Real Wedding at Morrell’s {Michelle & Grant}

Just like relationships, I love that weddings come in all shapes and sizes. Most of my friends have chosen to have the traditional 100-120 person wedding, some have gone smaller, one couple eloped just the two of them while travelling in New Zealand, and one had two weddings when family illness meant they had to push the ceremony forward by some months. Each wedding was perfect for the couple it honoured, their history and preferences and circumstances, just like the marriages they heralded. And I think that’s an important part of the wedding planning process – figuring out what’s right for the two of you. Today’s couple followed a non-traditional route, with a tiny elopement followed by a joyful party with their extended circle, and just like my friend with two weddings, it allowed them to really relax and enjoy their second party with their favourite people. Grant and Michelle were inspired by their lovely venue, Morrells, and took their cue from the decor for their colours and theme – another great tip for anyone just setting out on their planning journey! The result is a beautiful wedding with a bit of a vintage French/secret garden vibe, and comes complete with the sort of personal touches you know I love! The couple’s stunning, intimate pictures were taken by Schantel of Kiekie Photography.Read More

Real Wedding at Paternoster Lodge {Katie & Theoniel}

Today’s real wedding caught my attention when I spotted the driftwood logs and hanging twinkle light curtains on Be-dazzled Events‘ Facebook page, and I was thrilled to see the whole wedding appear over on the awesome Jules Morgan‘s blog. I love intimate weddings, and I adore Katie and Theoniel’s concept of sharing a favourite destination (who doesn’t fall in love with the West Coast, after all?) with their family and friends. Their design was relatively simple, but very stylish, and perfectly reflected the West Coast vibe in shades of grey and beige neutrals. And how about those fairy lights? Aren’t they just magical? This wedding is proof of how a great venue, a clean palette and a few special details (love that driftwood heart ring ‘cushion’ and the stylin’ groomsmen, for example) are all you need to make your wedding picture perfect (although the perfect pictures Jules takes don’t hurt either – it was too hard to choose, so this is a bit of a bumper post!).Read More

Real Wedding at Olympia Cafe & Bakery {Vicki & Justin}

Surprise! That’s what today’s wedding is, literally. I’ve always loved the idea of a surprise wedding – there’s something that’s so heartfelt and quirky about it. So when I heard that one of my favourite wedding and lifestyle bloggers (Vicki of the amazing I Want That and I Want That Wedding brands) had a surprise wedding in favourite spot, Kalk Bay, I just knew I had to feature it. That was before I had even met Vicki properly (PS she’s just as fab in real life) and heard her and Justin’s story. And yes, heartfelt is definitely the word. The result is a laid back, intimate, special people-oriented wedding and couple shoot rolled into one that feels quintessentially Cape Town and 100% personal. And speaking of personal touches, how much do I LOVE the way Vicki and The Captain customised the ‘This is Your Life’ poster? It’s this kind of detail that makes me love the job I do. I also loved the way Vicki and Justin spent time having pics on their own and with his girls, together with the awesome Lar Leslie,before the big reveal. Read More

Real Wedding at Schoone Oordt {Harriett & Craig}

Needless to say, I love every wedding I feature here on SBB. You brides are so full of creativity and general awesomeness. But there are some where as I go through the pics I am just blown away by the level of detail, and today’s lovely intimate high tea wedding at Schoone Oordt is one of those. I mean, even the ice cubes are pretty. I love all the paper decorations, love the cupcake menu placecards, love the picnic blanket ‘guest book’, love the vintagey paper pinwheels, love the gift bags, love the individual cakes, love love love. I could go on, but I’d just be wasting time that you could be feasting your eye holes on the English country tea party goodness, photographed so beautifully by our friends at Real Simple Photography (who, PS, will be in London for a visit in August – drop Jacques an email if you’d like to book a consultation).Read More

Real Wedding at Shelley’s Gourmet Cafe {Catherine & Mark}

So the other day, there I was sitting at a table with a group of awesome ladies from the wedding industry, and we were discussing wedding size. General consensus? Small weddings rock. And I’ll admit, a lot of that comes from us all being design and detail oriented, but the fact is, especially during a recession, you can just get much more for your money with fewer guests. A wedding that, as my friend Louise of Bijoux Bride (who specialises in this kind of thing) would say, is small but perfectly formed. And I’ll tell you another secret reason I have for loving intimate weddings – somehow, they seem to make brides and grooms feel free to make bolder, less traditional choices. Take today’s wedding, which stopped me in my tracks as soon as I saw it over on photographer Allan McCreadie‘s blog. Not only is it at an unconventional location (a favourite Cape Town restaurant), but you guys, HOW MUCH are we loving Catherine’s styling? I adore her Vivenne Tam dress and seriously gorgeous accessories. Every photo of her looks like it’s a fashion shoot (although we shouldn’t be surprised – her day job is as a design manager for a bag company in China). The whole day just looks like so much fun, and has such an intimate atmosphere with family and friends. So if you’re considering a smaller celebration, let Catherine and Mark’s wedding style inspire you.Read More

Real Wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic {Mehtap & Paul}

Guess where I’d like to be right now? Yep, right there on that terrace, sitting at that table, looking out at that incredible view. It’s no secret I think the Cape is just about heaven on earth, but some days even I’m blown away. And I can’t think of a more wonderful and romantic place to begin your life together. The spot in question is the verandah of the luxurious Tintswalo Atlantic, which looks out over Hout Bay and where in season you can spot whales and dolphins frolicking in the waves. It’s one of the Cape’s best kept secrets, and I am desperate to stay there now! It would also make an amazing place for a honeymoon. The other thing I love about Mehtap and Paul’s wedding, which was flawlessly coordinated by the Aleit team and photographed by the ever-awesome Zarazoo, is that it was so small – just them and three lucky guests. A lot of couples who get married in the Cape are looking for something intimate, and this shows just how to do it. A wonderful location, amazing style (how much am I loving the combination of those coral roses with the rustic Atlantic blues?), and great cuisine – with a view to die for. This is destination weddings at their very best.Read More

Real Wedding at Constantia Uitsig {Anne & Simon}

I always know it’s going to be a good day when a wedding arrives in my inbox from The Aleit Group, since the events they design are all phenomenal! I’m especially excited about today’s though, because it’s the first one of their smaller weddings I’ve featured. A huge part of the Cape Town wedding market is made up of couples from overseas having intimate celebrations in our most beautiful of cities, but just because there are fewer guests doesn’t mean the prettiness quotient has to be any lower. In fact, the opposite is often true, and ‘pretty’ is definitely the word that should be used to describe Anne and Simon’s wedding. It has pretty in abundance. Pretty venue. Pretty flowers. Pretty pictures (thanks to the always awesome Joe Dreyer). And a wedding dress that is the definition of pretty. Love that Anne chose to wear something beautiful and unusual – for me it’s the detail that brings everything else together. And I LOVE that the in-case-of-rain Plan B turned out to be even more spectacular than Plan A might have been. Proof yet again that rain on your wedding day doesn’t have to spoil a thing.Read More