details that only she could put together, and I bought her wine and made her promise to send them to me. So here they are! Che’s Save the Dates are beyond cute – they’re based around the idea of ‘pencilling the date in’. I especially love that she wanted their guests to have something physical to open and use, like a present. Can you imagine getting one of these? You’d automatically be amping for the wedding, right? Anyway, you can read the thought behind these invites on Che’s awesome blog, or read on below for all the best Indieberries DIY tips. Oh, and pssst, if you’d like to read her and Warren’s story, see their adorable engagement shoot here.

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First Steps in Wedding Planning

Source: India-themed Wedding at Rockhaven Farm by Expressions Photography

Happy Friday, lovelies! Hope you’ve had a wonderful week – I am just soaking up the last of the sun in Abu Dhabi before heading back to chilly London this weekend :( Oh well, all good things and all that. This Friday I’m delighted to bring you another guest post from SouthBound friend Theresa Lazarevic, planner for Creation Events. Theresa’s advice is always so valuable and down-to-earth and exactly what you all are looking for – so much so, in fact, that her last guest for us has become SBB’s top post of all time! Make sure to check it out, and also her advice on finding a venue. But today, Theresa’s talking first steps in waiting planning – here we go!Read More