Free Spirited Forest Wedding at Harmonie Proteas by Vicky Bergallo

Free Spirited Forest Wedding | Credit: Vicky Bergallo

One of the things I love about editing SouthBound Bride is that I get to hear the most amazing love stories from couples, many of whom come from completely different places, and it’s like the world conspires to somehow, through a series of events, have them meet and fall in love (what tells you I’m a huge romantic, eh?). Jaydene and David are one of these couples, whose unlikely meeting happened thanks to David’s Mormon mission to South Africa, and progressed in the old fashioned way through heartfelt correspondence while Jaydene was on her mission. Together at last, they celebrated the second day of their wedding weekend with family and friends in the proudly South African surroundings of Harmonie Proteas, where Jaydene and her mother built a boho fantasy forest setting for their vows and reception, using some of the bride’s favourite things. And goodness, but Jaydene made a gorgeous bride in her custom lace sleeve gown, wow! With bridesmaids also in lace and flower crowns, the perfect rustic setting, and these pretty pics by Vicky Bergallo, it was a day to remember!

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Grey & Pastel Wedding Feast at Poortjie Saal by As Sweet As Images

This wedding really embodies a gentle elegance for me. Soft greys combined with dreamy pastels, a light and bright country venue, and long wooden tables. It’s a perfectly neutral backdrop for the main event – the exchange of vows followed by a veritable feast, commissioned by the foodie bride and groom, Mariza & Duan. From cocktail hour roosterkoek fresh from the fire, to a table groaning with sweet treats, these lovebirds broke bread and shared love with their friends and family – and all in a venue that turned out to have a very special significance. Now that’s wedding fate! Our friends, the wonderful As Sweet As Images, captured every one of these lovely pics.

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Alice in Wonderland Inspired Elopement by Andries Combrink & Runaway Romance

Alice in Wonderland Inspired Elopement | Credit: Andries Combrink & Runaway Romance

I have a special place in my wedding-loving heart for elopements. There’s something so utterly romantic about the idea of two people taking this moment away from the rest of the world for just them, to promise their forevers wrapped up in one another with no distractions, and bask in the glow of the moment, seeing it reflected in each other’s eyes. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but a beautiful wedding à deux always makes me smile. And I know someone else who loves these kinds of weddings as much as I do – the lovely Rebecca of Runaway Romance, who has made it her mission as a wedding planner to focus on more intimate celebrations and bring them a special kind of magic through her love of detail and styling. After all, just because it’s only the two of you, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t look amazing! Today’s wedding is just that. Theuns and Ewalda chose to infuse their elopement with their love of literature in general and Alice in Wonderland in particular, and the result is a wonderfully whimsical celebration with the sweetest of details, from paper flowers (mixed in with red roses, of course!), to Scrabble tile elements, to a custom ceremony backdrop that proclaimed ‘It was always you’. Told you elopements were romantic! Andries Combrink was there to capture the whole thing on film.

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Autumn Greenery DIY Wedding at Bell Amour by Those Photos

Autumn Greenery DIY Wedding | Credit: Those Photos

There’s nothing I love more than a country wedding filled with fynbos and laughter and love, especially when that wedding was handmade by all the special people in the couple’s life, just for them. Pieter and Renée’s wedding was just that, and it set the tone for a sweetly personal affair in the cool air of autumn, embellished with a host of darling DIYs. But my favourite part? That incredible, intense moment when bride and groom see each other for the first time at each end of the aisle. Tears! And the way they look at each other in every lovely frame by Those Photos, you just know they’re the real deal.

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Copper & Green Wedding at The Red Barn by Those Photos

Copper & Green Wedding | Credit: Those Photos

There are some couples you can tell had a lot of fun planning their wedding, and Francois & Illana are one of those. These lovebirds opted for a weekend wedding in breathtakingly beautiful Dullstroom, and got their family and friends to help them create the DIY details for their dream day, which gave everyone a feeling of personal involvement in the wedding. With copper elements, including vases made of piping and filled with herbs, fairy lights, wood and candles creating a warm, intimate atmosphere, as well as the loveliest pictures by Those Photos, this is a festive fete to feast on! And when you’re done scrolling through the pics, be sure to check out the video by the wonderful White Motion Films, and then check out their profile and show reel in our directory!

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Rustic Romantic Wedding at Bell Amour by Clareece Smit

Oh my! I just want to wrap myself up in this wedding, with its neutral backdrop, romantic textures and pops of bright colour from the most gorgeous florals. Throw in magical elements like a trio of cakes (one dusted with copper dust), a cathedral length veil, floral runners, sparkling chandeliers and soft flutters of fabric dancing in the breeze, and you have a mix of rustic and elegant wedding style that is equals romance. WJ and Chantelle also just happen to make the most adorable couple, and Clareece Smit‘s beautiful pictures of their big day are such a pleasure to behold!

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Bright & Festive Winelands Wedding at Hidden Valley by Claire Thomson

It’s time to stop and smell the roses – or rather, the roses, peonies, tulips, orchids, banksia, hydrangea and more! The flowers at this colour-happy wedding fest really had me doing  double take – Leipzig as usual have done an incredible job of creating the most gorgeous array of blooms in shades from deep crimson to soft blush to vibrant yellow and tangerine. Add in some sweet bunnies (which became the couple’s own wedding motif), soft pastels, rustic textures and classic elements including an elegant winelands setting, and you have a wedding lover’s paradise. And to prove it wasn’t all just a beautiful dream, Claire Thomson was on the scene to capture these gorgeous images of Sianne and Shane’s big day!

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DIY Farm Wedding at De Hoek Country Lodge by DGR Photography

Planning a rustic wedding filled to the brim with fynbos and burlap and cute ‘down on the farm’ touches? Well then, this one’s for you, brideys! Christel and Andries, farm lovers at heart, wanted a real ‘plaas troue’, an intimate celebration with family and friends that brought all their favourite things together: proteas, succulents, windmills, hay bales… even some adorable tractor-themed touches! My favourite detail is their escort display using little enamel mugs – so adorable! Everything was DIY, pretty much, which created a much-cherished opportunity for family to share special times creating all the decor. And I can’t not mention Christel’s dress, with its unusual nude lace overlay effect – love! – as well as the groomsmen’s leather braces and bows (definitely the farm wedding must-have in SA this season!). DGR Photography were on the scene to capture every farm-fabulous detail of the event

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Fynbos & Lace Wedding at Harmonie Proteas by Maiden Moose Photography

Proteas and lace. Lace and proteas. Two of our favourite things. So any wedding that begins with a hold-the-presses gorgeous lace gown (those sleeves!) with a touch of boho glam, and is held on a protea farm, is pretty much guaranteed to be legendary. Hugo and Renata’s wedding had that beautiful genuine quality to it – close to nature, filled with fynbos, and punctuated by the happiest of smiles from family and friends, and of course, the smitten couple. From the forest clearing ceremony to the epic dance party, this was a wedding day among wedding days, captured beautifully by our friends, Maiden Moose Photography. And those sunset portraits? Swoon.

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French Country Naturals Wedding at Green Leaves by Louzelle van Dyk

Simple, natural weddings always have my heart. Take Kirsty & Kobus’ big day. An adorable couple in gorgeous surroundings, neutral French country decor, a beautiful dress handmade by the bride’s mother, organic floral runners, and friends and family all around. It’s understated and elegant, and oh-so-pretty. Then throw in fun touches like tekkie wedding shoes, groomsmen in shorts and leather bowties, and these lovely images by Louzelle van Dyk, and you have a celebration that’s personal and unique too – the perfect recipe!

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