Botanical Wedding DIY Roundup

Lovelies, let’s close out the week with some DIY goodness, shall we? Since July is all about the ‘greenhouse’, I thought I’d find some fun ideas that fit into a botanical wedding (beyond just the gorgeous florals or greenery obviously!) I have to say, I’m loving these ideas, from invitations to escort cards to table numbers – some that weren’t designed for weddings, but that I think lend themselves to beautiful and unusual centrepieces or focal points. So pick your faves and get making!Read More

Floral Print Wedding Cakes

Everything’s coming up floral at the moment, and that shouldn’t be limited to wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses – your cake can get in on the pretty party as well. In fact, these cakes are so pretty that good luck actually eating them – they look like they should just sit on a shelf and be art! Perfect for a spring or summer wedding, they’ll make a spectacular focal point for your reception or as the centrepiece for your dessert table, and will definitely have guests oohing and aahing. So let’s get inspired! I’ve picked my 20 favourites from the talented bakers and makers around the web. (PS You can find more gorgeous examples of painted wedding cakes here)Read More

Botanical Olive Farm Wedding by Justin Davis Photography {Rebecca & Craig}

When someone in the wedding and events industry gets married, it can feel like a lot of pressure – I often say that if it was me, I’d probably just elope. But at its best, wedding insiders’ weddings get to be a celebration of the talent and friendship that they have built up over the years, a coming together of creativity and ideas where the sum of the whole is greater than its parts. And in the case of today’s wedding – that of The Table Cloth Hiring Company’s Rebecca and her hubby Craig, that sum is pretty great indeed. In fact, I kind of felt like this wedding had fallen straight down from heaven into my lap when Rebecca sent it over, since it’s not only game-changer gorgeous, but also couldn’t fit in more perfectly with our ‘Greenhouse’ theme for July. I ADORE Rebecca and Craig’s take on botanical – the hanging greenery, the Easter egg nests, the gorgeous and unusual flower choices, the wood and moss and copper elements, and of course the printed tablecloths! The setting was a family olive farm, and I loved the way that even the bridesmaids’ robes fitted into the look and feel, and yet despite coming together perfectly, the whole day is unfussy and natural. It was SO hard to narrow down decor pics so I went to town a bit – enjoy. After all, it’s always a pleasure to look at a few more of Justin Davis’ lovely photos!Read More

Inspiration Board: Greenhouse & Garnet

Time for some inspiration! As you may have heard last week, our theme for July is ‘Greenhouse’, so I’m letting myself be inspired by everything beautiful and botanical. I just LOVE the idea of a wedding in a greenhouse setting, and of course you’d want to include lots of lush greenery in that sort of setting, but there’s no reason why that shouldn’t mean a big pop of colour too. I love green and red together – they don’t need to look like Christmas either. Garnet is a gorgeous shade of red – just a berry breath away from this year’s colour of note, Marsala, and a super flattering shade for bridesmaids and flowers too. Doncha just love it?

Colours: Garnet red, emerald & white

Top row (l-r): Invitation suite {Visual Cravings/Laura & Co. Events/Rachel A. Clingen Wedding & Event Design/Paper & Poste}; bouquet {Lime Green Photography/Statice Couture}; greenhouse setting {Lane Dittoe/Greystone Mansion/Flower Wild}
Row 2: Table decor {Lani Elias/Ashley Nicole}; greenery & chandeliers {KT Merry}; red bridesmaid dresses {Azuree Wiitala/Elizabeth And James}
Row 3: Bride with flower crown {Floral Earth/Alise Taggart/Paula O’Hara} ; botanical gardens ceremony {The Wedding Artists Collective}; candles & ferns {Ryan Ray Photo/Signora e Mare/Sprout Flowers}

 

Floral Wedding Dresses

If there’s one trend that has just EXPLODED all over the runways and new collections this year, it’s flowers and floral prints. And these are not like your typical flowery dress, oh no. Combine gorgeous colours, pretty prints and watercolour effects with bridal shapes and dreamy fabrics, and you get something truly spectacular – real little works of botanical art. I’m stoked that a couple of our real brides over the years have been ahead of this curve, but I’ve seen so many pretty examples on the wedding web of late that I couldn’t wait to share my favourites with you in a roundup. And since our theme for July is ‘Greenhouse’, there’s never been a better time!Read More

Organic Jewel Tone Wedding at Roodezand by Heather Steyn Photography {Yolandi & Benjamin}

So unfortunately we’ve had some site downtime the last couple of days (hopefully now all sorted), and as a result, there’s a ton of stuff I’m dying to share with you, so today is going to be a particularly busy day on SBB. And we’re kicking it off with an absolutely beautiful jewel-toned wedding, with flowers that just took my breath away when I saw them (that bouquet!), a gold cake, and a spectacular wedding dress that just happens to be created from the bride’s grandmother’s vintage gown – so special! Benjamin and Yolandi are the most adorable couple, and they incorporated all their favourite colours and textures into their ‘loveleigh’ day – a day that was as cozy and intimate as it was gorgeous – making it not only lovely to look at, but personal and memorable too. Heather Steyn had no shortage of sweet moments to capture.Read More

Vintage Floral Farm Wedding by Cari Photography {Rieke & Jurgens}

While we’re obviously fans of everything soft and subtle here at SBB HQ, I won’t lie – a bright sea of statement botanicals sure sets my heart racing. And wait till you see the florals in this incredible wedding – Heike of Fleur le Cordeur has truly wowed us again! Bride Rieke started off with a palette of duck egg blue and coral, and rustic wood texture, and a passion for peonies so strong that it determined her wedding date to hubby Jurgens (a girl after my own heart!). Heike added in bright pops of purple and orange and yellow and blue, dreamy greenery chandeliers, orchid-strewn flower crowns, and a statement flower-decked wall. Antique botanical prints added an elegant antiquey feel, and even Rieke’s gorgeous gown sported a garden’s worth of tulle blooms. From the groom’s velvet blazer to the foodtruck at cocktail hour, to the sparkly-topped lilac bridesmaid dresses, we’re loving every single detail, and who better to capture it all than the lovely Cari of Cari Photography?Read More

Bright Botanical Wedding at Asara by Blank Canvas & Debbie Lourens {Adriana & Ken}

Some weddings just make me so happy! I find myself grinning as I look at the pictures of the couple and their guests, and as I read the words of the bubbly bride – their joy is infectious. Of course, it also helps when the wedding is infused with colour, packed with bright botanicals in the form of some of the most gorgeous table arrangements (and cake! wow), stationery, and boho floral crown. Not to mention the bride’s incredible (and unusual) lace dress. It’s a colourful celebration that’s not only worthy of Adriana’s Brazilian heritage, but of the Caribbean island where she and Ken first met. Blank Canvas Event Design did an amazing job putting this one together, and I am in love with Debbie Lourens‘ beautiful photos!Read More

City Botanical Wedding at The Pot Luck Club by Marli Koen {Catherine & Jason}

Brides and grooms, I beg of you, consider a city wedding, because OMG they are so fabulous. And as cities go, let’s be honest, Cape Town is amazing. So when you combine urban chic with lush botanical styling and a Table Mountain skyline, you get the wedding we have today – super romantic with a touch of glitz… fun, intimate and relaxed… and did I mention pretty? I’m especially in love with both the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as the greenery that Catherine and Jason chose to decorate both the church (Kate and Wills-style) and their favourite restaurant, The Pot Luck Club. Flowing greenery, inspired by a meadow, bringing the outdoors indoor, and perfectly complementing the city location. Perfect. The lovely Marli Koen was on the scene, capturing every smiley moment and flash of sequin and lace.Read More

Inspiration Board: The Botanist

Happy Monday, lovelies! When I was putting together last week’s post on the Etsy Wedding Fair, I just fell in love with the gorgeous Liberty print shoes by Hetty Rose, and I thought how amazing they would be for a botanical wedding, which got me all inspired to create a new botanical inspiration board. I really love the unusual colour scheme I’ve ended up with – the soft vintagey peach and off whites, with tiny punches of orange, red, coral and blue. In larger colour blocks, they’d be overpowering, but here they have a lovely, mismatched but pulled together feeling. I’m especially loving the flowers in the image top right and the flower wrapped oversize balloon, and the cutlery escort cards – those little details that catch the eye and spark the imagination. Fun!

Colours: Peach, ivory, emerald, coral, magenta, orange, purple & blue

Top row (l-r): Bride {Hetty Rose}; wreath invitation {Modern Hearts/Katrin Coetzer}; centrepiece {Rustic White/Molly Mckinley}
Row 2: Naked cake {Stephanie Yonce Photography/Amore Events by Cody/Maliha Creations}; cutlery escort cards {Clayton Austin}; cocktail; place setting with fern {Jessica May Photography/Paisley Petals}
Row 3: Balloon with floral tie; peach bridesmaid dresses; botanical wedding shoes {Hetty Rose}

Let’s just take a closer look at those gorgeous shoes, shall we?

They’re created using Liberty botanical print fabric in five different styles, and are made bespoke for you, so you can adapt each style with a heel of your choice and other design features. You’ll find the full range in the Hetty Rose Etsy store.