Rustic Copper & Greenery Wedding at Makojalo by Werner J Photography

The combination of copper and greenery makes for SUCH a gorgeous wedding palette – Elsje and Pieter’s wedding, captured by Werner J Photography, adds little pops of pink and blue and ties it all together perfectly! From the romantic botanical invitations and other stationery elements to the macaron and copper drip detail cake (what a cake!), from the lace and floral bridesmaid dresses to the abundant florals, and from Elsje’s stunning gown to her showstopping bouquet, you’ll want to pin every dazzling detail!

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Sentimental Rustic Wedding at Fatherland Estate by Jessica J Photography

Sentimental Rustic Wedding | Image: Jessica J Photography

Sometimes you don’t get what you ask for in life, but what you do get is so much better. Just ask today’s bride, Cristy, who went on a mission to buy U2 tickets when they came up for sale in a pub she was in – didn’t make it to the concert, but she snagged a local muso, Nick, as her sweetheart instead! Fast forward to Nick and Cristy’s wedding in the tranquil bushveld surroundings of Fatherland Estate, a day filled with both chic rustic touches and sentimental and heirloom details, and a ceremony that brought them full circle as two of Nick’s bandmates serenaded Cristy down the aisle. This wedding is as sweet as their love story, so let’s dig right into these lovely pics by Jessica J Photography!

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Chic Rustic Farm Wedding by Lilly-Owl Photography

Hello lovelies! I’ve been a bit scarce on the blog this week, but it’s only because I’m working on something HUGE behind the scenes. Actually, not just one huge thing but two – let’s just say I’m excited about January! But I couldn’t let another day go by without sharing this lovely rustic wedding with one of my favourite colour schemes ever (red and shades of blue – so gorgeous!) After all, getting married in a farm-style venue tucked away on the outskirts of rural Zeerust is every bit as romantic as you might imagine – as proven by Anneme and Ruben’s wedding, which included magical details like Moroccan lamps (LOVE THIS), smoky mercury glass and blue goblets on the tables, red berries, string upon string of fairy lights, a ‘bush chapel’ and a customised dancefloor. And with Lilly-Owl Photography there to capture this beautiful day, you won’t have to miss a thing!Read More

Rustic Fynbos Wedding at Makinky Manzi by 5 Talents Photography {Jean-Marie & Jaques}

I can’t think of a more proudly South African theme for your wedding than fynbos, and that’s exactly what today’s bride and groom chose, basing their entire wedding design on their love for Cape fynbos, right down to protea seed favours. Here’s the twist though – the wedding didn’t take place in the Cape, but rather in the North West, creating a gorgeous fusion of the best of two of our prettiest provinces. This is rustic handmade wedding design at its best, in creamy neutral colours, along with shades of soft pink and a touch of gold. 5 Talents Photography took these golden images, to commemorate Jean-Marie & Jacques special day!Read More

Natural Rustic Makojalo Op-Stal Wedding by Carolien & Ben Photography {Cristi & Jason}

Get ready for a dose of rustic wedding loveliness that’s sure to set any bride-to-be or lover-of-pretty’s heart a-racing. Cristi and Jason were inspired not by a specific theme or colour, but rather by a love of natural, rustic style and a sense that they wanted their celebration to feel warm and intimate, like a family dinner. Don’t you just love that? They certainly succeeded, with simple, well-chosen details like a gorgeous rustic venue, a touch of burlap and lace, pocketfold napkins, long tables and clouds of dreamy baby’s breath. The mood ranges from cheeky fun (love the bridal party portraits especially!) to pure romance, and SBB faves Carolien & Ben Photography have done an amazing job of capturing all of it. Softie that I am deep down (sshh, don’t tell anyone), my fave has to be the first look – I get goosebumps whenever I see one of these!Read More

Real Wedding at The Snowflake Mill {Rochelle & De Markhoff}

It only took one look at today’s wedding to know I would feature it here on SBB, because what can I say, a bride who gets married in her veldskoens, is most definitely a SouthBound Bride! For our overseas readers, veldskoene are a type of traditional South African shoe. And that’s not the only South African icon making an appearance in this Potchefstroom wedding, as it took place in the old factory of one of our signature brands, Snowflake. Add pretty Victorian/Dutch vintage details, navy lace runners, jewel tones, adorable book pear details and a grey lace dress (swoon) and you’re talking all kinds of lovely. But I think what I heart the most is the story that Rochelle and De Markhoff have – true love at first sight, and young love at that! Kallah Ohr was there to capture every moment of this joyous day, including the moment that De Markhoff clearly fell in love at first sight all over again as his bride walked down the aisle.Read More

Real Wedding at Pecan Manor {Andrea & Ian}

One of the things I love most about wedding planning is that inspiration can strike at any time. Some brides have everything planned down to the last napkin fold, with Pinterest folders and a DIY schedule, and no surprises to deal with. For many, final decisions can be made even days leading up to the wedding. My favourite was my friend Abbie who didn’t want a garter, so after we joked in the car on our pre-wedding errands that her surfer husband-to-be would probably prefer a surf leash, that’s what we ended up buying! We put it on under her dress at the last minute and Phil had no idea – it was so fun. And I’ve never seen so many men try to catch a ‘garter’! So I wasn’t completely surprised when reading today’s story from Ian and Andrea, how the idea of a ribbon ceremony backdrop was a last minute decision. Well, I’m sure you’ll agree, it was an awesome one! I really love a focal point to an outdoor ceremony, and hanging ribbons are just SO pretty (and easy)! Plus, I love how photographer Wesley Poon went ahead and used the ribbons for the couple shoot as well, resulting in some spectacular pictures! The decor for this wedding is awesome – shabby chic with pops of jewel tones. I love love love the blue glass, the hanging bottles, the birds. And of course that ribbon, reflected again in the pretty long ties for the bridesmaids’ bouquets (nice twist on the ice cream pastels trend, no?). So much loveliness, and the moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to indulge one of your last minute whims – it may land up being your best idea!Read More

Real Wedding at Ivory Tree Lodge {Claire & Andrew}

Today’s wedding is special to me in so many ways. First of all, the bride and groom happen to be dear friends – Claire is another of my Minerva girls, from our time at varsity. She’s one of the most strikingly beautiful women I know, and she also happens to be lovely and whip smart – someone whose opinion I really value. She and Andrew returned to SA from their home in Singapore for their Pilanesberg wedding (I was also lucky enough to attend), which was seriously so much fun. I think one of the things that really struck me was how well it flowed – from the ceremony looking out over the breathtaking African bush (so much in the wild, in fact, that we had rangers patrolling the perimeter with guns throughout) and the sundowners which followed (such a wow moment), to the canapés on the lawn, to dinner and speeches and then a long session on the dancefloor, everyone was moved on quickly and unobtrusively, and it really contributed to the success of the day I thought. Another thing was the entertainment – they had a choir for the ceremony, bagpipers and a drummer throughout (including the dancefloor!) and a sax player for the reception. The pipe and drum were from Transvaal Scottish, which was my grandpa’s regiment in WW2, and since I inherited my love of the wild from him too, it was particularly special for me. So all in all, one of my all-time-favourite weddings! Andrea Carlyle was there to take the gorgeous pics (and to listen to my friends and I talk nonsense in the jeep while we chased a lion sighting on the way to the reception!). And stay tuned, because in a very short while I’ll be sharing Claire and Andrew’s video (with a very brief spot-the-Gaby cameo appearance from me!).Read More